Online Resources

Cornell Learning Strategies Center
The Cornell Learning Strategies Center offers a number of valuable resources for approaching your note taking, texts, time management, and test preparation in a strategic fashion. It's the anchor of many successful strategy programs world wide and well worth a bit of your time.

Learning Disability Association of Ontario (LDAO)
LDAO is a support and advocacy group for students and families who are trying to navigate their learning disability. LDAO offers several online resources, webinars, and in person workshops that will help you take your learning to the next level. LDAO also hosts several regional branches, which means that you are likely only minutes away from a support group near you.

International Dyslexia Association - Ontario Branch (ONBIDA)
Dyslexia is an often misunderstood term that has become increasingly inclusive of many reading and learning disorders. ONBIDA is a well resourced group that focuses on reading and related disorders that are undermining many of our students. Their site provides a number of consultant resources and parent friendly workshops that can really allow students to take charge of their reading.

Association for Bright Children Ontario
Just because you are bright does not mean you should be able to sink or swim on your own. All learning exceptionalities, included giftedness, come with challenges that can be supported with the right tools and resources. ABC is a regional group that advocates and seeks out support resources for the giftedness community.

More coming soon (including original resources)

Assistive Tools

Evernote
Evernote is an electronic file cabinet for all of your notes (typed or scanned), web resources, articles and book chapters (pdfs). The problem with file cabinets is you need to maintain good organization or you will be overwhelmed by the amount of information you have collected. Evernote uses their own servers to build a Google like search database of YOUR notes, files, and work. This means you just need to know what you want and Evernote will give it to you. You can scan your notes, incorporate your LiveScribe notes, add articles, clip entire webpages, and type directly into Evernote. You can even take a photo of your notes using the Evernote smartphone apps. Imagine no longer searching your history binder for a single sentence and instead just asking Evernote for it? An amazing tool! Oh, and it's free.

Smartpen Central
The LiveScribe pen is one of the most powerful resources in a students arsenal. Imagine simultaneously recording everything a professor says and synching it with the exact pen stroke you are making at the time it was conveyed. Then imagine looking at your notes and being confused about what was being said (that's never happened right?), but not being concerned because you can immediately review exactly what was being said at that moment with a single click of your pen? The LiveScribe pen will change your academic life without making you change the way you work.

Scrivener
Scrivener is an alternative web processor for Windows and Mac that is meant to be a substitute for Word. Initially created for script writers and authors, Scrivener brings organization to the writing process. For students, this means creating a port form outline within your document and writing each of those sections as a focused "chunk". You can then easily integrate this work into your final product for editing. Add to that the ability to link all your references and resources directly into your outline and you have a one stop location for planning and writing. Scrivener has a free demonstration that I highly recommend and is available for purchase for under $50.