Paper notes
Paper is easy to start and easy to lose. It works for quick capture, then falls apart when you need a reliable student history or a conference record weeks later.
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets can look organized without being useful in the moment. They are strong for counting and sorting, but weaker when a teacher needs context around what actually happened.
Docs and running records
Docs are comfortable writing surfaces. Over time they turn into long files that are harder to scan and harder to compare across students.
Where Dodl changes the tradeoff
Dodl keeps the capture step short, then keeps the note attached to class and student history. That matters most when you need to reopen the record quickly in Notes Explorer and use it for reporting work.