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Study Tools Can Feel Like Cheating!
When i was in college our study tools consisted of the one computer on campus that took up most of one room, Cliff’s Notes, and colored pens and highlighters. Study Gadgets Galore!My, how things have changed, and so has the science of taking good notes.Are you a gadget person? Gadgetry has come to education in a big way. It would be impossible to list every study gadget available, but there are some truly unbelievable tools on the market today. I felt almost James Bond-ish when I found the following study tools. Let’s start with the most conservative to the most outlandish. Tools for Auditory LearnersFirst, an MP3 Player with voice recorder-OK this isn’t too James Bond-ish, but it’s a great way to preserve a professor’s lecture (plus in your off time you can listen to music). If you’re going to record a lecture, make sure to clear it with your professor first, then use the recording to take copious notes in the privacy of your dorm room later.Plus, if you’re an auditory learner, you can read your notes into the voice recorder and listen to it later. I also mention Kindle 2 in the “Reading” section but I think it’s worth a mention here as well. Kindle 2 is an electronic book reader. What I like about the Kindle 2 is the portability, as well as the sheer number of e-books available for download. Another nice thing about Kindle 2 is when you get tired of reading yourself, Kindle 2 will continue by reading the book to you. What a great idea, especially for auditory learners! Plus, iTunes has a Kindle application that allows you to turn your iPod into an e-reader. Tools for Visual LearnersSecond, a digital camera. A digital camera is a study tool for taking notes? Yes. You can get a 10 megapixel camera for pretty cheap now. Why a digital camera? Again, clear this with your professor, but you can take pictures of whiteboards or overhead projectors to look at later.Many universities have gone to web based applications such as WebCT that serves the same purpose. If your professor uses WebCT, she may post her notes and powerpoint presentation on WebCt. Check with your school. Tools for Note Sharing and OrganizationThird, for those of you who like to stay organized, and share notes with classmates, check out either notecentric or mynoteit. I think notecentric is probably geared more toward college students, but both products allow you to have a free trial. Both allow you to share notes, exchange contact information for group projects, and calendar important dates so you stay on top of your assignments and exam dates.Nowadays, study tools come in the form of social tools that keep you connected to other classmates. Pen GadgetsFourth, CPen is a pen scanner that you connect to your laptop and allows you to scan text into your computer. This eliminates the need to write or type notes from a book, just scan the text and it appears as a document in your laptop. Talk about taking notes from your reading assignment!The CPen is much like an electronic high lighter. Fifth, is the Smart Pen. This one scares me a little, because it seems so technically advanced, and it makes me feel like I’m cheating somehow. The Smart Pen is a battery operated pen with an infrared camera built into the tip. It also has a built in voice recorder and special “dot” paper to write on. When you turn the pen “on” it begins recording (the lecture presumably) on the digital recorder, while simultaneously filming what you write until you turn it “off”. Later, when you’re reviewing your notes, you can tap on a particular part of the notes you took, and the corresponding recording of the lecture will begin to play. Talk about effective note taking! This allows you to hear the audio of the lecture that pertains to the notes that you took! Just call me Bond...James Bond. Return from Study Tools to TutorTrend Home Page
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