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To help students with online research, the Boston-based company WebNotes has created a web-based highlighting and “sticky note” tool that allows users to compile information from multiple web pages to organize and share their findings. “Users can capture information that’s important and share it with other people,” said co-founder Ryan Damico. Damico and his partner Alex King began developing WebNotes about two years ago after seeing a need for a product that allowed students to annotate web pages for research purposes--and especially group research. Damico said he has seen other web-based annotation services, but most are based within social networking tools and create problems with productivity. WebNotes is the free, basic version of the tool, which allows users to highlight texts and attach virtual “sticky notes” to web pages as they browse the web. WebNotes Pro, which costs $10 a month, allows users to highlight in multiple colors and to annotate PDF files as well as web pages. The WebNotes tools can be installed as a toolbar or as a bookmarklet (a small computer application stored as a URL in a web browser) if you don’t want to download the software to your computer. All of the annotations you make are automatically saved to your WebNotes account, and because it’s web-based, you can see your annotations from any computer. WebNotes not only allows users to save and share annotated web pages easier, but it also helps cut down on printing costs, Damico said. In the future, he hopes to expand the software’s ability to generate citation lists, something he said was requested by beta users. http://www.webnotes.net
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Visit the following special content centers, and discover how technology is helping educators every day.
21st Century Libraries
The internet has given students an incredibly vast world of up-to-the-minute resources, including nearly limitless outlets for research and investigation. But many students turn immediately to the untamed internet when faced with a research assignment, often overlooking the value in a virtual library solution.
Measuring 21st-century skills
Graduates who enter the workplace with a solid grasp of 21st-century skills bring value to both the workplace and global marketplace.
Online Learning
Thousands of K-12 schools across the nation are turning to online-learning providers for help with credit recovery, enrichment opportunities for gifted students, and for providing core curriculum classes in areas where there isn't enough demand to justify keeping a teacher on staff.
Placing Reading Power in Students' Hands
All students deserve an equal education, but sometimes language barriers or learning disabilities leave some students lagging behind and struggling to understand words or concepts.
Stimulating Achievement: Your Guide to Ed Funding
Learn how to make wise spending decisions and keep track of school needs as stimulus funds become available.
Meeting the Needs of Students with Autism
It's estimated that one out of every 150 children in the United States has some form of autism, and that number is escalating at a frightening pace.
Anytime, Anywhere Professional Development
When teachers are confident in the curriculum they teach, students will become more engaged in lessons and will learn more.
Igniting and Sustaining STEM Education
As the workplace changes and becomes increasingly global, today's students must be educated with a 21st-century mindset.
Preparing for a Pandemic
With fears about the H1N1 virus, commonly known as "swine flu," putting school leaders on high alert, we've compiled this collection of news stories and additional resources to keep you up to date on the latest developments in this critical story--and to help you deal with the crisis in your own schools.
Securing Student Laptops for Safe Learning
New software makes it possible for companies to activate web-based communication with laptops, tracking their position and having them returned if they are stolen.
Successful Video Production
Knowing how to produce, edit, and distribute video gives high school and college graduates a valuable and much-in-demand skill.