NoteTaking 101

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Note-Taking 101

• Different Techniques You Can (And Should!) Use

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Why should you take notes?

• To improve critical reading and writing skills
• To enrich class discussion
• To promote student engagement
• To improve classroom environment
• When you are reviewing, notes provide a gauge to
  what is important in the text.
• Personal notes are usually easier to remember
  than the text.
• The writing down of important points helps you to
  remember them better.

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• Notes enable you to retain important facts and
  data and to develop an accurate means of
  arranging necessary information.
• Notes help you minimize your rate of
  forgetting
• Dr. Walter Pauk, Cornell University Reading
  Center
• Dont take notes Forget 60 in 14 days
• Take some notes Remember 60
• Take organized notes and do something with them
• Remember 90-100 indefinitely!

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When Should You Take Notes?

• Notes are a record of your learning, so take them
  when
• You listen to a lecture
• You read a text
• You watch a film
• You work in a group on an activity
• You need to recall information about what
  happened to you in a class, meeting, or
  activity--which means always!

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Smart Listening

• Instructors usually give clues to what is
  important.
• Some of the more common clues are
• Material written on the blackboard
• Repetition
• Emphasis
• Emphasis can be judged by tone of voice and
  gesture.
• Emphasis can be judged by the amount of time the
  instructor spends on points and the number of
  examples he or she uses.
• Word signals (e.g. "There are two points of view
  on" "The third reason is" " In conclusion")
• Summaries given at the end of class.
• Reviews given at the beginning of class.

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Cornell Notes

• Cornell Notes is a note-taking method developed
  by a Cornell University education professor in
  the 1950s. Since then, it has become one of the
  most popular note-taking systems used all around
  the country.
• Cornell Notes works well for lectures and
  presentations, but it can also be easily applied
  to reading selections such as textbook chapters
  or novels.

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The 6 R's of the Cornell Method

• Record
• Reduce
• Recite
• Reflect
• Review
• Recapitulate

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Setting Up Cornell Notes

• The Note Taking Area is where you will take
  your notes.
• The Cue Column is where you will write
  questions, key words, etc. (More info later)
• The Summaries section is where you will
  summarize the main ideas of the notes.

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Step 1 Record

• Keep your notes short and to the point.
• Condense your material so you can grasp it
  rapidly.
• During the lecture/presentation/film/etc
• record as many facts and ideas as you can in the
  six-inch column
• use abbreviations whenever possible
• do not be concerned with getting every word down
  that the lecturer says or with writing your notes
  grammatically correctly
• write a streamlined version of the main points of
  the lecture by leaving out unnecessary words and
  using only key words.
• To ensure that your notes make sense weeks later,
  after the lecture/presentation/film/etc
• read through your notes
• fill in blanks and make legible

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Note-taking Tips

• 1. Write only what is most important
• listen for repetition, change in pace or volume,
  numbering, explicit clues (this is important,
  or on the test)
• watch for gestures, or clues to organization
• look for material being written down by
  instructor or shared in a visual manner
• 2. Write in your own words (paraphrase)
• 3. Write using abbreviations (check a dictionary
  for these and create your own)
• 4. Draw a figure or diagram
• 5. Leave space where you think you might need to
  fill in info later
• 6. Use bullets, arrows, and indenting to list key
  ideas
• 7. Write legibly
• 8. Actively listen
• Maintain eye contact with the speaker, group, or
  presentation source
• Nod your head at appropriate times
• Frown when you do not understand
• Ask relevant questions
• Answer questions posed by the instructor
• Make a written record

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Step 2 Reduce

• Since the most forgetting occurs immediately
  after learning, try to consolidate your notes as
  soon after class as possible.
• After you read through your notes, your next step
  is to reduce important facts and ideas to key
  words or phrases, or to formulate questions based
  on the facts and ideas.
• Write key words, phrases or questions that serve
  as cues for notes taken in class. (These go in
  the Cue column.)
• The words and phrases act as memory cues so that
  when you review them, you will recall the ideas
  or facts. The questions help to clarify the
  meanings of the facts and ideas.
• All cue phrases (main ideas) and questions should
  be in your own words.

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What Goes on the Left?

