Transcript Two-Column Note-Taking: Making Notes Make Sense

Two-Column Note-Taking:
Making Notes Make Sense
A Listen Actively Strategy
Presented by
Sarah Thomason
January 11 & 12, 2010
Some Note-taking Problems
Main ideas missing
Supporting details missing
Items of special importance not flagged
Incomplete
Messy
Word for word attempts
Signal words/cues missed
Some Benefits of 2-Column Strategy
1. Teaches something specific to listen for
 key words
 signal words
 specific cues
2. Teaches something specific to do
 Put key ideas, people, events in left column
 Put explanation, description, definition, etc. in right
column
Benefits, cont.
3. Automatically creates an active review tool
 Cover information in right column and use left
column as prompts
 Cover information in left column and use right
column as prompts
 Allows for easy scanning of notes to locate
certain pieces of information
Signal Words
SIGNS: They give directional cues and show
relationships between ideas.
Numbers or Equivalents
Three reasons
Two views
Variety of consequences
Numerous factors
Several types
Signal Words: Transitions
Addition: first, second, also, in addition,
furthermore, next, another, final
Time: before, after, simultaneously, first, later
Illustration: for example, for instance, such as
Comparison: similar, like, both, same
Contrast: but, however, even though, different
Cause & Effect: because, result, effect,
therefore, reason, leads to, consequence
Other Cues
“This will be on the test.”
“Write this down.”
“You’ll see this again.”
Writing on the board
Handout
Repetition
Animation
Emphasis
Handouts
Two-Column Note-Taking Model
The Two-Column Method of Note-Taking
Let’s Try It!!!
Reading selection taken from The Confident Student, 5th edition,
by Carol C. Kanar, p. 117.
Characteristics of
a good listener
1. makes commitment to
listen
2. focuses attention on
speaker
ex of focusing
attention
not reading paper
while listening
3. genuinely interested
Most important
trait
Being genuinely
interested
Conclusion
Listening can and
should be improved
by working at it
Please complete workshop evaluation.
THANK YOU!!!