Building Better Note-Taking Skills in Elementary and Middle School Students: Research-Backed Strategies for Educators
Note-taking is a foundational skill that supports comprehension, retention, and critical thinking. However, many students below high school age struggle to develop effective no
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/07/23/building-better-note-taking-skills-in-elementary-and-middle-school-students-research-backed-strategies-for-educators/
#DigitalNotes #elementary #notetaking
#DigitalNotes
NotebookLM Fully Loaded
Google recently offered NotebookLM users an exciting opportunity. Personal Notebooks can now be shared with others. The shared version is read-only, so the curator need not worry that unknown individuals could modify the existing work. Collaborative use of such a tool would represent a different opportunity.
I have written multiple posts focused on note-taking, collab
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/06/14/notebooklm-fully-loaded/
#AIEducation #DigitalNotes
Highlighting in the age of digital content
I have highlighted much of what I read for probably 50 years. I started in college, and I tried different approaches, sometimes highlighting with different colors. My preference was the slim highlighter in yellow. When I began reading using my phone, iPad, and Kindle, I learned how to highlig
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/05/05/highlighting-in-the-age-of-digital-content/
#DigitalNotes #GenerativeLearning #Layering #generative #highlighting
Presentation by Dr Samantha Pearman-Kanza on "I can’t record it for you, but I can provide you with a Digital Notebook — The daring journey of the pre-requisites and hurdles of Digital Notetaking" for the Fellowship of the Data 2025 Meeting. This presentation discussed the challenges and implementation considerations for implementing digital notebooks. Access the presentation here ➡️ https://zenodo.org/records/15311863
Technology and the Writing Process
This post assumes you understand the basics of what is referred to as the “writing process” and perhaps have read my previous post explaining what the writing process is and why it is valuable to educators and researchers. One additional role I proposed in that post was that the components of the writing process would be helpful in
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/03/20/technology-and-the-writing-process/
#AIEducation #DigitalLiteracy #DigitalNotes
Linear narrative chains
I have become fascinated with what I now call linear narrative chains (Hays and colleagues, 2008). The phrase is appropriately descriptive in how we experience life including reading and listening to lectures and explains why reprocessing such inputs is important to understanding and learning. What the phrase indicates is that inputs come at us as a s
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/03/08/linear-narrative-chains/
#AIEducation #DigitalNotes #GenerativeLearning
Notes and the Translation Process
I recently read a research article (Cohen and colleagues, 2013) about students notetaking in college lectures that included interesting observations about the challenges students face. First, information comes at students quickly and to decide what to record and then manually recording what is selected is very demanding preventing little more t
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/02/24/notes-and-the-translation-process/
#DigitalNotes #GenerativeLearning
AI in Readwise
How do most Readwise users use the service? Is it the central location in which you suck in the notes and highlights from the multiple tools you use to read the multiple categories of content you consume to review and work with that content or is it a relay station between these sources and the tools you use to store, organize, expand on, and apply this content? I can
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/02/12/ai-in-readwise/
#AIEducation #DigitalNotes #AI #notes #Readwise
The Space Between Encountering Information and Application
One way to characterize Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is to suggest it involves the analysis of actual and potential tactics applied between encountering information and application. I came to this topic with a background in the development and evaluation of technology tools f
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/02/01/the-space-between-encountering-information-and-application/
#AIEducation #DigitalNotes #GenerativeLearning
✏️ I've been thinking abut how I use #Obsidian and the daily note.
Reader’s Notebook, Commonplace Book, and Note-Taking Systems
Many of my posts describe tools and methods for externalizing and encouraging learning by recording some form of written notes. Recent versions of the approaches and tools have emphasized digital tools and concepts such as Smart Notes and a Second Brain. Note-taking has a long history with a large volu
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/01/21/readers-notebook-commonplace-book-and-note-taking-systems/
#DigitalNotes #notenbook
Notetaking in the lab and the wild
Human behavior can be scientifically studied in the laboratory and the wild. This is the case with notetaking and other study behaviors. When politicians use the phrase “the science of learning” it can be misleading to the public because science in laboratory settings and in the wild can seemingly lead to different conclusions and related rec
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2025/01/05/notetaking-in-the-lab-and-the-wild/
#DigitalNotes #GenerativeLearning
Notetaking – Your brain is lazy
My favorite writer who focuses on classroom learning is Daniel Willingham. He has a way of explaining and applying research that is both approachable and actionable. My interests and vocational focus overlap with the topics of his books allowing me to be appreciative of his insights and his creative way of communicating the mindset of educators and
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2024/12/30/notetaking-your-brain-is-lazy/
#DigitalNotes #GenerativeLearning
Take digital notes for best lecture performance
I know that many argue the research demonstrates handwriting is superior to keyboarding when it comes to taking lecture notes. I have always taken the opposite position based on my personal experience. Here is a new take in support of my personal perspective.
Danial Willingham is one of the best cognitive researchers translating rese
https://learningaloud.com/blog/2024/12/23/take-digital-notes-for-best-lecture-performance/
#DigitalNotes
I had my phone in speech-to-text mode the other day and was spitballing some ideas for upcoming posts and didn't realise when I went back to my notes how many ideas I'd come up with. Now just need the time to work on the posts for the website. Also got a few interviews to schedule up.
I think I need to clone myself 😂😂
#DigitalNotes #TimeManagement #WorkLifeBalance #UpcomingProjects
are you a fan of #digitalnotes
What #notetaking app are *you* using?! I haven't yet found my match, and I've been through more than a few. Would love to know what others are using that work well. Bonus points: collaborative apps that beat Notion's pricing 👀
Sharing this article that has the opinion #UpNote is the way to go:
#opensource #foss #tech #softwarerecommendations #needideas #onenote #notes #digitalnotes #informationmanagement #collaboration #collaborativenotes #devcommunity
AstroPad’s Rock Paper Pencil makes the experience of writing on an iPad much better. Unlike other paper like screen protectors, Rock Paper Pencil comes with four replacement tips for the Apple Pencil. The point is metallic, and works really well.
I use my iPad in well lit conditions, and having Rock Paper Pencil’s magnetically attached screen layer really cuts down glare.
Cornell Notes and Beyond
While a research assistant at Cornell, Walter Pauk was credited with the development of the Cornell Note-taking system. Cornell notes became widely known through Pauk’s popular book “How to study in college” first published in 1962 and available through multiple editions. I checked and Amazon still carries the text.
Pauk’s approach which ca
http://learningaloud.com/blog/2023/11/22/cornell-notes-and-beyond/
#DigitalNotes #GenerativeLearning #Cornell #notetaking
Privacy Tip 🔐:
Ever felt overwhelmed in a cluttered notebook app? I get it. Here are three standout privacy friendly note-taking apps to declutter your digital life:
1. Notesnook - It's the blue jeans of note apps—classic, comfortable, and efficient. No fuss, just straightforward and secure note-taking.
2. Standard Notes - Like an oasis in the desert of note apps. It's your secure fortress for ideas with robust features, rock-solid encryption, and a minimalist interface.
3. Joplin - The Swiss Army knife of note apps, perfect for coders, budget makers, and everyone in between.
Don't forget to explore other options like Cryptee and Turtl for added privacy and security in your digital note-keeping journey. Your thoughts, your choice, but with more privacy! 📱🔒
#PrivacyMatters #NoteTaking #DigitalNotes #PrivacyTip #Tips #FOSS #Privacy
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