Research, NoodleTools& Citations

Using NoodleTools to Organize Your Research Step-by-Step

NoodleTools is an online platform which helps guide students through the research process.  It helps them organize and analyze source materials, collect, synthesize and cite information in an ethical and responsible way and scaffold Information to help them conduct deeper and more meaningful research.

Click here for MRS COSTELLOE'S NOODLETOOLS TUTORIALS which are intended to guide and support students during their research projects.

The Research Process

The internet has made the research process seem deceptively easy.  Just Google it and you'll be fine, right? Wikipedia is certainly a great source, isn't it?

Good solid research skills are critical now more than ever.  With the tsunami of information that's returned with most Google searches and the prominence of Wikipedia as the first result returned, students need the skills to determine what information is credible, what sources can be trusted and how to locate, use and synthesize scholarly, peer-reviewed resources and information.

To this end, Mrs. Costelloe partners with classroom teachers in all disciplines to co-teach the research process and ensure that our students embed that process within the context of authentic projects at all grade levels.  The goal is to help our students become efficient, effective and ethical researchers.  A skill they will need in both college and life.

Topics covered as Mrs. Costelloe works with students embarking on research projects include:

• The use of NoodleTools to organize the research process (more info on NoodleTools below)

• Narrowing and focusing a topic

• Creating a thesis statement

• Developing keywords for searching

• Boolean searching

• The use of databases in the search process

• Website evaluation using the C.R.A.A.P. test (see below)

• Properly citing sources

• Paraphrasing, recognizing patterns and identifying "big ideas"

​Small group and one-on-one teaching sessions are always available to any students in need of additional support.

​NoodleTools

NoodleTools is an online research platform, which is seamlessly integrated with a student's Google account. NoodleTools helps students stay organized as they create digital note cards capturing important information and linking that info with their source.  Tagging, color-coding and reorganizing note cards on a virtual table top promote flexible thinking and encourage learners to make their way to bigger ideas. Moving through the research process from collecting pertinent information on note cards, to synthesizing that information, to creating an outline and eventually a paper has become more fluid.  Projects are digitally shared with the teacher, allowing the teacher to stay abreast of a student's progress and movement through the research process, providing real time support.

• Click here ​to see NoodleTools in action

• Click here for a video on how to link your NoodleTools account to your Google sign in.

• Need a quick citation?  Use NoodleTools Express.

Citations

Rye Neck Middle School students typically use the MLA Citation Format and Style and High School Students will learn a variety of Citation Styles. 

All databases provide citations, and NoodleTools helps students create and manage citations for both their Bibliography and Works Cited pages.

If further information on Citation Format and Style is needed, Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a trusted source.