I recently went on a weekend camping and mountain biking trip with a friend of mine, and the experience caused me to reflect upon the importance (or lack thereof) of having the lastest and greatest gear to get done what you need to get done. We camped next to some guys who had very nice, very expensive bikes, but who didn’t seem to do any actual mountain biking, as far as we could tell. Instead, they would drive into town for pizza at mealtimes and then come back to camp and sit around their campfire drinking a lot of beer and smoking a lot of… well, let’s just say that there was smoking taking place over there.
Now I don’t have the nicest bike in the world. In fact, it’s really just an affordable commuter bike that’s been tweaked a bit so I can ride it on trails. However, I actually do ride it, although I sometimes wish I had a fancier (lighter, better equipped) bike. But this trip made me realize that the kind of bike you own only matters so much. At a certain point you have to realize that it’s not about the gear you’re using; it’s about what you do with the gear. For me, a plain-and-simple bike is really all I need to exercise and enjoy myself every once in awhile.
My realization made me start thinking about other areas of my life—and, specifically, my academic life—in which I’ve opted for simple, effective gear instead of fancier, more complex alternatives. Why? Because I think we all run the risk of chasing the next big thing instead of assessing whether or not we have a real need that our current gear doesn’t satisfy. (I was originally going to title this post “It’s Not About the Bike,” but I didn’t realize—really!—that the title’s already taken.) Herewith, I offer you 5 simple tools that are essential to my academic life:
A one-serving coffee press
The geek in me sometimes longs for something like a programmable, Internet-connected combination espresso machine and drip coffee maker that connects to a heart monitor (sold separately) and automatically creates the appropriate drink for me when it senses that my energy level has gotten too low. Instead, however, I use a small, affordable coffee press whenever I feel the need for caffeination. It’s reliable, easy to clean, and the coffee it makes tastes about as fresh as can be.
A black ink pen
Even though I’m terrible at managing paper documents and love the convenience and searchability of digital information, I’ve yet to jump fully into the habits that would be necessary to abandon paper and ink. The paper had better be college ruled (a legal pad is preferable), and the pen had better be a Pilot G2. I annotate books and articles pretty thoroughly, and I don’t have to worry about whether or not my annotations will be lost with a software upgrade or whether a student will be able to access what I’ve written on their essays.
A small notebook
After experimenting with things like Evernote, Remember the Milk, and Things, I have come to the conclusion that for keeping notes and maintaining a to-do list I prefer to carry around a medium-sized notebook. There’s just something so satisfying about drawing a line through one of the tasks on my list, and the task doesn’t disappear but stays visible under that mark, reminding me of how productive I’ve been.
A paper gradebook
I’m aware of the various software applications for keeping track of grades (as well as taking attendance), but I’ve found nothing to be as reliable as a paper gradebook. I can almost never launch (and use) the sofware in class while simultaneously greeting students, getting the class started, and trying to remember the agenda for the day. With a paper gradebook, however, I don’t have to think nearly as much about the process.
Sticky notes
The 3-inch-square yellow sticky notes come in handy for many different purposes, from annotating a book (just tear them into strips to make them smaller), to leaving a note on a colleague’s door, to making a comment on student paper, to writing a reminder for myself and sticking it on my laptop. I know there are digital ways of accomplishing just about all of these things, but they’re sometimes just more trouble than they’re worth. The sticky note? Always works.
How about you?
What are your favorite analog tools (and why)? Let’s hear from you in the comments!
[Creative Commons-licensed flickr photo by Ed Yourdon]
Follow Profhacker through your favorite RSS reader: 
28 Responses to 5 Analog Tools I Can’t Live Without (and Why)
phdeviate - September 13, 2010 at 8:12 am
3X5 Index cards. I try always to have them with me. They are business cards, reminders, notes, networking devices, child entertainment tools, and more! I prefer blank (unlined) ones, but failing that I prefer multicolored ones. They lack the parlor trick of sticky notes, but for all that I find them more versatile.
archaeo42 - September 13, 2010 at 8:13 am
A planner. I tried a PDA a few years ago and it just didn’t work for me. I need to be able to easily flip ahead a week or a month in order to properly get things organized in my brain. Using the PDA, I lost some of the perspective of seeing deadlines in relation to one another.
daveparry - September 13, 2010 at 8:18 am
A water bottle and a good lunch box. Having these items means I am far more likely to pack a healthy lunch and stay hydrated throughout the day. Taking care of the analog body helps me be more effective in teaching the digital stuff.Headphones. I will wear them in my office, even when not listening to music. This way I can sit with my door open and people will not disturb me unless it’s important.
