Markup
Markup allows users to draw and annotate on any webpage with a variety of tools easily accessed by adding Markup to your browser's toolbar (note: Google Chrome users can add Markup as an extension/add-on). Once the toolbar loads, users can highlight and markup any webpage, publish, and share. Unlike other web annotation tools such as Diigo, which are designed for future access, Markup is geared for users who simply want to make quick notes and share them with others immediately.
Getting Started
This is one of the easier "Getting Started" segments you'll find in a Tech For Teachers entry. Once you access the Markup website, or go to the help page, drag the booklet icon to your browser's bookmark. Google Chrome users can currently add Markup as a browser extension, although future plans will also include extensions/add-ons for Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari users.
The tools are straightforward: text, drawing shapes (arrows, lines, circles, or boxes) or freeform, resizing, and color-coding.
The tools are straightforward: text, drawing shapes (arrows, lines, circles, or boxes) or freeform, resizing, and color-coding. Any shape and text can be adjusted by size using the "selector" tool. Text and shape colors can be changed at any time by clicking on the color box (which contains 18 colors). Users can also select the "magic marker"—a freeform drawing tool—for more creative markup. Finally, the text tool is perfect for making notes. Any text or shape can be shifted and moved at any time by clicking and dragging the selected element.
After finishing, users can publish their markup notes by clicking on the green "publish" check box. A new window will open, directing users to slide the publish button. After sliding, a distinct URL will appear that you can send to others (or embed into a blog, like this example, where we added a squiggly line under "Sharing"). If users choose to send the URL to others, they (and the creator) will have a chance to save the marked-up webpage. Viewers can also start fresh if they have the Markup tool bookmarked or installed as a browser add-on tool.
Examples
Using Markup, here is a hypothetical note that a teacher might leave to his or her colleague, "Susan", about a website and why it could be helpful. Teachers and students can use Markup while conducting research on history topics. Then they can send others their thoughts via the unique URL that is available after publishing.
Teachers could direct their students to a primary source online, and ask them to take notes and record their questions directly on the source—or students could approach a dated website as a primary source, circling the website's author information, asking questions about why certain images and articles are highlighted, and questioning the visual "text." Markup could also be a valuable tool for webquests.
Markup is simple and effective. Not surprisingly, web review sites like Appvita highlight the tool's simplicity and its accessibility on personal computers, laptops, netbooks, phones, and tablets.
Webgranth also offers a nice list of other web markup tools. You can also view Teachinghistory.org's Tech for Teachers entry on Diigo, another website annotation tool.
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