Transition Planning Considerations: A Strategy for Note …mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/lib/documents/PPT-Bouck-Note Taking f… · Transition Planning Considerations: A Strategy for

Transition Planning

Considerations:

A Strategy for Note Taking

PowerPoint Slides

to be used in conjunction

with the

Facilitator’s Guide

Copyright © 2011, East Carolina University.

Recommended citation:

Bouck, C. & Henderson, K. (2011). Transition planning

considerations: A strategy for note taking – A PowerPoint

presentation for professional development. Modules

Addressing Special Education and Teacher Education

(MAST). Greenville, NC: East Carolina University.

This resource includes contributions from the module

developer and MAST Module Project colleagues (in

alphabetical order) Kelly Henderson (Facilitator Guide

Editor), Tanner Jones (Web Designer), Diane Kester

(Editor), Sue Byrd Steinweg (Project Director), Bradley

Baggett (Graduate Assistant), and Sandra Hopfengardner

Warren (Principal Investigator).

Session Agenda

• Introduction

• Session Goals and Objectives

• Importance: Background in

Postsecondary Note Taking

• Importance: Common Problems

Session Agenda, continued

• Preparing for Note Taking

• Commonly Used Note Taking Strategies

• Using Notes After Class

• Choosing a Note Taking Strategy

• Summary

• Evaluation

Introduction

• Lecturing is the primary method of

instruction in college. Students are

required to absorb new information on a

constant basis and may be required to

retain it far into the future.

• Unlike high school, postsecondary

instructors often write little to nothing on

the blackboard.

Introduction, continued

• Even when a lecture is accompanied by a

PowerPoint presentation, students have to

take notes in order to remember the

information. But how? What format do they

use?

• Listen to two college students expressing

their concern.

http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/lib/me

dia/photo1/SlideShow.html

http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/lib/media/photo1/SlideShow.html


Introduction, continued

• Consider and list differences between

the way content is shared in high school

and in postsecondary settings.

Session Goal

• Goal: to examine what students need to know in order to effectively take notes in the postsecondary setting.

• Content includes:

– preparing to take notes before class,

– what to do during class,

– how to use notes efficiently after class as a study tool,

– five formats for note taking, and

– a method for evaluating a lecturer’s style.

Session Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Identify why it is useful to take notes in college.

2. Identify each of the note taking methods

described in the module.

3. Select the type of setting in which each of the

note taking methods would be used.

4. Identify the need for reviewing notes after class.

5. Select the process of reviewing notes.

Importance: Background in

Postsecondary Note Taking

• In college, too much information is presented over an extended period of time for a student to retain it and be able to recall it for a test.

• The primary way to store information presented in lectures is to take notes during class.

• But why do students need to take notes?

Background in Note Taking, continued

• Note taking is useful because it:

– promotes active learning by helping a

student stay focused.

– requires two different modes of processing

- auditory and kinesthetic.

– provides a record of information and

instructions that can be used later.


• Instructors may expect students to remember information for long stretches of time. Writing down the necessary information allows students access to this data as long as they need it.

• Research indicates there is a better chance for learning to occur if students can connect what they know from their own experiences with new information presented in lectures or textbooks.


• Taking notes is one way to help them build

those connections.

• One study found that students who took

notes in class had higher test scores than

those who simply paid attention (Yu & Berliner, 1981).

• Several studies note that simply outlining a

lecture facilitates encoding and retrieval of

information (Glynn & DiVesta; Staley & Wolfe cited in Yu & Berliner, 1981) .

Importance: Common Problems

• Class notes are a very important tool for

college students.

• However, when the instructor moves

quickly during class there is not sufficient

time to build the connections students

need to really learn the material.

• Students are too busy concentrating on

determining the most important

information and writing it down.

Common Problems, continued

• Many students don’t inherently know how to take notes in college or how to use them to study later.

• The way notes are given in high school is very different than the formation of notes in college.

• The way notes are used also differs.

• In the postsecondary setting, responsibility for learning falls to the student, not the teacher.

Common Problems, continued

• Some students will develop college note

taking skills on their own, but others will

not.

• Direct instruction in taking college notes

is beneficial for all students.

