Annotation as social learning

 Today I saw this post by my #clmooc friend Terry Elliott, a college professor from Western Kentucky. In it he's sharing a video that shows students in his college class how to use Hypothes.is to annotate a class syllabus document.  I encourage you to take a look.

Check out this video I recorded via @loom. It is an intro to our Blackboard version of https://t.co/AX44fmZcXr . Dandy even with the echo of roosters in the background. https://t.co/iEirZqzH9Y #e100ewku #hypothes.is

— Terry Elliott (@telliowkuwp) August 21, 2020

I learned about annotation a few years ago from Terry and Kevin Hodgson, another #clmooc educator.  I shared some of my thoughts in a few blog articles which I encourage you to read.

At the site-based tutor/mentor programs that I led in Chicago from 1975 to 2011 we began to add computers in the 1980s and continued to update this capacity in following years.

As the photo at the left shows, this normally led to students and volunteers surrounding a computer, to do various forms of engagement.

Since Covid19 closed schools and non-school program sites in March this face-to-face interaction has almost ceased, or has been severely limited.

In fact, this photo might be from any home in America, where the adult is a parent or older sibling, helping younger students or peers with on-line learning.

With ZOOM and other video conferencing those kids could be looking at a screen with fellow students and/or volunteer tutors and/or mentors.  I see stories from many programs showing that that has been happening over the past few months.

I'm sure it will continue, and grow, the longer students are prevented from attending classes at schools or non-school program sites.

So why not use Hypothes.is and do shared reading, via remote learning.  Students and volunteers could each be looking at the same document, and highlighting and annotating, just as Terry shows in his video.  Using video conferencing they could not only be writing and adding thoughts in the margins, but they could be talking to each other, asking questions, and reading what each other is saying.

Above you can see a screen shot from one of my blog articles, which I've highlighted to illustrate annotation in action. Visit this in this blog article, and find a link to an annotated version in Hypothes.is where you cab add your own comments.

Below I point to an article I wrote showing how some Chicago youth programs are adopting e-learning strategies. I'd love to write a story in the future showing uses of annotation in e-learning.

How are Chicago youth programs pivoting to e-Learning?
I posted this article a few weeks ago to share some stories showing how Chicago youth programs were adopting e-learning strategies. I updated it today to add this article from Midtown Educational Foundation. 

Reminder.  If you'd like to share how your organization is dealing with Covid-19, read this blog article and contact GrowthWorks directly. 

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