Making%20connections%20AND%20Taking%20effective%20Notes

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Making connections AND Taking effective Notes

• Instructor Pamela Fox

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Pre-reading Being Prepared

• Always pre-read an assigned text using a method
  that works well for you.
• For all assignments, you should read carefully
  and analytically, using a variety of reading
  strategies.
• Some excellent strategies include
• Paired reading
• Asking questions
• Preview, read, question, recite, write
• Note taking and summarizing

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Pre-reading

• Ask Pre-reading questions
• What do I already know about this topic?
• What do the headings and subheadings tell me
  about what is important in this reading?
• What can I learn from the graphics and
  images?
• How much time do I need to read the
  assignment carefully and to understand it?

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More questions Before During

• ExperienceWhat experience have I had with
  ....?What can I imagine about ...?
• What have I heard about.?
• Important questions about content
• How would I describe the authors main point(s)?
• How does the author support his/her main point?
  What are the best examples or evidence?
• Do the photos add valuable information?

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Bottom Line

• Reading strategies help you prepare for class
  lectures, discussions, quizzes, exams, and other
  activities.
• What you do before, during, and after you read an
  assigned text will help you achieve success in
  all of your classes because you will have a
  better understanding of what you are reading.
• Find a strategy that works with your learning
  style and use it regularly.

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Understanding the text Looking for connections
and clues

• .
• Reading the text(s) aloud to each may help you
  analyze (think carefully about) the content.
• Highlight and annotate the main ideas, key terms,
  unfamiliar words, and context clues that help
  readers understand the authors main point(s) and
  that clarify confusing or unfamiliar phrases and
  words. Ask Have I or someone I know had a
  similar experience? Have I heard about this issue
  before? When and where?
• Use a color system to identify the important
  information in each paragraph.

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Example
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Personalize

• Identify a note-taking method that works best for
  you and use it in all of your classes. I highly
  recommend the Cornell method.

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Cornell Method of Notetaking

• Divide the paper into three sections.

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Cornell Method

• Document Write course name, date, and topic at
  the top of each page.
• For reading assignments, the topic is the title
  of the assigned reading. For other assignments,
  the topic may be the title of a lecture.

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Cornell Method

• Write notes.
• The large box to the right is for writing
  notes.
• Skip a line or leave space between ideas and
  topics.
• Record main ideas, key terms and
  definitions, examples, and other context clues
  that help you understand the content.
• Don't use complete sentences. Use
  abbreviations whenever possible.
• Develop a shorthand of your own, such as
  using "" for the word "and".

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Cornell Method

• Review and clarify.
• Review the notes as soon as possible after
  class.
• Pull out main ideas, key points, dates, and
  names of people and record them in the left
  column. CONDENSE!
• Working with a study partner is helpful
  during the review and clarify process.Summarize.
  
• In your own words, write a summary of the main
  ideas in the bottom section.

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Cornell Method

• Study your notes
• Re-read the notes in the right column.
• But, spend most of your time studying the
  ideas in the left column and in the summary at
  the bottom. They contain the most important ideas
  and probably include much of the information that
  will be on a test.

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Example

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Mapping

• Spider Map A Highly Visual Outline
• The Spider Map is used to record a central
  idea, main ideas, and other important
  information. The map may be used to organize
  ideas or to brainstorm ideas for a writing
  project.
• Key Questions What is the central idea for
  the entire chapter or the main idea in each
  paragraph? What characteristics are described?
  Which examples are the best? Key words and
  phrases? Unfamiliar vocabulary?

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Example
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Review Using Your Notes Successfully

• Reduce - Review your notes to reduce them to
  related keywords, phrases or questions
• Recite - Restate out loud and in your own words
  the content of your notes
• Review - Review your notes often through
  recitation to make your knowledge sure .
• Recapitulate - Summarize your learning by reading
  assignment or by lecture to ensure your
  understanding of key points

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Summarize

• Think carefully about which content is the most
  important and reduce that information to a
  concise summary. If required, use a proper
  citation format for documenting where the
  information is located in the reading MLA, APA,
  Chicago. I recommend that you always cite
  whether it is required or not.
• Always summarize. It is the best way to ensure
  that you understand what you have read.

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Summary

• Write a brief, formal summary of a short reading
  from the text book you brought to class. Follow
  the introduction format that you learned in the
  last class session.You may work with a partner.