Common Problems, Activity

• Three college students have been interviewed about common issues that occur when they are taking notes. Here are the real comments are from students currently enrolled in a state-supported four year college.

• Listen to the audio at http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/lib/media/photo2/SlideShow.html .



Common Problems,

Activity continued

• Brainstorm other challenges faced by

college learners with disabilities when

they are expected to take notes in class.

• Which of the challenges might apply to

new college students generally, and

which might be more challenging due to

the presence of a disability?

Preparing for Note Taking

• People generally remember:

– 10% of what they read,

– 20% of what they hear,

– 30% of what they see,

– 50% of what they hear and see,

– 70% of what they say and write, and

– 90% of what they do (Molenda, 2003).

Preparing for Note Taking, continued

• The act of taking notes can help students

absorb more because they are actively

engaged in the process.

• Students need to start by preparing

themselves before they arrive in the

classroom and before the lecture begins.


• Now, listen to what some college students have to say about preparing to take notes. These tips will help students get started. With proper set up, students are more prepared to engage in note taking.

• Play the audio at http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/lib/media/photo3/SlideShow.html




• Not every approach to note taking works well with every type of lecturer.

• To best match note taking style with the particular lecture setting, a student can evaluate a professor’s lecture method.

• By evaluating the type of lecture, the student will be able to choose a note taking method which fits his or her needs for that particular class.

Preparing for Note Taking, Activity

• Complete the Instructor Lecture Method

Evaluation Form (copy found at end of

Facilitator’s Guide) as if you are a

learner in a class you teach or as

yourself in a college course.

• These completed forms will be used in

the next activity.

Commonly Used Note Taking

Strategies

• There are many different note taking

formats, but five are covered here.

• Note taking style may change

depending on the class. Later, there will

be an activity on how to best pair note

taking style with lecture style.


Strategies, continued

1.The Cornell Method is a systematic

format for organizing notes without

recopying (Blerkom& Mulcahy-Ernt, 2005).

• Divide the notes page into two columns.

• The first column is for writing the notes;

the other for labeling ideas and details.

The Cornell Method, continued

• In advance, prepare the note page: write

the day’s topic and date at the top of the

page.

• Block off 2 ½ " on the left margin of a

notebook page - this is the recall column.

• Leave 2" at the bottom of the page to

summarize key points after class.

The Cornell Method, continued

• During class, take notes down the right-

hand side of the page.

• After class, review the notes.

• Add questions and key points or terms

in the recall column on the left side and

summarize all key points of the lecture

at the bottom of the page.

The data used for the sample notes in the following slides have been taken from Kevin Paul’s

(2007) Study Smarter, Not Harder.

Cornell Method Topic:

Date:

Cue

Words,

questio

ns, key

points

(added

later)

2 ½ in

Space for taking notes

Summary of key points of lecture from the page

2 in (added after class)

The Outlining Method

• The Outlining Method looks like the outlines

written in school for papers (Blerkom & Mulcahy-Ernt, 2005).

• The points are organized in a pattern of

spaced indentions.

• But with note taking, it is usually better to

use dashes or indentions than to try to deal

with Roman numerals. Do not become

consumed with the formal structure of

outlining.

The Outlining Method, continued

• Write the date and topic across the top of the page.

• When taking notes, indent each level of supporting details that accompanies the higher level of heading, subheading, or detail.

• Include enough detail to be useful, but don’t overdo it either. One word outlines are not very helpful and neither are notes that are so detailed that key information is missed.

Preparing a Place to Study April 12, 2010 Find a Study Place

Not bed, table, LR, or cafeteria

Desk

Free of distractions

Do NOW

Make it Comfortable

Comfortable chair

Padding on seat and back

Very important

Check the air

Regulate temperature

Outlining Method


• Outlines work best:

– in a class that has an organized lecturer,

– if lecture is presented in linear situation,

– when there is enough time to think about

and make organizational decisions,

– for note takers whose skills are super and

sharp.


• Advantages of this method:

– It’s well organized,

– easy to edit and review, and

– good for lectures where there is time to

make organization decisions.

• Disadvantages include:

– It requires thoughtful organization,

– doesn’t show sequence, and

– cannot be used in a fast-paced lecture.

