Annotation Tools

All tools aren't created equal. It's crucial to select tools for classroom use with care. If you pick a few tools you can use throughout the year in all kinds of learning scenarios, using them they will become second nature to your students. You don't want to crowd your students' tech toolbox.

When choosing an annotation tool to use on a regular basis with students, consider these things:

• Longevity. How long has it been around? Tools come and go fairly rapidly.
• Affordances. How many and which reading skills can students practice with this tool? Can students collaboratively annotate? Respond to each other's annotations? Color code annotations?
• Flexibility. Can you upload texts for annotation? Can students export their annotated text?

Digital Annotation Tools