Two years ago Pius X introduced a one-to-one iPad program. The use of the iPads in our classrooms has grown over that time. Many of our teachers use iPads for student note-taking mainly through guided notes, this next year all teachers will be using iPads for student note-taking. Making this change will help us to cut down on the amount of printing and paper used in our building.

For students to take notes on their iPad they will need an iPad pencil. Below are several good options students can purchase for use at reasonable prices. Students do not need to purchase an Apple Pencil and there are good options besides the ones listed below. If you find a pencil option not on this list make sure it is compatible with iPads 7 through 10 before purchasing.

If you need assistance with purchasing a pencil, due to the cost please let me know.

• Jamjake Stylus – There are a lot of similar styli for sale on Amazon that do everything or almost everything an Apple Pencil does, but at a much lower price (under $20).  The Jamjake stylus is the one we bought at Pius for testing in classrooms last year.  It does everything a student will need to do and is better in some ways than an Apple Pencil.  And it comes with some spare tips.  
• Adonit is a company that makes a range of Apple Pencil alternatives, including one similar to the Jamjake stylus above.  If you choose one of these, make sure it is compatible with iPad versions 7 through 10.  Some higher-end styli might not be.
• The original Apple Pencil can be found for $79 online.  If you go the Apple Pencil route, make sure you buy the original Apple Pencil, not the Apple Pencil Pro or the USB C Apple Pencil.  Those aren’t supported by the iPads we use.  There are knock-offs of the Apple Pencil available for about $20, but if you want to go that route, you’d be better served by the Jamjake model above.