The Mapping Method

• The Mapping Method is a graphic

representation of lecture material (Blerkom & Mulcahy-Ernt, 2005). It uses comprehension

and concentration skills to relate each

fact/idea to other facts/ideas.

• Write the date and topic across the top

of the first page.

The Mapping Method, continued

Two ways to structure this method.

1. Take notes anywhere on the paper. After

class, circle each point or fact and then

draw lines and arrows to create

connections between topics and facts.

– The following example uses the same

data from Study Smarter, Not Harder.

Mapping Method

Find place

• Not bed, table, LR

• Desk

• Free of distractions

• Do it NOW

Make it comfortable

• Comfortable chair

• Good seat/back padding

• Regulate air temp/quality

PREPARI

NG A

PLACE TO

STUDY

April 12, 2010


2. Write the main point, list the sub-points on

the paper, and write details underneath.

After class, the student connects the

information using lines or arrows.


• In both Mapping formats information from

the textbook should be added after class.

• Mapping can be used:

– when lecture content is heavy and well-

organized or with a guest lecturer,

– when the student doesn’t know how material

will be presented.


• Advantages of this method:

– maximizes active participation,

– tracks lecture regardless of conditions,

– helps the student more easily see relationships between concepts,

– facilitates easier note card creating for studying, and

– allows the student to add information from the textbook directly into class notes.


• Disadvantage

– can be difficult to hear changes in content

from major points to facts.

The Block Method

• Write the lecture topic and date at the

top of the page (Blerkom & Mulcahy-Ernt, 2005).

• Write the first main point, or heading, on

the left side of the paper.

• Go to the next line and indent.

The Block Method, continued

• Begin writing the notes in phrases

continuously across the lines, continuing

to indent until a new topic begins.

Separate the details with dashes (-),

slashes (/), or semi-colons (;).

• Skip a line between each new heading or

topic. The student can leave extra space

to add notes from the textbook after class.

Block Method

Preparing a Place to Study

4-12-10

Find a Study Place

establish only for studying/quiet comfortable

relaxing/not bed, table, LR, or cafeteria/do it

NOW

Make it Comfortable

get a good chair/padded on seat and back/ideal

height takes pressure off joints/spend

money/consider air quality and

temperature/plants improve air quality


• The Block Method for works for:

– virtually any lecture format, and

– when the lecture is fast-paced and/or full of

content.

• The advantages of the method:

– needs little thought or organization,

– the easy format is particularly useful for

students who struggle with note taking


– a learner can easily leave extra space

between headings for adding notes from

text and be easily converted to note cards

for test preparation.

• A disadvantage to the Block method

– making the notes into an effective study

guide requires some manipulation.

The Modified Block Method

• The Modified Block Method is very similar to the Block Method (Blerkom & Mulcahy-Ernt,

2005) .

– Instead of writing the details continuously on the same line, each detail gets its own line.

– Continue to skip at least one line between each heading or new topic.

Modified Block Method, continued

• This method looks less cluttered and

appears more organized but without the

thinking involved in outlining.

• It also makes reviewing notes easier. If

written on only one side of the page, the

notes can be photocopied then cut out

and glued to index cards for easy flash

cards.

Modified Block Method

Preparing a Place to Study

4-12-10

Find a Study Place

• establish only for studying

• quiet comfortable relaxing

• not bed, table, LR, or cafeteria

• do it NOW

Make it Comfortable

• get a good chair

• padded on seat and back

• air quality and temperature

• plants improve air quality



• Students can use one of these five note taking methods or adapt it to fit their own needs and the requirements of the class.

• The important thing is that they take complete and ordered notes throughout the entire class period.

• Organized notes will help a student focus on the instructor’s expectations and minimize distractions



• Instructors often give clues as to what is

important by changing the tone of their

voice or repeating information.

• Students should also write down any

examples or stories that help explain

the topic.



• Any abbreviations can help them save time.

• Students can use common abbreviations,

such as b/c for because.

• Can also make up their own abbreviations

relevant to the lecture topic, such as a capital

P for Pavlov. In this case, students should

make a small key on the first page of the

notes to remind themselves of the meaning of

each abbreviation.


Strategies, Activity

• Individually complete the student practice activity about abbreviations (found in the Facilitator’s Guide). This activity could be used for teaching a lesson on abbreviations for note taking.