• Questions which are answered in the notes on the
  right
• Questions you still need the answer to--ask a
  friend or the teacher after class
• Questions the teacher might ask on a test
• Higher level thinking questions
• Key terms, vocabulary words, or dates
• Diagrams or figures
• Page numbers in a text
• Steps in a solution process
• Notes to yourself about actions you need to take

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Step 3 Recite

• Recitation is a very powerful process in the
  retention of information.
• Reciting is different from rereading in that you
  state out loud and in your own words the facts
  and ideas you are trying to learn.
• Recitation is an effective way to learn because
  hearing your thoughts helps you to sharpen your
  thinking process, and stating ideas and facts in
  your own words challenges you to think about the
  meaning of the information.
• How to do it
• cover up your notes in the six-inch column
• leave the cue words and questions uncovered and
  readily accessible.
• read each key word or question, then recite and
  state aloud, in your own words, the information
• If your answer is correct, continue on through
  the lecture by reciting aloud.

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Step 4 Reflect

• Reflection is pondering or thinking about the
  information you have learned and adding your own
  ideas and opinions. Reflecting is a step beyond
  learning note content.
• Reflection reinforces deeper learning by the
  relating of facts and ideas to other learning and
  knowledge.
• One way to reflect is the look for connections
  with
• your own personal experiences and observations
  and
• other facts and ideas discussed in the course.
• Questions like the following enhance reflecting
• How do the main ideas of this lecture fit
  together into a "bigger picture"? What is the
  significance?
• How do these ideas fit in with the previous
  lecture(s)?
• What ideas do I agree with? What ideas do I
  disagree with?
• Which ideas are clear? Which ideas are confusing?
  
• What new questions does the information in this
  lecture raise?
• What principles are applicable?
• What are some possible applications of the key
  points of this lecture?
• How does this fit with what you already know?

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Step 5 Recapitulate(isnt that a cool word??)

• The recapitulation or summary of your notes goes
  at the bottom of the note page in the two-inch
  block column.
• Three kinds of summary are suitable for lecture
  notes. Choose the one that works best for you
• Write a summary of each page of lecture notes in
  the Summary Area at the bottom of each
  note-sheet.
• Do this when the information is at least partly
  new or a little difficult
• Write a summary of the whole lecture on the last
  note sheet.
• Do this when you are already familiar with the
  information
• Do both kinds (per page and overall)
• Do this when the information is totally new
  and/or really difficult
• Taking a few minutes after you have reduced,
  recited, and reflected to summarize the facts and
  ideas in your notes will help you integrate your
  information.
• Tips for summarizing
• The summary should not be a word-for-word
  rewriting of your notes.
• It should be in your own words and reflect the
  main points you want to remember from your notes.
  

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Step 6 Review

• The way to prevent forgetting is to review and
  recite your notes frequently.
• A good guideline to follow is to review your
  notes nightly or several times during the week by
  reciting, not rereading.
• Try to review at least 10 minutes to assure
  retention of the material.
• Two benefits of review stand out
• You are able to connect the new material with
  previously learned information.
• You are better prepared for tests and exams.
  Constant review means you do not have to cram
  before exams, suffer less from test anxiety, and
  have better recall of information learned during
  tests.

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A Last Look at Cornell Notes

• Reduce or Question (After Lecture)
• write key words, phrases or questions that serve
  as cues for notes taken in class
• cue phrases and questions should be in your own
  words
• Recite
• with classroom notes covered, read each key word
  or question
• recite the fact or idea brought to mind by key
  word or question

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• Record
• (During Lecture)
• write down facts and ideas in phrases
• use abbreviations when possible
• (After Lecture)
• read through your notes
• fill in blanks and make scribbles more legible
• Reflect and Review
• review your notes periodically by reciting
• think about what you have learned

• Recapitulation
• (After Lecture)
• summarize each main idea
• use complete sentences    

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MappingA good approach for textbooks

• For textbooks, especially science and history,
  you may find mapping to be a very useful
  note-taking technique

Title of Chapter
Primary Headings
Subheadings
Secondary Subheadings
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Bottom Line

• There is no one single correct way to take notes.
  You should use whatever works for you.
• The important thing is that you take notes, not
  how.

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Credits

• The information on these slides is a combination
  of my own knowledge and the information provided
  by these sources
• Corbett, Dr. Idna M. Taking Effective Notes.
  Learning Assistance and Resource Center. West
  Chester University. http//www.wcupa.edu/_ACADEMIC
  S/cae.tut/TakingEffectiveNotes.ppt
• Joyet, Mr. Cornell Notes Rubric. 2005.
• http//joyet.biz/downloads/Cornell_Notes_Rubric.p
  pt