lizgloyn - September 13, 2010 at 8:22 am
I’m definitely with you on liking the good old-fashioned pen!I have actually moved from a paper to an electronic to-do list, but one of the reasons I get on so well with mine is that it does actually cross out the tasks, and won’t purge them until you tell it to. It’s the software that comes with the Palm Z22, and I have to say that I find the combined diary/to-do list more use than I do the actual Palm unit… but it’s good to keep the satisfaction of the crossed-out accomplishment.
kirstynleuner - September 13, 2010 at 9:46 am
Colored sticky “flags” for marking passages, especially in novels and longer works. You can write on the colored tab to remember what was so important there and color-code ideas. Downside: adhesive works so well that you may end up wearing rogue flags around the house or in the classroom.
mizzou1 - September 13, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I actually started a list of essential tools that would pretty much allow you to survive or do many things…not exactly “work-related” (for academe at least), but more “life/survival related”duct tape – for when you don’t want it to move, leak etc.WD-40 – for when you DO want to move bettervelcro – for when you want it to move…sometimes5 gallon bucket – to carry or catch stuff (or step on)bungy cord – to fasten stuff temporarilyvise grips – to clamp just about anythingcaribiners – to clip just about anythingvaseline – when you need something thicker than WD-40aluminum foil – for cooking, wrapping or signaling (or protecting head from alien transmissionsSwiss army knif or Leatherman – for stuff not covered above.
11223435 - September 13, 2010 at 4:43 pm
5 X 8 index cards. You can write an entire paragraph on one (if you write small), and you can then shuffle your paragraphs like a deck of cards. Random access even. Works well when the laptop is outa juice or you forgot it, or you’re in some place where it’s useless, or if you just like the feel of pen or pencil on paper. Write on ‘em, shuffle them, then keyboard them later. And, if you need to cite the source for a paragraph, write the source info on the back. Stone Age, but fast, and occasionally–more often than not, actually–the source of serendipitous creativity.
_perplexed_ - September 13, 2010 at 5:04 pm
My SapaX pocket diary has room for a dozen 3×5 cards inside the flaps, and I use the antiquated “address book” pages as space for my “to do” list: Calendar, 3×5 card holder, “to do” list all in one package that fits in my pocket!
fultol - September 13, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Planner. There’s a lot of information conveyed in the way I jot the info down that helps me keep track of what I was thinking when I made the appointment/note. Can’t do that in the computer calendar. I’m also better at syncing my info from the home and office sources. I recently missed an appointment when I forgot that my iPod will sync all calendars except the one hanging on my refrigerator door.
englishwlu - September 14, 2010 at 6:49 am
Messenger bag. Small enough to masquerade as the “one personal item” when boarding a plane with _another_ piece of real carry-on luggage, big enough to hold my laptop, lunch, and my actual purse inside it. Comfortable to wear cross-body when toting teaching materials off campus. Little pockets perfect for iPod, chargers, jump drives, and, yes, planner and paper. Not large enough to become a deadweight filing cabinet that lives in the front hall until it gets emptied. Made of some kind of heavy-duty acrylic canvas that seems to repel dirt.
pjkobulnicky - September 14, 2010 at 7:34 am
Zip-Loc bags. Many sizes. Keeps things organized, dry and, most importantly, keeps little things from gett’n lost in the do’ins.
richarddeu - September 14, 2010 at 8:00 am
Several fountain pens for blue and black ink, paper grade book, chalk holder, legal pads, and a K&E slide rule just for practice (or in case).
crankycat - September 14, 2010 at 8:15 am
Legal pads. Blue gel ink pen. Mechanical pencil with #9 lead. Small binder clips. And – OH YES – definitely – my small coffee press (just enough to keep me going, small enough to keep me out of trouble).
11313934 - September 14, 2010 at 8:23 am
1. My Swiss Army knife is very important to me and I use it for something every day. The main reason I hate terrorists is because they have made it impossible for me to carry my knife on my person on an airplane. 2.DeLorme’s road atlases. I don’t have a GPS, preferring instead to see where I am on a hard copy map, and the Delormes state atlases are the best. 3.Large barn thermometer. I have one with a 10-inch face that I put up on the shady side of the garage. From my back kitchen window I can see it clearly with a pair of binoculars I keep there for the purpose. PJTramdack
fauoip3 - September 14, 2010 at 8:28 am
Yellow highlighter for marking key passages in books, articles and meeting agendas; it helps me reinforce key points and find them more easily later on. On the down side it has the unfortunate consequence of reducing the capacity to lend said volumes to others.Big display calculator, much more handy than the calulators on cell phones or PDAs.And my trusty backpack on road trips, conferences and international trips, its more versatile than a briefcase.
lee77 - September 14, 2010 at 9:17 am
Ditto #11 – Ziploc bags in all sizes; also retractable/disposable knife – for opening all sorts of things, and cutting items. Lighter than a Swiss army knife.
