Wednesday, February 08, 2012


 

NOTE TAKING IS A SKILL!!

Note taking

  1. PHYSICAL FACTORS

    Seating
    • Near the front and center
    • Vision is better
    • Hearing is better
    • Avoid doorways, window glare, etc. and Peers
    Materials
    • Two pens
    • Wide lined, easy eye paper
    • Course, date, and topic clearly labeled
    • May use dividers
    • Plenty of blank paper in back

  2. BEFORE TAKING NOTES

    Prepare yourself mentally
    • Be sure of your purpose and the speaker's purpose They may not be the same
    • Review your notes and other background material
    • Review your reading assignment
    • Reading should be done BEFORE class
    • Generate enthusiasm and interest
    • A clear sense of purpose on your part will make the course content more relevant
    • Acting as if you are interested can help
    • Don't let the personality or mannerisms of a speaker put you off
    • Be ready to understand and remember

  3. DECIDE HOW MUCH YOU ARE GOING TO DO

    Don't be lulled into a sense of security by an effective presentation

  4. PRACTICE TLQR TECHNIQUE

    • Tune in Listening takes energy
    • Look at the speaker; Mannerisms will give extra clues
    • Looking helps focus attention
    • Question Nothing will generate interest so much as an appropriate question
    • Listen Be selective. Some things are more important than others.
    • Be alert for speaker emphasis through:
    • Tone or gesture
    • Repetition
    • Use of cue words such as: remember, most important, etc.
    • Illustration on board
    • Reference to text
    • Note especially new words and ideas
    • Review Glance back over material from time to time to see if a pattern is
    • Emerging, if consistency is being maintained, etc.
    • If possible, clarify points during or after the lecture
    • Give the speaker a reasonable chance to make the point clear
    • Avoid sidetracking the speaker. You are the loser when this occurs

  5. WHILE TAKING NOTES

    • Get all of the main ideas
    • Record some details, illustrations, implications, etc.
    • Paraphrase
    • Use form to indicate relative importance of items
    • Underscore or star ? major points
    • Leave plenty of white space for later additions
    • Note speaker's organization of material
    • Pay attention to qualifying words like: sometimes, usually, rarely, etc.
    • Notice signals that a change of direction is coming: but, however, on the other hand
    • Be an aggressive, not a passive, listener
    • Ask questions and discuss if it's permitted If not, jot questions in your notes
    • Relate the material to your other classes and your life outside of school
    • Develop a suitable system of mechanics
    • Jot down words or phrases, not entire sentences
    • Develop some system of shorthand and be consistent in its use
      • Leave out small service words
      • Use contractions and abbreviations
      • Use symbols: +, =, &, @ ?, ?, _

  6. AFTER TAKING NOTES

    • Review and reword them as soon after class as possible
    • You should consider this in scheduling your classes
    • Don't just recopy or type without thought
    • Rewrite incomplete or skimpy parts in greater detail
    • Fill in gaps as you remember points heard but not recorded
    • Arrange with another student to compare notes
    • Find answers to any questions remaining unanswered
    • Write a brief summary of the class session
    • Formulate several generalized test questions based on the material
    • Use your notes as a learning tool
    • Review at spaced intervals
    • Spaced effort is more effective than the same effort spent cramming
    • We forget 50% of what we hear immediately; two months later, another 50%.
    SPEND 10 MINUTES EVERY WEEK IN QUICK REVIEW OF YOUR NOTES, AND YOU WILL RETAIN MOST OF WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED.