Analog (ie paper) resources that work with digital

Not everyone likes to, feel comfortable, or can go completely paperless. Some like the feel of paper. Sometimes it's easier to take notes on paper. Sometimes, digital equipment isn't allowed in an area. Whatever the reason, there are some great paper-based resources that work with digital.

I often share tips and resources for getting organized and have shared some paper-based solutions in the past.

Here are some tips/resources that are paper based or similar:


1. plain old paper - yup, plain old paper is still around. You can easily take notes, sketches and more with any notepad and pen or pencil. Want or need it digital? Just take a photo of it with your smartphone or scan it. You can also use paper based organizers and do the same thing.




2. Moleskin Notebooks - these are specially made to work with Evernote and your smartphone camera. Write in the notebooks and then take a photo of it with the Evernote app and your notes are now in Evernote. You can make them private, share, tag and more with them.




3. Livescribe Pen - write with the special pen on the special paper and capture your notes digitally. The WiFi version automatically syncs over WiFi. I love mine and sync it to my Evernote account. No WiFi where you are? No worries, the data is stored in the pen and can be synced to your computer later. This is a great compromise for using paper while saving the info digitally. You can also record audio with it.


4. Boogie Board - the Boogie Board is an electronic pad that allows you to write on it with a stylus and then erase it. There are also models that let you store what you write and sync it to your computer. I use the basic model for quick notes at home and the Sync model for notes at my desk (instead of using post-its). I can then save the notes if I want by syncing it to my computer (and my Evernote account) or via Bluetooth to my smartphone. Nice for quick notes and meetings.


There are a variety of ways to capture information - use what works for you.



Related:

Tips and Resources for Getting Organized

Getting Students and Teachers Organized - includes some tips for paper based systems

Evernote for Education Resources

Brookstone Boogie Board - paperless note pad - I love it

I rarely mention anything on this blog that isn't free. I've talked about my smartphone, but I usually keep to free things. But, I got a great gift this Christmas that I want to share. I am not making any money by talking about this.

My wife and I saw the Brookstone Boogie Board while looking for a gift for my father. It is a paperless notepad. It is small, thin and lightweight. You write on it using the stylus, or even your finger. It has sealed battery that lasts for 50,000 erasures. I figure 50,000 erasures will last about 20 years or so. It only uses power to clear the screen. As teachers, we both thought this would be a great tool and bought each other one for Christmas.

Usually, I would have a notepad and pen on my desk at school to take quick notes, reminders, etc. But I was going through a lot of paper. The Boogie Board eliminates that issue. I leave it on my desk and can quickly and easily jot down notes on it. I can later enter them into Evernote, my calendar, or just erase them when done.

When you hit erase, it wipes out the whole screen, so you have to make sure you are done with everything you wrote.

It retails for $35, but I've probably saved quite a bit in paper costs (and saved a bunch of trees) and pens and will easily save more than that on paper over it's lifetime.


Specs:
Black background and green "ink"
Dimensions: 8.8" x 5.6" by 1/8" thick
Weight: 4.2 oz
Cost: $35




I love mine and think it was well worth the money.