Transcript The Note Taking Process

The Note Taking Process
Adapted from Ellis, D. (1997). Notes. Becoming a master student.
Note Taking
• Complete outside assignments.
You will gather more from a lecture if you have
completed all reading and assignments prior to class.
Note taking will be easier if you have read the
material—you find you’ll have to write less.
Note Taking
• Bring the right materials.
Come to class equipped with notebooks, writing
tools, and textbooks.
Note Taking
• Sit front and center
Harder to fall asleep
Fewer distractions
Easier to see what is being taught
Some professor are less animated or energetic…this
may make it easier to sense their energy
Participate in the lecture—it helps to motivates you
Note Taking
• Conduct a short pre-class review
–Review notes from previous lecture
–Scan the reading assignment
•Look at your highlighted areas
•Review assigned problems and
questions
•If applicable, reread the
summary/conclusion
Note Taking
• Clarify your intentions
Decide what you want from the class period
This is the time to ask questions that arose from
homework or reading assignments.
Decide on your level of participation and attention
If you lacked information from the previous
lecture, decide on how to obtain the missing notes
Note Taking
• Be mentally present in the class!
Note Taking
• Accept that your mind will wander
Don’t fight daydreaming
Use your mind wandering as a chance to refocus your
attention
Notice that your mind is wandering
Say to yourself, “ There’s it goes again”
Gently return your attention to the class
If you drift again, repeat the process
Note Taking
• Notice your writing
When you are day dreaming, notice what is around you
Pay attention to the pen, how it feels
Notice you writing
Mark or leave a space in your notes where you were
drifting
Note Taking
• Focus on your instructor
Pay attention to body language and non-verbal cues
Look the instructor directly in the eye
Imagine that you and the instructor are the only two
people in the room and visualize yourself face to face
as if having a one-on-one conversation
Note Taking
• Notice your environment
If you begin drifting
Notice the room temperature
Take notice of your chair and your posture
Notice the room’s lighting
Listen to the sound of professor’s voice
Place yourself in your present environment
Note Taking
• Postpone your debate or criticisms
Mark in your notes your disagreement and continue
focusing your attention and taking notes
Do not engage in internal dialogue that will drown
out the continuing information
State mental that you disagree and move on
Note Taking
• Don’t judge the lecture style
Humans evaluate everything, do not let your attitude
about an instructor interfere with your learning
Let go of judgments about unorganized lectures or
ramblings
Turn disorganization into an advantage
Organize the material yourself
Note where you may have been confused, so
that you can ask questions later
Note Taking
• Participate in class activities
Participating is a great way to remember
information
Be willing to take a risk and get involved—ask and
answer questions
Chances are that your perceived “dumb” questions
are Not dumb and they shared by several other
classmate
Note Taking
• Watch for clues
Note Taking
• Be alert to repetition
Repetition of material is consistent with the relevance
the instructor places on the material
Note Taking
• Listen for introductory, concluding, and
transition words and phrases
Signal relationships, definitions, new subjects,
conclusions, cause and effect and examples
Reveal the structure of the lecture—use the
instructor’s structure to organize your notes
E.g. the following three factors, in conclusion,
the most important fact, in addition to,
conversely
Note Taking
• Watch the board or overhead projector
If the professor takes the time to write it down—it’s
probably important
Copy all diagrams, charts, drawings, equations,
names, places, dates, statistics, and definitions
Note Taking
• Watch the instructor’s eyes
If the instructor glances at notes, it is probably
important information
Anything read from notes is a potential test question