Research Based Instructional Strategy

I chose to read tha article about note-taking strategies. When students are told to do research and take notes, they usually become bored and not excited about learning. However, Roger Hamilton designed his course around the students and their interests. In today's world, technology has over-powered the pen and paper. When studnets are told to write a research paper, they are supposed to use a computer to type the information. However, when they are taking notes and finding information for their research paper, the only option available to them is to use a pen and a piece of paper to jot down their ideas. Hamilton decided to change how his classroom would take notes and designed a wiki application for them to do research and take notes electronically. By using the wiki to take notes, the students were able to review, revise, and update their notes when needed.

I feel that by creating a new idea for his students to take notes, he allowed his students to become more involved and interested in what they were researching. The times have changed and technology has become more prevelant than ever. If students are using technology for every other aspect of their daily lives, why shouldn't they use it to take notes and do research? Students will become more intereseted in note-taking and will use this technique more often then they would with a pen and a piece of paper!