Writing in the Digital Margins

This week, I was able to go back and give a second reading to the James P. Purdy and Joyce R. Walker article titled, Liminal Spaces and Research Identity. Clearly, I didn't read the fine print in the posted directions from Dr. Zamora's previous blog, as I referenced this article in my last post. But, nonetheless I was given another opportunity to look at this text online with an online tool whose features felt remotely familiar to me.

Last week I read the article and wrote down the interesting quotes in my notebook that stuck out to me and I thought warranted further analysis. And while I was doing so I cursed myself for not having any more ink in my home printer. When I had gone to work on Monday I had hoped that I would be able to print there so I could read the text in a manner that was more familiar to me -- you know with a highlighter and making annotations in the margins. Sadly, I couldn't print there either. I had ink at work but no paper. So I was never afforded the opportunity to dive into the text and really sink my teeth into by having conversations within the margins.

The old school way.

Well, I am glad to say that this all changed this during this week's read. I have been introduced to an online resource that is my new best friend. The app, extension,  tool, or miracle resource (I am not quite sure what to call it) allows me to do exactly what I would do on paper with in the margin. Only this time. I able to write even more.

I have been both formally and informally introduced to Hypothes.is and I am sort of loving it right now. According to the About Us section on the hypothes.is website their goal and or mission is to,

“To enable a conversation over the world’s knowledge.”

And that is exactly what they are doing. Think about what you're allowed to do with Google Classroom on any page or text on the internet. 

Then when you annotate or make comments on the entire online world can have access to and can then engage in an intellectual conversation with you. Look at this article from CNN.com annotated using Hypothes.is: 

I must say my first experience with Hypothes.is went off without a hitch. There was no major technological malfunction or issue I encountered. Other than the fact that I didn't know how to use it because I use Safari on my Macbook Pro and when I first tried I couldn't do it. I started to panic and I text a classmate-- Richonda she was busy at the time so I was left to my own devices. So, instead of trying to solve my problem I start talking to my sister. She opens my daughter's Chromebook only to discover some inappropriate websites had popped up on her screen. So instead of trying to solve my Hypothes.is problem I went fully speed ahead trying to protect my nine year old daughter from the ills of the internet. 

Well, who knew that in solving her problem I would learn to solve mine. Long story short I figured out how to add hypothes.is as an extension on Google Chrome (a web browser I never use in my MacBook Pro because the Genius people told me it slowed my computer down) and in less than five minutes I was up and running. I was able to look at the text again and highlight parts of the text with ease and make comments and notes in the margins. It was the easiest thing I think I've done in quite some time. And since I was typing in the margins instead of trying to write in my smallest, neatest handwriting. I look forward to using this tool over the course of this class. I am even looking to make use of this in my classroom. I think it would be so meaningful to use with middle-schoolers to teach them how to annotate a text another way especially since most of their tests are primarily online. 

Just in case you're still wondering about Hypothes.is and how it works, I found on YouTube may explain the concept or purpose a bit clearer. 

The second video I found on the Hypoethes.is website and I thought it was very interesting and work sharing. It is a bit longer but I enjoyed the ideas and the possibilities it offers.