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Why Annotate?

Reflecting on her experiences annotating via a project called Marginal Syllabus, Michelle King of the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project, writes:

… to annotate is to observe, remark, and/or note down. [It is] an act of love because of one’s commitment to stay in relationship with the creator and other readers and observers.

Social annotation is a form of digital dialogue. Through social annotation texts become discursive contexts. Digital resources, like Marginal Syllabus articles, are marked up to share information, enable collaboration, and produce new knowledge.

Read more from Michelle King via this infographic on Why Annotate?

The Marginal Syllabus leverages social annotation for justice-directed dialogue in literacy education. By facilitating group reading and social annotation, the Marginal Syllabus provides public and beneficial opportunities for educators’ literacy learning as “annotation can function as both a literary device and means of social inquiry for educators writing to advance their equity-oriented professional learning” (Kalir, Remi. “Annotation is first draft thinking: Educators’ Marginal Notes as Brave Writing,” English Journal, 2020).

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