Using Note Taker HD to Grade Student Essays

Note Taker is an easy-to-use note taking app for the IPAD.  The program uses a "Zoom" feature that shrinks handwritten text, so it easily fits on the page.  You can easily organize notes and export either via email or the Dropbox.   If you want to get fancy, you can add photos and diagrams to your notes.

While the note taking feature is great, what I really like about Note Taker is that you can easily annotate PDF documents while using Note Taker's text shrinking feature.  If you have been disappointed with other apps that make your handwriting look large and childish, you'll like the way this annotation feature works.

I use NoteTaker primarily for grading essays.  What I've learned is that the most efficient way to "grade" essays using technology is to combine use of a regular desktop or laptop computer and an IPAD. 

Generally, I ask students to submit work in PDF format to D2L. Then, I download the files from D2L and move them to the Dropbox app.  Then I use my IPAD and NoteTaker to open the files and annotate them with my comments before saving them back to the Dropbox and uploading them to D2L for students to see.

I like using this method for several reasons.  I no longer carry paper copies of essays.  I have a record of all graded work in D2L.  And Note Taker is really easy to use.  I've even had success with large PDF files with 20 or more pages.

I also sometimes combine the use of Note Taker with the rubric feature in D2L.  Using the IPAD with a D2L rubric works well because you are able to see the student's paper on the IPAD, so you don't have to toggle between the grading rubric and the student assignment.