jsalmons - September 14, 2010 at 10:14 am
Like many of you, I move between digital and paper. I use a digital calendar, synched from Outlook to Blackberry. I use it for the long-range to-dos. But I still have a small 3-ring planner for notes and the day’s to do items. The 3-ring allows me to add/move and I have thus managed to avoid the lots of little pieces of paper syndrome.If I am not using a keyboard, I am using a fountain pen. I must have an assortment of fountain pens, with different nibs and ink colors– while the really good ones stay on my desk a more modest one comes with me wherever I go.As a pen person who likes to avoid disposable stuff, I was delighted to find an invention called a dry highlighter. It is a great highlighter, with refills in different colors. Never buy another highlighter!
loganls - September 14, 2010 at 10:15 am
I depend on a book stand, intended for cookbooks but used instead to prop books while I’m working on the computer so I can keep the book open and visible. And, I use a weighted bookmark to keep the pages open. Very helpful tools. I also take a small journal everywhere I go so that when I have an idea or thought related to my research or a related to something else that matters to me, I can write it in the journal. I use post-it notes to post new words and their definitions in the wall near my desk. And, finally, I have a separate journal for future research ideas and have already benefited from keeping that journal. These are the simple tools I use to make my life in the academy easier.
george_h_williams - September 14, 2010 at 10:28 am
Thanks for all the great comments! Some of these are things I considered putting on the list but didn’t, and some of them are things I’d like to add to my toolbox.
22268954 - September 14, 2010 at 10:47 am
One of my favorite analog things is my ancient (1980) SLR Pentax 1000 I had to buy my first year in a school media MLS program. At the time I felt highly victimized…how can he expect to spend $200.00 on a camera!, etc. Many times since, however, I have sent a mental thank you his way. It seems like there’s nothing I can’t do with this camera. I will say it is heavy, but I feel that translates to sturdy. I did buy a good point and shoot but after using a camera where everything is manual, the point and shoot is just too limited. I haven’t stepped up to a digital SLR…as usual in my life indecision stops me…but maybe someday. In the meantime, I stick with my Pentax as long as I can find film and a place to develop it.Candybeezcbroughton@cattlv.wnyric.org
goodeyes - September 14, 2010 at 10:53 am
Paper gradebook? It is time to learn Excel so you will have more time to bike ride.
george_h_williams - September 14, 2010 at 11:20 am
@goodeyes: Oh, I know how to use spreadsheets. That’s not the point of this post. I use paper gradebooks because I prefer them to spreadsheets and because they work better for me.And they leave me plenty of time to ride my bike. ;-)
awegweiser - September 14, 2010 at 11:47 am
Oh 22268954! Yes, I too have a Pentax SLR with a couple of different lenses and have used it for years to produce a few thousand Kodachrome slides used in class for decades. Now it is obsolete along with my slide projector and a few dozen 35 mm slide reels.Even if you can find film, according to NPR, only one processing outfit remains in the USA.Even my VHS is fading away, my 38 year old BMW Coupe only can play cassettes and I hope the needle on my turntable can still play the hundred or so 33 RPM vinyl discs I have. At least I never bought any 45 rpm’s or 8 tracks – the Beethoven 9th would not come close to fitting.And there is the joke about the teenager being shown a camera and told it uses film. Her response: “Film, what’s that? And where is the button to download tunes, watch videos, and talk to my friends?”
benreynolds - September 14, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Swiss army knife of moderate size. To disagree w/ lee77, the main purpose of a swiss army knife is not the blade but all the other parts.Wallet and a back pocket.
22188341 - September 14, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I switch back and forth between digital and analog. I couldn’t function without my Palm to sync to Outlook or Delicious to keep my online bookmarks. But I live by sticky notes. They are my task list (into the recycle bin when completed), bookmark, info flag, and a quick way to pass on information to a colleague or student.I also find a clipboard with paper very handy. It is portable, gives me a good writing surface, and when filled with blank paper (usually recycled printer rejects)I am free to make bulleted lists and visually diagram an idea on the same page and then file away for future reference. I haven’t found a mind-mapping software yet that gives me the flexibility of pen and paper.
minnesotan - September 14, 2010 at 6:41 pm
White board and marker. Not only is it a convenient way to demonstrate what students should write down, one can also catch a little buzz, now and again, from the fumes!
loremipsum11 - September 14, 2010 at 8:16 pm
My ink pens have to be Uniball vision, multiple colors for grading; they don’t smear :)
cascarol - September 15, 2010 at 8:27 am
Love this post. It makes me feel less old-fashioned to know that others too prefer some of the same analog items that I prefer (such as a paper planner).In the classroom, I like having on hand flip-chart paper and markers. Perfect for those occasions when students work in small groups. They can put their main ideas on a piece of flip-chart paper, tack it on the whiteboard (with magnets) or wall (with tacky adhesive). Helps to keep students engaged in the activity. Also, once the papers are posted at the front of the class, it’s easier to compare the various groups’ ideas.