Just the Facts Ma'am

1. Just the Facts Ma'am How to Listen and Take Good Notes June 15, 2011 John Fedor

3. Set Aside a Week to Teach Note Taking Introduce the topic by asking the following questions: 1. How many take notes? 2. Ask if anyone thinks taking notes is a pain and a waste of time? Ask why they think this? 3. Ask students why is taking notes important?

4. Monday’s Lesson Plan:Give Students Teacher-Prepared Models • Give students a copy of teacher-prepared notes. • Explain the method you used to prepare the notes (outline, webbed, etc.) and allow them to follow along, adding their own notes during class. This gives students a model of how organized notes look and work. • Explain that notes taken during class will probably not be quite as organized, but should follow the same general principles.

5. Tuesday’s Lesson Plan:Teach Students Basic Note-Taking Principles • Students need direct instruction on what to include and what not to include in their notes. • Tell students not to try to write down every word the teacher says or try to busily copy an overhead because they miss the most important aspects of a lecture or class discussion. • Explain the basic strategies for taking notes, such as coming to class prepared, listening for facts or main ideas, and using abbreviations. • Pass out and go over Note Taking Tips for Students handout

6. Wednesday’s Lesson Plan:Note-Taking Frameworks Help Students • Expose students to different note-taking frameworks and formats. • Show students different frameworks for note-taking, such as classification schemes or sequencing frameworks that can be applied to most subjects. • Give students templates for different types of note-taking, such as outlines, graphic organizers, and combination notes.

7. Thursday’s Lesson Plan:Give Students Guided Practice in Note-Taking • Gradually introduce students to different note-taking methods. • Sometimes students need guided practice in taking notes. The first few classes, give them suggestions for the type of information they can expect and the note-taking strategy that will work best with the material. • Ask students to review one point and write a summary based on their notes as homework. Use this opportunity to give students feedback on their note-taking skills.

8. Friday’s Lesson Plan:Incorporate Note-Taking into Your Assessment Criteria • Ask students to re-write and re-organize their notes as homework. This allows students to review both the material and their note-taking skills. • Ask students to hand them in for credit (no grade) and give written feedback to them, keeping in mind that note-taking is an art, not a science. • Tell students that they will need to adapt basic note-taking skills to their own learning styles.

9. 6000

10. Processing Information From Lectures Listening Skills Taking Notes

11. What is the most important reason why to take notes? • Because you can’t remember the information by just listening!

12. Why should you improve your listening skills? • Because as much as 80% of what you need to learn is delivered through lectures!!!

13. Listening • Man was born with two ears and only one mouth, therefore he should listen twice as much he speaks. -Chinese proverb-

14. Ways to improve your listening & note taking • Come to class prepared. What does this involve? How will this make you become a better listener/note taker? • Sit as close to the instructor as possible. How will this make you become a better listener/note taker?

15. Ways to improve your listening/note taking (contd.) • Listen for verbal clues that something is important. What are some examples of things the teacherr might say to let you know that a point is important? • Watch for nonverbal clues that a point is important. • Listen with a pen or pencil in your hand. • Think of questions as you are listening How will asking questions help you listen?

16. Note taking – The Essentials • Three Ring Binder • Write on one side only • Note the essential ideas/facts, not every word. Never use a sentence when you can use a phrase, or a phrase when you can use a word. • Write key words – expand later • Look for patterns and key ideas

17. The essentials continued • Use your own words, not the teacher’s • Copy all diagrams, graphs and examples • Make your writing readable • Leave blanks spaces – you’ll expand later • Notes for each lecture should begin on a new page.

18. What to write down • Ideas the teacher repeats or spends a long time on • Ideas written on board or overhead • Ideas also covered in the text or course outline • When you hear clear cues such as: “this is important” or “this will be on the exam!” • Summaries given at the end of class. • Reviews given at the beginning of class.

19. What to write down (cont’d) • Key Words that signal headings and main points • Terminology and Definitions • Important Details (dates, facts, and statistics) • Ordinals (number words)

20. Three effective ways to take notes • Outline Method • Cornell Method • Mind or Concept Mapping

21. Outline Method • An outline shows the relationship between major points and supporting ideas. • Begin your notes with a main heading. What is the lecture about? • Then identify main topics relating to the overall gist of what the lecture is about. • Specific ideas and facts about main topics should be placed below the main topics. • You can use dashes, numbers, letters, or Roman numerals.

