Overview of Tech for Note Taking

 

Welcome to Tech for Note Taking!

In this module, we will be looking at technologies that are useful for taking notes during lectures. Let's start with an overview of the technologies that I profile on my Tech Tools for Academic Success website Links to an external site., just so you have an idea of what's out there - and what's good.

In general, note taking technologies can be divided into three categories: hands-on, computer and online software, and mobile apps.

Hands-on Note-Taking Tech

Smartpens look like regular ink pens, but they include technology that makes taking notes easier. For example, Livescribe's smartpens record lectures while you write on special note paper. Our DRC provides Echo Smartpens as notetaking accommodations.

Computer & Online Software

Many note taking options are available online. For example, Mindomo can help students organize their class notes. This mind mapping software can be used online (it runs best in the Chrome browser), or it can be downloaded to MacOS or Windows computers. It works well with assistive technologies like the Voice In Voice Typing browser extension, Kurzweil Read the Web, and other options.

Mindomo offers many templates to help you get started on organizing your notes. I focused on Mindomo in the Tech for Writing module, so if you skipped that you might want to review Getting Started with Mind Mapping. In this module I'll show you how to use Mindomo's Cornell Notes template to organize your lecture notes.

Mobile Apps

Finally, there are many apps for that... For example, Notability (an iPhone/iPad app only) and AudioNote both record audio while letting you take pictures or write or type notes.

Here at the CSM DRC we will provide students with Otter for Education (Otter.ai) as an audio recording accommodation, to support note taking during class. This amazing software is available via a mobile app that's available from Google Play and the Apple App Story - and you can also use it online.

Otter.ai transcribes everything that is said around you as it records the audio - but there is so much more to it than that.