Summarizing+and+Notetaking

= Summarizing and Notetaking = (@http://www.randyelrod.com/evernote-top-five-reasons-to-evernote-your-life/) = **Technology 1: Evernote**  = =Rationale:= ====Evernote includes software and services that will help students archive and organize multiple traditional and nontraditional forms of information. Students can type text notes, “clip” web pages, or import photos, videos, and audio. Each item included is a separate note and all notes are organized within notebooks. Students can tag items to make them easy to find and are also able to search for notes using keywords and titles. In addition, students can share their notebooks with others, so that they can work collaboratively on projects and assignments and they can share their notes and research with teachers. Evernote also provides flexibility for students to work at school or outside of school, as it allows students access anywhere when they use a computer, smartphone, ipod, ipad, or other devices. Evernote moves notetaking for students beyond the traditional format to include many different types of media, allows students to learn with technology they are accustomed to using, and allows students to collaborate easily.====

=Resources Needed:=
 * ====Computer with Internet access====
 * ====Evernote Account-account with limited memory is free, premium version is available to schools for half-price, prices depends on number of users (website: @http://www.evernote.com/)====

(@http://www.techsavvyed.net/?p=963) = Technology 2: ReadWriteThink = =Rationale:= ====ReadWriteThink.org is a web site sponsored by the International Reading Association, The National Council of Teachers of English, and the Verizon Foundation. The site includes student interactives, classroom resources, professional development, and parent and afterschool resources. Although there are lesson plans for note-taking and summarizing, the student interactives that focus on organizing and summarizing are the best way to integrate this technology into the summarizing and note taking strategy. The Oragnizing and Summarizing Category of student interactives allows students to summarize their reading in a variety of ways, such as making webs, story maps, timelines, or Venn diagrams. The ReadWriteThink notetaker is an outlining tool that guides students through the process of taking notes step by step. Using these student interactives gives students a nonlinguistic framework and/or structure that will help them to summarize or take notes.====

=Resources Needed:=
 * ====Computer with Internet access====
 * ====Flash Player====
 * ====Access to resources is free (website: @http://www.readwritethink.org/)====

( http://rachelboyd.wikispaces.com/wiki+workshop ) = Technology 3: Wiki = =Rationale:= ====Wikis can be used as a online workspace for students to take notes and document their sources. For younger students, teachers could set up a wiki page to include guiding questions, or a structure for students to use for their notes, such as a chart, or a web. Older students could write their own research questions and decide on a format that worked best for them. Using a wiki would allow for students to collaborate on projects, access their work outside of school, and would also allow teachers to access the work in order to monitor and assess easily. In addition, wikis are easy for students to learn to use and can be password protected.====

=Resources Needed:=
 * ====Computer with Internet access====
 * ==== Wiki Account (most are free) ====

=Educational Challenge: Literacy Development= ====Summarizing and Notetaking can be very difficult for students who are not proficient readers. Struggling readers often lack both the reading skills themselves, as well, as the comprehension and higher-order thinking skills that are required to be able to summarize and take notes. By using student interactives and a wiki teachers can scaffold the work that students are being asked to do, so that they are able to be more independent. In addition, the social learning aspects of using both Evernote and wikis can help increase student motivation, as well as, scaffold their learning.====