Tech Tips for Students

September is here, and for young Galloway residents, that means it’s time to go back to school. Students at any of the four elementary schools (, , or ), the , the , , and the can all benefit from taking the right tech tools into the classroom with them.

Technology has become an integral part of the education system in recent years. Just about every classroom has at least one computer in it and as a result, students now have open access to online resources like Wikipedia and the wealth of information they have to offer.  

The marriage of technology and education shouldn’t end when the student steps out of the classroom. Any student can benefit from having the right tech tools on hand to help them take more effective notes, and make studying easier.

Taking effective notes isn’t as easy as it might seem. Between trying to write down every important fact, and absorb everything the teacher is saying, it can be easy to leave an important detail out of your notes without meaning to.

The Livescribe Echo Smartpen solves that problem by recording everything that’s written and spoken during class. By using the pen with Livescribe’s dot paper, you’ll even be able to queue up the recorded audio that corresponds with any given part of your notes.

The Livescribe smartpen also allows you to load your notes onto any computer, making it easy to reference them while typing a paper. You can also share your notes with other students using the Livescribe Connect service, which allows easy integration with Facebook, Evernote, Google Docs, and a wide variety of other services.

When it’s time to sit down and study, students of all ages can benefit from a tablet computer like the Apple iPad, or the Motorola Xoom.

There are Kindle and Nook apps available for both tablets, meaning that you can keep a wide variety of books on hand for quick reference. Both tablets are also capable of connecting to the internet, so you’ll have pretty much every resource imaginable right at your fingertips.

With a little help from a tablet stand, either tablet computer can be used just about anywhere, making them far more convenient than a laptop or netbook.

Whether you’re studying at your desk, the kitchen table, or at a friend’s house, viewing all your reference materials can be as simple as setting up a small stand, and resting your tablet on it.

The obvious drawback to keeping all of your reference materials on a tablet computer is that when it runs out of power, you’re done studying, whether you like it or not. The New Trent iCruiser can help with that problem.

The iCruiser can provide power to just about any mobile device you might own, including most smartphones and tablet computers. This battery pack holds enough juice to charge an iPhone 4 six times, and should provide about 17 hours worth of power for an iPad 2.

With a smartpen, and a fully charged tablet computer, any student will be able to make the most of their education. By making it easy to take great notes, and providing a wealth of reference materials, these tech tools make learning a painless process.