Chapter 6: Engaging, Listening, and Note-Taking in Class

You’re About to Discover… • How to get engaged in class • How to listen with focus • How to vary your listening styles according to lecture styles • How to ask questions in class • How to take good notes • How to use your notes to achieve the best results

Get Engaged in Class “What actually correlates with success are not grades, but ‘engagement’—genuine involvement in courses and campus activities. Engagement leads to ‘deep learning,’ or learning for understanding. That’s very different from just memorizing stuff for an exam, then forgetting it.” John Merrow, reporter, USA Today

Dare to Prepare 1. Look ahead. 2. Do the assigned reading. 3. Show up physically. 4. Show up mentally. 5. Choose your seat strategically. 6. Bring your tools. 7. Don’t sit by your best friend. 8. Posture counts! 9. Maintain your health. 10. Focus.

The Rules of Engagement 1. Be aware that gab is not a gift. In class, talking while others are speaking is inappropriate. 2. Control Your Hunger Pangs. Get in the habit of eating before or after class and not during. 3. Turn off your cell phone, please! Yes, we can hear your phone vibrating, too. And texting in class shows where your attention really is. 4. Better late than never? Arriving late and leaving early disturbs students and instructors. 5. Actively choose to engage, not disengage. You must make a conscious decision to become engaged. “Politeness is the art of choosing among one’s real thoughts.” Adlai Stevenson II, U.S. Presidential candidate

Listening with Focus • Calm yourself. • Be open. • Don’t make snap judgments. • Assume responsibility. • Watch for gestures that say “Here comes something important!” • Listen for speech patterns that subtly communicate “Make sure you include this in your notes!” • Uncover general themes or roadmaps for each lecture. • Appreciate your instructor’s prep time. “It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, American writer Chapter Exercise p. 140

Softvs.HardListening • SOFTListening Skills: • -- Used in emotionally charged situations. • -- You must be accepting, sensitive, and nonjudgmental. • -- You don’t have to assess, analyze, or conclude. • HARDListening Skills:-- Used in classroom/educational situations. • -- Pay close attention and think critically. • -- Evaluate, analyze, and make decisions • about new information.

Adapt to a Variety of Lecture Styles The Rapid-Fire Lecturer The Slow-Go Lecturer The All-Over-the- Map Lecturer The Content- Intensive Lecturer The Review-the-Text Lecturer The Active-Learning Lecturer The Go-Beyond-the- Text Lecturer Chapter Exercise p. 139

p. 137

Ask and You Shall Receive • Have you ever decided NOT to ask a question in class because you thought: • I don’t want to look stupid. • I must be slow. Everyone else seems • to be understanding. • I’m too shy. • I’ll get the answer later from the text. • I don’t think my question is important. • I don’t want to interrupt the lecture; • the instructor’s on a roll. • I’m sure the instructor knows what • he’s talking about. He must be right. • The next time you find yourself in a • situation where you don’t understand • something, consider these points: • Remember that you’re not in this alone. • Ask academically relevant questions when the time is right. • Save personally relevant questions for later. • Build on others’ questions.

Four Ways to Take Notes 1. The Cornell System: Uses a two column system. Take notes on the right, then fill in questions or keywords on the left for later review. 2. Mind Maps: Bridge the logical and creative sides of the brain. Use graphical representations to link concepts and ideas.

Four Ways to Take Notes 3. PowerPoint Miniatures: Some instructors may provide lecture notes or PowerPoint minis. These can be very valuable tools, but it still helps you learn if you take your own notes. 4. Parallel Note-Taking: Since many instructors provide e- support for lectures, it may be possible to have two separate sources for notes. Use provided material along with your own in-class notes to create a comprehensive record of the lecture.

Using Lecture Notes Manipulatinginvolves working with your notes by typing them out later. Paraphrasing is the process of putting your notes into your own words. Summarizing is a process of writing a brief overview of all of your notes from one lecture. Chapter Exercise p. 147

Chapter Exercise p. 140 How Well Do You Listen? Chapter 6: Exercises and Activities Chapter Exercise p. 139 One-Way versus Two-Way Listening Chapter Exercise p. 147 Note-Taking 4-M Audio Chapter Summary Audio Summary of Chapter 6 Insight Action Back to Menu © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

How Well Do You Listen? Exercise 6.2, p. 140

Note-Taking 4-M Exercise 6.3, p. 147

Insight Action p. 131 p. 141 p. 145

Chapter 6 Audio Summary

F CUSPoints FOCUS on Community College Success An Interactive Teaching Tool FOCUS on COLLEGE SUCCESS CONCISE Edition Chapter 6 Constance Staley and Aren Moore

Chapter 6: Engaging, Listening, and Note-Taking in Class