Learning Annotation through Group Negotiation

Patti Gage and Althea DanielskiSaint Paul College

CRLA Conference 2014

Highlighting in the text Making comments in the margins Marking text Talking to the text

What is annotating?

Making meaning from a text by interacting with it and noting your interaction on the page (i.e. Talking to the Text).

Our Take on Annotation

Students… Read actively Find and focus on the main ideas Understand and turn the main ideas into

workable knowledge Create personal study guides & summaries

Teachers… Can use it as an assessment tool

Benefits of Annotating

1. Preview/survey the text, noticing the title, headings, subheadings, visual aids, key words, etc.

2. Read through once quickly to get an idea of what the text is about and how it is organized.

3. Start reading carefully, working section by section as you annotate.

Preparing to Annotate

1. Make up questions2. Highlight/underline the main ideas in

each section3. Paraphrase the main ideas4. Mark major supporting details5. Circle vocabulary and define6. Note any personal reactions7. Be selective: Stay focused on the main

ideas and answers to your questions

How to Mark Text

Have students read an excerpt from a textbook

Do a “think-aloud” to demonstrate an annotation on an overhead projector

Demonstrating Annotation

Compare these two versions of an annotation. Share with a partner:

What do you notice about them? Which one do you think is better, and why?

Individual versus Group Annotations

Individual vs. Group AnnotationsIndividual Weak students may

struggle Some students may tune

out Some learners may not be

able to form effective questions

Some may have trouble focusing on main ideas & highlight too much

Some may not be able to paraphrase

Group Weaker students learn and

gain confidence Students must participate

actively The dialogue that students

have in their group mirrors the kind interaction we want our students to have with the text

Promotes deeper learning Fosters learning through

multiple perspectives

1. Get into groups 2. Choose a writer/scribe3. As a group, go through the

annotation steps4. Negotiate with your group members:

the scribe will do the group’s writing

Group Annotation

1. Make up questions2. Highlight/underline the main ideas in

each section3. Paraphrase the main ideas4. Mark major supporting details5. Circle vocabulary and define6. Note any personal reactions7. Be selective: Stay focused on the main

ideas and answers to your questions

Group Annotation

Hang up your annotation on the wall. Get one peer evaluation form for your group.

As a group, evaluate another group’s annotation.

Post your evaluation. Go back to see how other groups evaluated your work.

If time, look at the other annotations.

Group Peer Evaluations

How did it go? Do you think your group produced a good annotation?

What was difficult about the negotiation process?

What was helpful about the

negotiation process?

Annotation through Negotiation

Do you teach annotation? How do you teach it? What’s working? What’s not working?

Share Your Experience

Questions and Comments?

Please fill out an evaluation form and help us make our workshop even

better.

Thanks and happy teaching!