As an itinerant therapist, traveling from building to building, or room to room it can be difficult  to write notes, have schedules or other information  easily available to you. If you have an iPad, do you carry your iPad along with you during the day?

My iPad goes with me almost where ever I go at school. I am in a number of different buildings and many classrooms whether I am working with students or teachers as a OT or AT Coordinator (I wear two hats at my school).

One of the apps that I have found helpful is Awesome Note (iPad HD 4.99/ Lite- free), which allows me to organize information by categories almost like a binder system on my iPad. I have been using it for a while, but was surprised when their was an inquiry on the QIAT listserv, how frequently it was mentioned by other professionals in education for their preference as an organizer app. Aside from being very visual (color, tabs and easy visual presentation/organization fits my learning style) here are some of the features in Awesome Note:

• Provides options of colored tabs or categories of information you need to record or access ( OT Elementary Students; Schedules; OT Middle School Students; AT High School Students, OT Admin; AT Admin; e.g.)
• Allows posting dates and events into the calendar
• Tools to set alarms by events, or to do list
• Provides options to enter notes, to do lists into categorized subjects (e.g. student lists)
• Provides options to insert pictures (saved or camera option) of evidence of student work (pictures of handwriting samples, keyboarding or drawing samples)
• Create a to do list with suspense date

Here are some screen shots of  Awesome Note features:

(instead of Kung Fu, this might be a student name and a daily note written).

Here is how I organize some of my categories:

Each category students has a listing of student names where I write daily treatment notes or can take pictures within the notes of student production ( images of handwriting, drawing samples, word processing samples, etc.). I can use those images/ data collection samples for pre-post information or provide an electronic samples easily to parents during IEP meetings.

I also create a list of to do tasks that can help me prioritize, set alarms and then check off the tasks (my favorite thing is to check those tasks off!) Awesome notes is my agenda and organizer, providing a one stop job shop of administrative information! I do wish that within the notes it would create an automatic date stamp. It does automatically record the last date entered something into the note however. Awesome Note syncs notes to Google Docs, Evernote or via Wi-Fi between iDevices for archiving.

Here is a YouTube video of Awesome Notes:

Check out Awesome Note if you need an electronic organizer for your OT iTool Kit!

Carol