All note-taking tools

Who should use this? Students who have difficulty processing spoken presentations and lectures will find this useful. However, you need to be reasonably tech savvy; also note that there is no Chromebook version.

How does it work? You can use the app on a Windows or Mac laptop, or mobile device, to take notes during lectures, then share your notes to your other devices if you wish.

What does it cost? The free version works well, but it is supported by ads--so that can get distracting when you're taking notes. Pay $10 per year for the smartphone app or Windows or MacOS version.

How can I get it? Get the smartphone app from the Apple App Store, or download the MacOS or Windows software from Luminant Software.

Who should use this? Students who have difficulty taking notes during lectures or class discussions, who have hearing loss, and who speak English as a second language will find this useful.

How does it work? Once you've created an account (online or in the app), just press the Record button. Watch a CNET video to see the app in action. You can also record and transcribe directly in the online interface on the Otter.ai website. When the transcription is complete, you can save the text or audio to your device.

What does it cost? The free version gives you 300 minutes of transcribed speech per month and lets you record for a half hour at a time. If you are a student or instructor, you can get an educational discount on the PRO version, which gives you 6,000 minutes and other features. To get the discount, follow the instructions on this Otter.ai Help Center page.

How can I get it? Get the smartphone app from the Apple App Store or from Google Play. If you are a student at Skyline College, in San Bruno, CA, contact the AT Specialist to request a login.

Who should use this? Notability is especially useful for visual learners, and it is best used while studying (the many options could make it a bit challenging to use during a lecture). Note that it runs on Apple iPhone and iPad only.

How does it work? Enter notes by typing, speaking, drawing, or uploading photos, then tag them by color to put them into easily searchable categories.

What does it cost? Free, with limited features. Full version is $15 per year.

How can I get it? Download Notability from the Apple App Store (iPhone/iPad).

Who should use this? Students who need a way to organize notes from all of their courses in one place that's accessible from any device. It's a good choice if you do a lot of their research online--it offers great web-clipping features.

How does it work? Watch this demo for a quick overview; for details, read this Computerworld review.

What does it cost? The free basic account is great to get started with, but you are allowed only 60MB of space on the server (which is not much). The premium version is usually $70 per year--but students get a 50% discount.

How can I get it? Download the app versions from the Apple App Store or Google Play; go to the Evernote website to sign up for an account.

Who should use this? Visual learners will find Keep particularly useful because notes can be color-coded and grouped on Keep webpage. Chrome users can use Keep as a website clipping tool, just like Evernote. Apple iPhone/iPad users can dictate notes.

How does it work? As with most Google apps, this is very easy to use--and requires a Google account to access. With a couple of clicks, you can create notes and to-do lists, organize them, and add reminders. Watch this video for details on how to use Google Keep.

What does it cost? Free! Included in Google G Suite (go to http://keep.google.com or search for it in Google Drive), and available on the Apple App Store, Chrome Web Store, Google Play (Android).

Who should use this? Glean is good for students who learn well by listening, because it makes it easy to find specific parts of a lecture to review.

How does it work? You need to use the Chrome Web browser with Glean. (There is a limited-feature smartphone app that automatically uploads recordings to the website as well.) Open the Glean website in browser tab and click "New Event" to get started. Visit the Glean website student overview for details.

What does it cost? An individual account costs $12 per month.

How can I get it? You may sign up for the free 30-day trial; you'll have the option to pay for a subscription after that ends.

Who should use this? Visual learners will find Mindomo very helpful for brainstorming, organizing their thoughts, and creating outlines. It's great for students who use Chromebooks.

Who should use this? Visual learners will find Mindomo very helpful for brainstorming, organizing their thoughts, and creating outlines. It's great for students who use Chromebooks.

How does it work? Log into the online version or launch the desktop software, then click the Create button to get started. From there, it's easy to figure out. Watch my Mindomo demo to see it in action.

What does it cost? Nothing.

How can I get it? Go to the Mindomo website to download the software, or to use the program online. The mobile app is free, and available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Who should use this? Students who have difficulty trying to follow lectures while taking notes at the same time. It's also very useful for people who are auditory learners.

How does it work? Turn on the pen and take notes on special dot-paper during class; the pen makes an audio recording that you can play back by clicking the notes. Free software lets you save your notes to a computer. Watch this video demo to see the Livescribe Echo smartpen in action.

What does it cost? The Livescribe Echo Smartpen costs about $150; notebooks prices vary. You can print the dot-paper for free from www.livescribe.com if you wish.

How can I get it? You may go straight to the Livescribe website to purchase pens and supplies, or look on Amazon and other retailers. (Programs on our district campuses loan Livescribe Echo smartpens and notebooks to registered students.)

Who should use the Symphony? Students who are tech savvy and comfortable using smartphone apps. They are useful for people who have difficulty following lectures while taking notes, and who are auditory learners.

How does it work? The pen uses Bluetooth to connect to a mobile device to record audio and capture what you write in the notebook. You can save your notes (with audio) on your mobile device, and send them to a cloud service for safekeeping.

What does it cost? The Symphony costs about $115, but often can be found for less online. Notebook prices vary. You can print the dot paper for free from www.livescribe.com.

How can I get it? Symphony smartpens and notebooks are available from LiveScribe and from online retailers like Amazon.

Who should use this? Students who are tech savvy and want a convenient way to keep digital copies of their notes. It's a good choice for people who prefer to write down their notes, doodle, and draw.

How does it work? The notebook is made with special pages that can be written on and erased repeatedly. A QR code is embedded on each page; you take pictures of your notes and use the app to upload them to a cloud service or email them.

What does it cost? Rocketbook has a wide variety of notebook products; visit the website to learn more.

Where can I get it? Rocketbook products are available from the company website, as well as Amazon and other vendors.