#Writing an annotation for an article how to#
#Writing an annotation for an article pro#

To have your students illuminate a text, think about what annotation skills you’d like them to try out. For this project, students will try illuminating a text themselves, in their own modern way (no need to get out the mortar and pestle and start powdering gold leaf for the paint). You know how people used to create illuminated manuscripts? These stunning versions of a text brought so much richness to the words. Building Annotation Skills with Illumination

So then, if we know what we want, master annotaters who have developed their own style, how do we get there? There are so many options! Today I’m going to share four. Some will combine all of these strategies at will, like a pastry chef with her frosting tips. Some will write long notes to themselves in the margins, while others draw sketches.

#Writing an annotation for an article pro#

Others will be sticky note jugglers, pro at using those tiny little squares as a guide through the maze. Some master annotaters will be flair pen jedis – using color coordination to identify themes, key quotations, big questions. It should be more memorable to them than if they didn’t annotate.

It should be easy to flip back through a section and find something they want to find. It should be easier to both ask a question about it, and answer a question about it. When they’re done annotating, they should understand the text better. So as we teach our students about annotation, and teach them that there’s no specific one right way, we DO want to let them know that there is a desired result. But what have you really accomplished? Chances are, your beginning annotaters don’t feel any more confident discussing or writing about the text that they’ve just randomly marked up. You grab a pen, maybe some sticky notes, and you underline, highlight, and sticky up a storm. Like with so many things in English, it’s all about intention.Īnnotating just to annotate is easy. What do advanced annotaters (yep, I just made up a word) have that beginners do not? So let’s start with what it looks like to build mastery in annotation. You can listen in below, or on any podcast player.

#Writing an annotation for an article how to#

Today, in episode 145, we’re going to talk about what it looks like to be good at annotation, a few creative ways to get there, and maybe more importantly, how to help students understand the point of being good at annotation. Because as tempting as it is to give students a bookmark showing 93 things they could look for in the text, with color codes for each one, do we really think they’re going to carry on with that once we’re not hovering? I started with checklists and copy-and-paste templates for digital annotation, but I ended up somewhere much nicer. I’ve spent the last month thinking about this, and developing curriculum for it. It’s personal, and that makes it a different kind of challenge to teach. I don’t think there’s a right way to do it.