This module explores ways to annotate research and sources found on the web, and enable close reading exercises which can be particularly useful in the classroom.
Outcomes:
- Improved understanding of how annotating online resources using digital tools can help students better understand the disciplinary practices and threshold concepts of your field.
- Ability to annotate images or text found on the web using different online services.
- Ability to engage with others on your own website by installing plugins (available through WordPress) to encourage users to annotate your work.
Readings
- Chauncey Monte-Sano, “Writing to Learn History: Annotating and Mini Writes,” TeachingHistory.org, http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/23554 ♦ Estimated Read Time = 3 minutes
- Jeremy Dean and Katherine Schulten, “Skills and Strategies | Annotating to Engage, Analyze, Connect and Create,” New York Times, November 12, 2015, sec. The Learning Network. http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/12/skills-and-strategies-annotating-to-engage-analyze-connect-and-create/. ♦ Estimated Read Time = 15 minutes
- Amanda Visconti, “Better Tech via Annotation (Using Hypothesis to Improve Your Technical Documentation, Code, and Tutorials),” Literature Geek (March 22, 2016), http://literaturegeek.com/2016/03/22/better-tech-via-annotation-hypothesis-documentation-code-tutorials ♦ Estimated Read Time = 5 minutes
Questions to Consider
- Monte-Sano, and Dean and Schulten, discuss annotation as a way to teach students to interrogate sources better. How might you use this type of exercise to engage your students in close readings of documents, images, visualizations, or other sources that are accessed online?
- Visconti’s piece addresses how a professional community used annotation tools to collaborate. How might you use an annotation tool to collaborate with your peers on a scholarly project? Are there drawbacks to this method, what are the advantages?
Activities
Activity 1: Webpage Annotation with Hypothesis or Genius Web Annotator
If you are interested in using an online annotation tool in your class, best for text, try Hypothesis (tool used by Visconti, et al, mentioned in the readings). Genius, mentioned by Dean and Schulten, can also allow you as the annotator, published an annotated version of something online.
- Hypothesis: Read this guide developed by the Hypothes.is team, on how to use Hypotheis with a classroom, Jeremy Dean, “Back to School with Annotation: 10 Ways to Annotate with Students,” https://hypothes.is/blog/back-to-school-with-annotation-10-ways-to-annotate-with-student; To start annotating or playing around on your own, sign up for an account, https://hypothes.is/.
- Genius: This tool not only lets you annotate any type of web page, or objects embedded in a webpage, but you can also share your annotated pages with others. You’ll need to sign up for an account, and then read the simple directions for using Genius, here: http://genius.com/web-annotator
Activity 2: Image Annotation with ThingLink
ThingLink is a good tool for teaching students to closely examine images of any kinds (maps, visual culture, photos of objects, even photos of documents). They can annotate on their own, and then email a link to their project, or embed it into a webpage. You may also find this useful for a presentation of your own work.
- Learn to use ThingLink with this tutorial we developed: http://ssrc.doingdh.org/thinglink-tutorial/
- It is possible to then embed your annotated source with ThingLink on your WordPress blog.
Activity 3: Annotating your WordPress Site
Hypothesis, Genius, and ThingLink each have WordPress plugins that make it easy to annotate and to invite others to annotate on your WordPress site.
Install and try one of these plugins on your site:
- Hypothesis: https://hypothes.is/for-publishers/using-wordpress/
- Genius: https://wordpress.org/plugins/genius/
- ThingLink: https://wordpress.org/plugins/thinglink/
Working on a Project? See the Project Planning section for guidance in thinking about audiences.
Project Lens:
Take a look at the annotation project on Genius for annotating lyrics to the songs of Hamilton, the musical: http://genius.com/albums/Lin-manuel-miranda/Hamilton-original-broadway-cast-recording.
- Each phrase is highlighted with annotations that appear in the right column. In this example, https://genius.com/7856095, the annotations contextualize one lyrical phrase and connects the reader to a map, other web sources (Google books, Wikipedia, as well as a connection to lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda’s other work.
- Next, look at how the application tracks the contributors to each annotation, and the number and types of edits (See “View all Edits” section). Notice that Lin-Manuel Miranda is also involved in this annotation project and approves or “cosigns” certain interpretations in annotations. Authors can be verified and participate in conversations about their work. Another example is Junot Diaz commenting on his novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, https://genius.com/2002589
- While Hamilton has attracted a wide audience, Genius can be used for lesser-known texts of any kind. And this platform might be familiar to students, particularly devoted music fans, and something intuitive for them to work in for an assignment.