1. Group Composition Activity
Writing bibli0graphical annotations

2. During the next two class periods, students will work together to make a short annotated bibliography of 4 sources, where each annotation has three paragraphs:
Paragraph 1) summary,
Paragraph 2) plan for using the source, and
Paragraph 3) comparison to other sources.
As a class, you will be able to rely on each other’s strengths to create a professional looking document.
Objectives

3. Each group is responsible for writing one annotation (in three paragraphs) for the source assigned to it.
You will be sharing your work with the other groups by uploading your annotations on Angel.
Your job:

4. Imagine you are brainstorming for a problem/solution essay about using technology in the classroom.
We use technology all the time for learning, and we are even using it right now.
Since we use it so much, it is good to be self-reflective about the benefits and disadvantages of using technology in the classroom.
The Writing Situation

5. Problem: Imagine this hypothetical situation.
Imagine that two years ago, the State College Area School District has adopted using smart phones and tablets all day for instruction in the elementary, middle, and high schools.
After this policy was adopted, the students’ test scores went down.
You believe that the overuse of screens is having a negative impact on students’ learning.
Problem: Imagine this hypothetical situation.

6. Thesis: The State College Area School District needs to limit the usage of smart phones and tablets in the classroom to about one hour per day on average.
Here is the way to do it: Each teacher is only allowed to use tablet or smartphone-based activities one day per week.
This way, there can be some benefit to using technology, but not an overreliance on technology.
Solution: Imagine you are going to write a research paper explaining why the school system needs to change the technology policy.

7. As a class, we are going to work together to create an annotated bibliography for a person planning to argue that “screen time” should be limited in schools.
Each group will have a source and have to start writing an annotation that meets the requirements of our assignment.
Then we will upload our annotations to Angel so the other groups can find them.
Activity

8. 3 Steps There are three main steps to the activity.
We will try to finish the first two steps of this activity today.
On Friday, you will do step 3.
Before starting the writing activity, students will read their own groups’ articles for 5-10 minutes silently.
3 Steps

9. Step 1: Write 2 Paragraphs
Pick a writer and work together to type up the first two required parts of a bibliographic citation:
Paragraph 1) summary of the article
Paragraph 2) explains your plan about how you will use this source in your paper
Your summary should include at least three signal phrases. (A signal phrase is an author’s name followed by a verb portraying a verbal or mental action. Examples: Baker (2016) demonstrates that…)
Thesis: Each teacher is only allowed to use tablet or smartphone- based activities one day per week. This way, there can be some benefit to using technology, but not an overreliance on technology.
Step 1: Write 2 Paragraphs

10. Upload your two paragraphs on Angel in the appropriate drop- boxes.
Then download the paragraphs written by the other groups.
Then analyze the other groups’ annotations, and compare and contrast the sources together.
Copy and paste all annotations into one annotated bibliography, and upload this document on Angel. (You will work on paragraph 3 of the annotation next class.)
End of Step 1 (Feedback)

11. Finish annotated bibliography.
Friday’s Class

12. Step 2 Writing paragraph 3 for your annotation
Download from Angel the most recent version of your group’s annotated bibliography (which should have paragraphs 1 and 2 written for all 4 annotations).
Then analyze what all of the other groups wrote, and compare and contrast the sources together.
Also take a look at the sources they originally used, since they are in the folders on Angel.
Then you will write the third paragraph for your groups annotation:
Paragraph 3) comparison to other sources: how does it support, contradict, or relate to the other sources on the list.
Step 2 Writing paragraph 3 for your annotation

13. When you are finished with paragraph 3 for your own annotation, save your bibliography and upload it to Angel.
End of Step 2

14. Each group will upload to Angel their final three-paragraph annotation and the APA citation. As a class, make a final annotated bibliography on the screen: the instructor will download the four annotations and the citations and copy and paste them into a document, display it on the screen, and put them in alphabetical order, and have the groups read them out loud. Then the instructor can ask questions of each group and give final feedback.
Final activity: Let’s take about 5 minutes so each group can download the other groups’ annotations and put them into a final annotated bibliography in alphabetical order, formatted just like the example, with the names of the students at the top, with appropriate spacing, etc. All students will upload their final annotated bibliographies on Angel, so the teacher can evaluate if the students understood the three main parts of the annotation. Walk around to help each student do this.
Step 3