• Exchange forms and have a partner check the matching and look over the filled-in abbreviations.

• In pairs, develop a short list of other words and their abbreviations that might be helpful to learners in classes you teach or are familiar with.

Using Notes After Class

• Listen to the audio at http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/lib/media/photo4/SlideShow.html

• In a college class, learning takes place on two levels:

– when taking notes while listening to the lecture; and

– later, when reviewing the notes. In order to effectively learn from a lecture, a student should review class notes on a regular basis beginning immediately after class.



Using Notes After Class, continued

• If possible, students should take the 10-

20 minutes immediately after class to

read back over the notes and:

– make sure all writing is legible,

– add any information the student can recall

from the lecture but neglected to write down

in class.

– The longer students wait to complete this

step, the less they will be able to recall from

the class.


• In the few minutes just before the next

class, the student should do a quick

review of the previous notes.

• This helps refresh older material and get

the brain focused on what the student

will be learning in that class period.


• Within one week of the class, students should:

– spend about 20 minutes going back over the previous week’s notes.

– They can add more information (either from the lecture or from the textbook),

– test themselves on what they remember,

– recite important points, or

– make flashcards.

This simple re-exposure to the information will help transfer it to their long-term memory.


• Students should also intensely review all notes

for a class about once a month.

• A minimum of 20-30 minutes (on top of the 20

minutes reviewing for the previous week)

should be spent.

• The more active students can be with this

review (i.e., rehearsing or amplifying important

points, writing things down, creating mind

maps) the more likely they will increase

memory.

Choosing a Note Taking Strategy

• The table that follows provides a brief

description of the note taking strategy

and descriptions of settings where it can

be used.

• This table may be the most useful for a

teacher who is wondering how to help

his or her students make wise choices

regarding note taking strategies.

Note

Taking

Method

Description

Situations in

Which to

Use

Cornell

Method

٭ A systematic format for organizing notes

without recopying.

٭ Divides the notes page into two columns: one

for writing the notes and one for labeling ideas

and details.

٭ Write the day’s topic and date at the top of the

page; block off 2 ½ " on the left margin of a

notebook page - this is the recall column and

leave 2" at the bottom of the page.

٭ In class, take notes down the right-hand side

of the page.

٭ After class, review the notes adding questions,

key points, or terms in the recall column and

summarizing all key points at the bottom of

the page.

٭ Can be

used in any

lecture

situation

Note

Taking

Method

Description Situations in Which

to Use

Outlining

Method

٭ Looks just like the outlines for writing

papers in school.

٭ The points are organized in a pattern of

dashes or indentions rather than Roman

numerals.

٭ Write the date and topic across the top of

the page.

٭ Indent each level of supporting details

that accompany the higher level of

heading, subheading, or detail; include

enough detail to be useful, but don’t

overdo it.

٭ Outlines work best

in a class that has

an organized

lecturer and if

lecture is presented

in linear situation.

٭ It is also useful

when there is

enough time to

think about and

make

organizational

decisions and for

note takers whose

skills are super and

sharp.

Note

Taking

Method

Description Situations in

Which to Use

Mapping

Method

٭ A graphic representation of lecture

material relate each fact/idea to other

facts/ideas.

٭ The student can do this one of two ways:

1. Take notes anywhere on the paper; after

class, circle ach point or fact and then

draw lines and arrows to connect topics

and facts.

2. Or write the main point, list the sub-

points on the paper, and write details

underneath

٭ After class connect the information using

lines or arrows.

٭ In both cases information from the

textbook should be added after class.

٭ This format can

be used when

lecture content

is heavy and

well-organized

or with a guest

lecturer.

٭ It can also be

used when the

student doesn’t

know how

material will be

presented

Note

Taking

Method


Which to Use

Block

Method

٭ Write the first main point, or heading, on the

left side of the paper.

٭ On the next line (with an indention) begin

writing the notes phrases continuously

across the lines.

٭ Separate the details with dashes (-), slashes

(/), or semi-colons (;) .

٭ Skip a line between each new heading or

topic and indent the new line.

٭ The student can leave extra space to add

notes from the textbook after class.

٭ Use the Block

Method for

virtually any

lecture

format.

