NOTE TAKING

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SOLUTIONS TO COMMON NOTE-TAKING PROBLEMS BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE MATERIAL BEFORE THE LECTURE. TO HELP YOU ‘KEEP UP,’ LEAVE A GAP AND CONTINUE, OR SHIFT TO PARAGRAPH FORM. USE ACTIVE LISTENING TECHNIQUES WHEN THE RATE OF SPEECH IS TOO SLOW. TAKE NOTES ON ‘SIDETRACKING.’ SPELL AS IT SOUNDS AND CHECK THE SPELLING LATER. USE FOCUSED LISTENING TECHNIQUES TO COMBAT INATTENTIVENESS AND POOR CONCENTRATION. WORK TO BETTER ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LECTURE. HI-LITE AND TAKE NOTES IN THE BOOK INSTEAD OF ON PAPER WHEN THE LECTURE FOLLOWS THE BOOK. 4

Class Notes 3 to 4 sentence summary across First & Last Name Class Title Period Date Questions/Main Ideas Class Notes 2 CORNELL NOTE PAPER FORMAT Stress that any sheet of paper can be turned into Cornell note paper - or - hand out paper and have participants set up sheet while working through slide. The format causes students to process notes multiple times increasing memory, recall, and understanding. Cornell Notes has 5 sections: 1. Heading Name is imp. Because students exchange notes. Class & date helps keep notes organized in binder appropriately. 2. Topic Focuses the content of the notes for the student. 3. Note section (rt. Side) Where any info being presented in class is recorded. 4. Question Column Students are responsible for completing after notes are taken. 5. Summary Allows students to process notes in terms of big ideas. 3 to 4 sentence summary across the bottom of the last page of the day’s notes

Questions/Main Ideas Column Write questions/terms in the left column of your notes to quiz yourself on the material. Write questions in the question column on the same line as the item the question addresses in the notes column Anticipate what someone might ask about the information in the note column Write a question for each new Topic Main idea Significant detail Write questions for details on which you think your professor will quiz you.

Notes Column When taking notes during class or while reading a book, write in the right hand column. – Use signals from the lecture Titles & keywords= topics  main ideas Listen for and record “Transition” words/phrases First, most, some, this is called, there are two types Develop an abbreviation system. Write in phrases. Be selective; don’t write everything word-for-word Underline important information Leave spaces between ideas so you can fill in more later. see how ideas relate to one another

Common Short Cuts Abbreviations/Acronyms for=4 to=2 with=w/ With=w/0 and=& or + Great Britain=G.B. or U.K. France=Fr. President of the United States=POTUS Best friend forever=BFF

Write the first few syllables of long words and complete the word when reviewing notes. Communism=com. Democracy=dem. Capitalism=cap. Socialism=soc. Political=pol.

Review Review to improve your memory. If you spend 10 minutes every week or so in a quick review of your notes, you will retain most of what you have studied you won’t have to cram during an “all-nighter” you will relate the facts and ideas to present lectures or readings.

Example of a Beginning Level of Note- taking Anthropods Example of a Beginning Level of Note- taking Why would this be considered a beginning level HS sample? No questions in the left column, just terms.

Example of an Advancing Level of Note- taking Note to presenter: This sample has no summary. Summaries can be challenging in math. Ask math teachers in audience how they would summarize this set of notes. What are the main ideas?

Example of an Accomplished Level of Note- taking Where your students notes should be by the time they are ready for AP or college level courses.

Example of an Accomplished Level of Note- taking As course content gets more complex summaries may lengthen.

Example Here is the text. In the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” there are four main characters – including one that may mat really exist. The first and most important character is Ichabod Crane. He is an ambitious schoolteacher, who hopes to marry the second character, Katrina Van Tassel. Katrina is the handsome daughter of a wealthy farmer. The third character is Brom Bones. He is Ichabod’s rival for Katrinia, and he is also well known for his practical jokes. The fourth and final character is the frightening, ghostly figure of the Headless Horseman, who terrifies Ichabod into running away. But Irving strongly hints that this might simply be another of the characters in disguise.

Here are the notes: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – 4 Main Characters Ichabod Crane Most important School teacher Wants to marry Katrina Katrina Van Tassel Beautiful daughter of wealthy farmer Brom Bones Also wants to marry Katrina Well known for practical jokes Headless Horseman Scary ghost Scares Ichabod away Might be another character [Brom?] in disguise 1st character? Job? Interest? 2nd character? Description? 3rd character? Interested in? Likes what? 4th character Real or not? Scares who? Might be who?

Notetaking Tips Keep a separate notebook or binder for each course. Take one notepad to classes and then put notes for each specific class into binder @ home You wont’ loose your entire term of notes Notes for each lecture should begin on a new page. Date and number all pages. Never use a sentence when you can use a phrase, or a phrase when you can use a word.

Note taking Tips, Cont. Use indentations to distinguish between major and minor points. Put most notes in your own words, except formulas , definitions, and specific facts Use abbreviations and symbols wherever possible. If you completely don’t understand an idea, leave a blank space and ask your professor for help on it.

Notetaking Tips, Cont. Develop a code system of note-marking to indicate questions, comments, important points …for example, Mark unfamiliar vocabulary & unclear ideas in unique ways Highlight vocabulary in pink. Circle ideas that are still unclear Make sure you can understand what you have written and if needed, make corrections. Use drawings, arrows or other organizers to help you see concepts and relationships between them