The best addition to my iPad cost $5.50

I have an iPad mini that I use at work.  It is critical to my survival.  In addition to boring things like e-mail, I use it to take and organize all of my notes from endless meetings and to sketch, outline and storyboard modules I’m working on.  While I could certainly extol the wonder that is the Notability app, there is only one thing that helps me seamlessly integrate my iPad into my life: my stylus.

I’ve tried using a laptop to keep myself organized, and I briefly (and foolishly) tried to use the on-screen keyboard to type notes, but they do nothing to replace the tried and true act of taking notes (and doodling) to record information.  Nearly impossible to do with your finger – unless you happen to be a finger-painting expert from long ago – a stylus is the way to go for taking notes.  The problem becomes which one is right.

After several iterations of borrowing a friend’s stylus, I quickly realized that while they all worked, it was really the awkward resistance between the glass and the rubber tip of the stylus that made it challenging to use.  With slowed writing speed, I found myself focusing on exactly which point of the stylus was making the mark on the iPad. 

Taking to Amazon, I was overwhelmed by the number of styluses out there.  I could quickly eliminate most based on my poor experience with rubber-tipped styluses I had borrowed.  However, one jumped out at me.  It may have been the price (2 for $11), it may have been that the description talked decisively about it being unlike a rubber stylus, or it may have been the ridiculous description that indicated “requires no power or software to operate and instantly works right out of the box.”  Regardless, I took a chance – and fell in love!

What does this have to do with technology enabled learning?  Nothing.  Unless you are using an iPad and need a stylus that can help you leverage the device to take notes, draw, or doodle like you remember doing as a child in middle school.  The right tools can help to make all the difference when it comes time to record your ideas.  If it’s a seamless process, maybe your ideas will flow a little better.

Check it out for yourself.  It’s worth the $5.50 gamble for the TrentArcadia Micro-Knit "Clickpen" Stylus.