Journal Assignment #7

Sharing Notes in the Classroom

By Mark Bailey and Steve Rhine

"One of the primary challenges teachers face is to structure learning in the classroom so that the material and process is meaningful and engaging for every student."

Through the use of such tools as SubEthaEdit and Google Docs a classroom dynamic is created "in which all students are continually engaged and collaboratively constructing understanding." Both tools permit for students and instructors to collaborate on a single document simultaneously which furthermore creates an avenue by which a deeper understanding could be achieved more quickly than having to wait 'til the next class session. There are four ways the tools could be used in the classroom:

1. Collaborative note-taking
2. Sharing of linked resources and graphics
3. Supporting small-group discussions
4. Assessing Comprehension

Often times students find it difficult to share notes for many reasons, but with the use of the tools this article introduces to its readers there can be less of a hassle for students to share their notes. Furthermore permitting for more successful and collaborative students.

Q1: In what classrooms would these tools be most appropriate to use in instruction?

A1: These tools would be most appropriate for high school and college-aged students. Any instructor who seeks to engage their students and to create a smaller gap between pedagogy and hands-on learning would find these tools an essential element to their classroom.

Q2: What is SubEthaEdit?

A2: This is a program most typically used in a college classroom. Also the program only runs on the Apple platform, but it's a program that "allows an instructor to create a document on a computer, and, through the use of wireless connectivity, it enables a large number of users to access and edit the document sinultaneously." All changes made to the document can be seen in real time and each person's edits are marked by their own color.