23. The Cornell Method for taking lecture notes Steps: • Record • Reduce & Label • Recite • Reflect • Review & Summarize

24. First & Last Name Class Title Period Date Topic Questions, Subtitles, Headings, Etc. Class Notes 2 1/2” 3 to 4 sentence summary across the bottom of the last page of the day’s notes

25. Step 1: Record Techniques for Recording Information: • Familiarize yourself with the lecture topics before the lecture • Paraphrase the teacher by shortening and rewording (telegraphic sentences) • Use abbreviations to reduce the amount of writingexamples: BC for because, imp for important,

26. Step 1: Record (part 2) • Eliminate Vowels example:”If u cn rd ths, u cn gt a gd jb.” • Create a set of common symbols examples: & and,@ at, leads to,

27. Cornell MethodStep 2: Reduce & Label • Review the information you have in the 6 inch section of the paper and underline or highlight the key words or ideas. • Write a question in the 2 ½ left margin that refers to the key words or ideas in the right 6 inch margin

28. Step 3: Recite • Cover up the wide 6 inch column and use the key words, phrases, or questions in the left margin to recitethe covered section.

29. Step 4: Reflect • Here you reflect (think about) the ideas and how they fit in with other things you know.

30. Step 5: Review & Summarize Review your notes systematically • First review - ASAP • Second review – within a day • Third review – later that week • Fourth review – before the test Write a short summary of the lecture

31. Mind or Concept Mapping • Mind mapping can be used as a way of note taking or organizing information to study for a test. • It works very well for visual learners. • Start by identifying the main topic. Then identify the key elements of that topic. Finally, identify the details associated with those elements.

32. Webbing A Lecture for Later Review Subtopics Explained Instructor’s Main Topic Details Given on Subtopics Secondary Details

33. Using these methods • Mini-lecture: Causes of Civil War

34. Demo: Outline Method for Causes of the Civil War • Sectionalism – Deep economic, social, & political differences between 3 areas of the US. A.) North: 1. more urban, more cities, larger population 2. manufacturing economy Title: 3 Main Causes of the Civil War: Sectionalism, Slavery, & States Rights

35. Demo: Outline Method for Causes of the Civil War part 2 • B.) South 1. Agricultural economy 2. Cotton – slaves C.) West 1. Farming economy 2. Food grains – wheat & cornSouth thought North & West ganging up on it so decided to leave the Union

36. Demo: Outline Method for Causes of the Civil War part 3 • Slavery – Historians debate how much this led to Civil war. A.) North thought morally wrong B.) Western expansion –free or slave 1. Bring new political representation 2. Could strengthen North or South 3. Missouri Compromise & Compromise of 1850 -Tried to maintain balance between free & slave

37. Demo: Outline Method for Causes of the Civil War part 4 • States Rights: Federal government can’t & shouldn’t tell states what to do. A.) Deep roots in Am. History 1. 1828 S. Carolina right to nullify a federal law 2. South felt backed in corner & felt had right to secede B.) Seceded after Lincoln elected C.) Belief made hard to form strong Confederate gov’t.

38. Demo: Cornell Method for Causes of the Civil War

39. Demo: Cornell Method for Causes of the Civil War part 2

40. Demo: Concept Map for Causes of the Civil War 3 Causes of Civil War States’ Rights Sectionalism Slavery North South West Led toCivilWar? WesternExpansion Individual Statesfreedom S. Carolinanullify Made for weak Confed. Govt North-Morallywrong Slave or free MO. Compromise Compromiseof 1850

41. Activity: College is not the 13th Grade • Take notes using Outline Method • Takes notes using Cornell Method • Take notes using the Concept Map Method

42. Outline Method for College is not the 13th Grade • Hours spent in classA) 35hrs in high school, 15 in college….. • Daily attendance….. • Class size….. • Quiz/test frequency….. Title: College is not the 13th Grade 4 main differences between high school & college

43. Cornell Method for College is not the 13th Grade

44. Concept Map for College is not the 13th Grade College is not the 13th Grade Classhours Dailyattendance Classsize Quizzes/testfrequency HS Col HS Col HS Col HS Col Few,midterm & final 20-30 20 –300 35 15 Yes No weekly

45. What Should You Do When Teachers Talk Fast? • Take more time to prepare for class • Be willing to make choices • Exchange photocopies of notes with classmates • Leave large empty spaces in your notes

46. When Instructors Talk Fast (continued) • Seethe teacher after class • Before class, take notes on your reading • Borrow notes from a classmate • Ask questions, even if you're totally lost

47. Before the Class • Read all assigned material!!! • Bring questions you have about the readings • Review previous class notes • Write your name, date, and course on the top of your notes. • Keep your notes for each class separated. Use a binder with dividers. • Prepare your attitude & body

48. During the Lecture • Be there! • Sit in the front row • Be an active listener. If you catch yourself day dreaming, bring yourself back to the task at hand. • If you don't understand something, ASK! • Use a systematic note taking method such as mind mapping, the Cornell method, or general outline.

49. After the Lecture • Review your notes immediately after class. *Takes about 10 minutes *Add in anything you may have missed *Revise your headings, underline the important stuff, write down questions or clarifications in the margins – i.e. make your notes user-friendly so you don’t have to ask yourself, "Did I write these? • Review these notes a couple of times within one week and again once a week until the exam

50. How would you solve these?