٭ It’s especially

useful when

the lecture is

fast-paced

and/or full of

content.

Note

Taking

Method


Which to Use

Modified

Block

Method

٭ Instead of writing the details continuously

on the same line, each detail gets its own

line.

٭ Continue to skip at least one line between

each heading or new topic.

٭ This method looks less cluttered and appears

to be more organized; it also makes

reviewing notes easier and the notes can be

photocopied then cut out and glued to index

cards for easy flash cards.

٭ Use the Block

Method for

virtually any

lecture

format.

٭ It’s especially

useful when

the lecture is

fast-paced

and/or full of

content.

Choosing a Note Taking

Strategy, Activity

• In groups of six, assign roles: One participant is

the lecturer and five are note takers. Each note

taker uses one of the note taking methods:

Cornell, Outlining, Mapping, Block, and

Modified Block.

• While the lecturer speaks for 5 minutes on a

topic, using content from a text, web source or

personal knowledge, group members take

notes consistent with the method assigned.

Choosing a Note Taking

Strategy, Activity continued

• Following the lecture, review the formats

used and compare and contrast the different

methods.

• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of

each

• Which was most effective for the type of

content and setting of the lecture?

Summary

• Lecturing is the primary method of information delivery in the postsecondary setting.

• Because the format is very different from high school to college, students need to learn how to take notes before they embark on the path to higher education.

• There are many different formats to use to take notes.

Summary, continued

• Students need to develop the skills to evaluate the lecture format and then choose and effectively use the note taking system which best fits the format.

• They also need to learn what to do with notes they’ve taken, after the class is ended.

• Through direct instruction and practice in high school, the students will be more likely to be successful in the college setting.

Session Evaluation

• A form for participants to evaluate the

session is available in the Facilitator’s

Guide.

Focus and Reflection Questions

1. Students need a great deal of help in

determining what to write down. How do

they know what’s important? What are

cues teachers may use to clue them in?

Focus and Reflection Questions,

continued

2. Students also need further guidance in

using their notes and getting the most out

of a college course. What else can they

do to ensure greater understanding-get to

know instructors, making study guides

from notes, form study groups or note

sharing groups, etc.

Application & Extension activities

Activities for the Classroom

1. As an introduction to note taking, the teacher presents a lesson on a particular topic asking the students to refrain from taking notes. The next day the students are given a quiz over the material.

After the quiz, the teacher presents on a similar topic, but this time the students are instructed to take notes. (The teacher may choose to collect the notes at the end of the period to prevent students from studying overnight.) A second quiz is given the next day and the scores are compared.

In theory, even without studying, the students

will do better on the second quiz simply

because they took notes.

2. Teach a lesson without writing all the notes on

the board or using a PowerPoint. In either case,

the students should be required to practice

taking notes simply by listening to the

instructor, preferably using one of the methods

described in this module. Then ask the students

to trade notes with a neighbor.

In different colored ink, they can read through the other person’s notes and add any information that they remember from the lecture but wasn’t recorded. This process can be repeated several more times with different partners.

3.Have students practice a different note taking format per week for 5 weeks. At the end of each week, have them share their notes with a partner and allow the partner to critique them. (This would require a rubric, checklist, or some other way to measure accuracy.)

Application & Extension activities

Activities for a Full-Day Workshop

1. One area in which students often need note taking instruction is in lectures which primarily use PowerPoint to present information. Many students simply print the slides and use them to study from without adding any extra information that the instructor might present. Often, college professors will use the slides to bring up key points or topics and then elaborate on them during the lecture. Students who fail to take notes on the examples, illustrations, or explanations will miss key information.

Application & Extension activities,

continued

2. After the 5 styles have been introduced,

have the teachers continue the workshop

taking notes using one of the methods.

Provide them with an evaluation tool (rubric,

checklist, etc.) to grade themselves on their

use of the format.

Self-Assessment

• A self-assessment with response

feedback is available at

http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/quiz/

Participants may take this assessment

online to evaluate their learning about

content presented in this module.

http://mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/quiz/

Documents

Transition Planning Considerations: A Strategy for Note …mast.ecu.edu/modules/tpc_sn/lib/documents/PPT-Bouck-Note Taking f… · Transition Planning Considerations: A Strategy for