Summarizing+&+Notetaking

=__Summarizing & Notetaking __=

**Technology 1** [|NoteStar] which is powered by 4teachers.org

Note taking is an essential skill for students and the paper/pencil note taking may not be as efficient to "digital natives" as it was when we went through school. NoteStar is a great online note taking tool that is easy to use, intuitive, and accessible by the teacher so that he/she can monitor student progress. The actual note card, as seen above, allows the student to first document what type of a source they are using, source information, space for the actual notes. On the bottom of the card it asks if used your own words or if you quoted (cut and paste). Students can take notes on main topics and then can be broken down into subtopics as well. This is a well designed technology that would be easy to use with a fifth grade class. Pre-lessons would have to be given on types of sources, where to get information on the sources and how to cut and paste. Advantages: no more note cards to lose, easy to use, and easy to access. This site will help students organize their notes and sources and they could print notes and bibliography if required. Disadvantages: have to shift between internet site and NoteStar pages when researching from the internet.
 * Rationale:**


 * Resources:** Computers which we already have and NoteStar is a free downloadable site. Teacher sets up the class site. They do have an area on top of their site for donations.

**Technology 2** [|OneNote]  in Mircrosoft Office (link goes to product overview)

OneNote is a digital notebook that allows the user to take handwritten notes and save them or convert them to type. Here a student can use the laptop in tablet form and use the pen to take notes. This may be an easier transition than the actually keyboarding skills for some students. OneNote also has the limited capability of voice recognition for note taking as well which would be great for some of our excetional students. Students would need to practice with handwriting recognition feature but by fifth grade they should be forming their letters well enough to be recognized. Advantages: students do not need to have keyboarding skills, can orgainize and share notes easily. Disadvantages: the site is a little intimidating when you first open it up. Handwriting needs to be legible.
 * Rationale[[image:http://tabletpcstudent.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/hrr.jpg width="451" height="197" align="right" caption="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/default.aspx"]]:**


 * Resources:** On the tablet computers microsoft office is already loaded which contains OneNote. If you had to purchase OneNote--it runs $99.95 for the software.


 * Technology 3** Microsoft Word (for Summarizing) [[image:computer.jpg width="100" height="150" align="right" caption="www.expertrating.com/.../"]]

Rationale: Summarizing while taking notes or after notetaking helps students to synthesize or move learned information to long term memory. This is a skill that must be taught and it is a great skill to work on with fifth graders. Teaching summarizing can be done by using the "tracking changes" from the TOOLS in the selection bar of Microsoft Word. The teacher can either put computer into tablet mode or use keyboard to make changes to text or to a students sample notes. This would be projected to a screen so that all students can learn and then practice on their own how to strikethrough words that are nonesstential, add words, use short cut symbols like #, &, =, + or to use bullet points. Although word processing is a tried and true technology, many features of Word have not been tapped into. Allowing students to take text or "written" notes and practice summarizing is an essential skill which will have to be modeled and then practiced over and over. Resources: Computers with Microsoft Word software. LCD projector and screen

Education Challenge: Differentiated Learning and English Language Learners. Like OneNote that can change digital into typed notes. Exceptional students or English Language Learners who struggle with writing or typing will need something more sophisticated like a Digital Voice Recorder/Transcriber. There are many different makes out there that range from $350.00 to $500.00 that come with software like Player Pro Diction. That way students can make notes/summarize and then download voice recording into transcription software and have printed notes or digital notes to review at a later date.

= Introduction < = = Cues, Questions & Advance Organizers <  = = Generating & Testing Hypothesis <  = = Homework & Practice <  = = Identifying Similarities & Differences <  = = Nonlinguistic Representation <  = = Providing Feedback <  = = Reinforcing Effort  < = = Simulations & Games < = = = =  = =  Summary >  = = Reflections >  =