Livescribe Pen: To Buy or Not to Buy

Nursing Students General Students

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The concept of the Livescribe pen is amazing. The price = Not so amazing.

For those who are not yet familiar: What is a Livescribe pen?

Basically it is a pen/recorder in one. There's a special paper that you write on as your recording. This allows you to "click" on your notes and hear that point in the lecture. For more explanation go to http://www.livescribe.com

To anyone that uses it: Does it work? And is it worth the investment?

How long does the ink last?

When you archive a notebook, what exactly happens? Can you still play back the recording while looking at the notes?

If I take notes with the livescribe pen, and then playback the recording, can I add notes to the notebook? I don't necessarily need my added notes to be linked to the lecture, but I do want to be able to add in anything extra that I may have missed.

Thanks for any feedback!

you can also consider getting a refurbished one from livescribe.com for much cheaper. I paid $100 for the 8 gb Echo. You can also print up a notepad from the livescribe desktop.

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I bought my live scribe pen when I was working on my biology undergrad-- my grades went from struggling C's to high B's and A's. I honestly wish I had bought mine earlier (I got it on clearance at Target for $50!!)I use it to record lectures and write in the notebooks in class. Then when I get home I listen to my lecture/look at the notebook on my computer & rewrite my notes in a different notebook with a regular pen-- rewriting them allows the opportunity to cement the material more and organize your notes if your instructor didn't present them in an organized fashion. When you listen to your lectures again you'll be amazed how much material you missed the first time. Contact me if you have more questions about live scribe.

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I bought my live scribe pen when I was working on my biology undergrad-- my grades went from struggling C's to high B's and A's. I honestly wish I had bought mine earlier (I got it on clearance at Target for $50!!)I use it to record lectures and write in the notebooks in class. Then when I get home I listen to my lecture/look at the notebook on my computer & rewrite my notes in a different notebook with a regular pen-- rewriting them allows the opportunity to cement the material more and organize your notes if your instructor didn't present them in an organized fashion. When you listen to your lectures again you'll be amazed how much material you missed the first time. Contact me if you have more questions about live scribe.

I know with some classes teachers make slides that you can print out and write on. Would the livescribe pen be able to record what I write on any sheet of paper?

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@mayahp22 you can only use the livescribe paper to sync the recording with your writing

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

I know with some classes teachers make slides that you can print out and write on. Would the livescribe pen be able to record what I write on any sheet of paper?

Our professors make our pps fill in the blank (to make sure we come to class even though it isn't required) so I write all notes on the powerpoints or everything is too spread out and I'd have to condense it anyway. The audio recording function would still be useful but not for $200.

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Before you buy make 100% sure you can record lectures. My school allows recording EXCEPT for the nursing program. In all of my nursing classes recording buys you a one way ticket out of the program. They have the rule due to professors sharing personal stories that could be HIPAA violations if recorded. So... be totally sure!

They shouldn't be giving enough details to constitute HIPAA violations regardless. Your faculty can say, "I took care of a man with hepatitis with these symptoms.... and this is what we did for him." They can say, "I made this horrible medication error which resulted in a patient adverse outcome" as a cautionary tale without identifying details. They can't say, "in October 2002 I was working at City Hospital on Harrison 5 and had a guy who was a cook at the Blue Moon Cafe on Main Street and gave hepatitis to half the regulars." That's a violation because the patient could be found with that info. They can't say, "The patient was a 76-year-old woman admitted by Dr. Smith from Lily Pond SNF with a bowel obstruction." That patient can be identified.

Recording has nothing to do with it. The only thing that counts is that identifying data is not revealed to anyone who has no bona fide need to know it, including in an educational context. Sounds like an urban legend to me.

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Thanks everyone

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You can print live scribe paper if you have a laser printer-- so in theory you could print your paper, and then print your PowerPoint onto the paper.

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You can print live scribe paper if you have a laser printer-- so in theory you could print your paper, and then print your PowerPoint onto the paper.

Yea I have a laser printer. I wasn't sure if printing on the special paper would mess it up or not

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Specializes in Oncology, Palliative Care.

I printed my slides out on livescribe paper all through nursing school... I just used paper from the livescribe notebooks (tore out easily/cleanly with perforated edges). LOVED using the pen during class... Definitely worth the cost & improved my grades tremendously!! I'd recommend getting the microphone headphones if your professors walk around the room during lecture...

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I printed my slides out on livescribe paper all through nursing school... I just used paper from the livescribe notebooks (tore out easily/cleanly with perforated edges). LOVED using the pen during class... Definitely worth the cost & improved my grades tremendously!! I'd recommend getting the microphone headphones if your professors walk around the room during lecture...

Thanks I'm sold lol that was just my biggest concern

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Congrats, you'll love it. I've always asked my teachers if they had a problem with my recording lectures for my own personal use-- I only had 1 that had a hiccup about it but when I explained that it would never be on YouTube and how much my grades went up she changed her tune!

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