In this article, we draw on sociocultural perspectives on literacy to explore the ways in which pre-engineering students took up and made sense of engineering notebooks implemented as part of a robotics project in a first-semester university study course at a large, public Hispanic-Serving Institution. Through ethnographic methods, we uncovered…

Although the implementation of multimodalities in education is much lauded by education research, the educational value of such formats is uncertain for education stakeholders. This study relied on the use of focus group interviews and field notes to better understand how a group of middle school students felt about their graphic novel reading…

Ubiquitous and instant access to information on the Web is challenging what constitutes 21st century literacies. This article explores the notion of Web-mediated knowledge synthesis, an approach to integrating Web-based learning that may result in generative synthesis of ideas. This article describes the skills and strategies that may support…

Apps, specialized programs used on mobile computers, can be used in innovative ways to enhance science and literacy learning. With the skilled guidance of their teachers, students can exploit app affordances for learning and acquire disciplinary literacies unique to science. This article showcases apps that help students to access information,…

A literacy coach collaborates with a new teacher to incorporate structured note-taking and summarizing into a science class. Many students struggle with these skills and require explicit instruction before they are able to work independently. Using the gradual release of responsibility framework, the literacy coach begins by modeling how to choose…

This formative experiment was designed to ensure that a group of high school students developed their literacy habits. The intervention consisted of a schoolwide approach to literacy using four instructional routines: think-alouds, note-taking writing to learn, and dedicated reading time. As part of the formative experiment, we document the…

Describes the Guided Lecture Procedure (GLP), a procedure that requires students to suspend all notetaking and listen carefully during an approximately 20-minute lecture, followed by an active notetaking and small group interaction phase. Adds one extra requirement in the active notetaking phase: requiring each learner to write a question for the…

Presents a rationale for systematic notemaking (annotating directly onto the pages of textbooks) to reorganize content, a model of the notemaking continuum, an example of a journal assignment, a six-step coding system for notemaking with literature, two formats for coding--one for themes and one for character analysis, and conclusions on the…

Describes how computer-assisted outlining can enhance studying and learning. Illustrates how it is helpful in taking and studying notes, and in recording and synthesizing material for a report. (SR)

Describes a community-college-level developmental reading skills course that was revised to decrease the number of skills in which students needed to show competency to make room for a notetaking skills unit. (RS)

Describes using information charts with eighth-grade language arts students. Discusses using this strategy to help students organize their research, develop critical-thinking skills, use their prior knowledge, and increase metacognitive awareness. (SR)

Presents four short articles submitted by teachers that discuss a realistic approach to a developmental reading curriculum for college students, K-W-L (know, want, learn) learning journals for college students, using a combination of poetry and writing with middle school students, and abbreviations for notetaking. (SR)

Describes how low-level, at-risk urban middle school students became proficient with notetaking, main idea, and summarization skills using a 12-minute daily newscast, which eventually engaged them in current events, news analysis, and analysis of commercials. (SR)