Note Taking

GREAT NOTES BEGIN WITH GOOD LISTENING

“Set” your mind—intend to listen.
Listen to what is being said—don’t allow your mind to wander.
Clarify why you are listening—set a purpose and goal.
Clarify continually (to yourself) what is being said.
Keep your mind active—take notes.
Resist distractions (physical, emotional, mental).

Involve yourself—think of examples as the speaker talks.

Listen very closely to introductory and concluding remarks/ideas.
Anticipate what is coming next (this is the most difficult yet the most effective for your memory).
Keep an open mind.
Pay attention to “speaker cues” (voice, physical motions, rate of speech) for main ideas.
Think of questions while listening (helps to organize thoughts).

Identify speaker’s method of organization for delivering the information.
Constantly try to link concepts and main ideas with details as well as cause/effect and problem-solving techniques.
Listen for what is not said as well as what is said.
Identify facts and opinions.
Listen to class discussions carefully and make note of any points the speaker reinforces or repeats.
Always summarize the information and immediately write three or more main ideas.

NOTE TAKING BY LEARNING STYLE

Auditory

• Say vocabulary words out loud
• Listen carefully from the very beginning
• Read and repeat things orally

Visual

• Watch for important vocabulary words
• Chunk information together on a page
• Use drawings, charts, and graphs

Kinesthetic

• Use graphic organizers
• Associate feelings with concept/information
• Flip through vocabulary cards often

CORNELL NOTES

How To Organize Your Page

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Cornell Examples

Cornell Notes Blank Template

Pre-Reading Notes

Q-Notes

Summary Notes

CUED NOTES

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GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

Why Create a Graphic Organizer?

Graphic organizers are super tools to help you strengthen your brain power. They are very successful because they work with the way you learn and incorporate many positive aspects of what research tells us about learning. Creating graphic organizers the right way brings all your learning modalities together at once to produce a fantastic memory so you can recall facts when you need them. They allow you to use the most powerful learning tools for your brain all at once.

Graphic organizers allow you to:

HEAR IT—talk out loud to yourself all the time while studying (except when reading for speed).
SEE IT—watch yourself while you write it.
SAY IT—be aware of your thoughts as you say it out loud.
WRITE IT—write the information so your mind will see the words and patterns.

DO IT—be physically active by reorganizing the information from your notes onto another paper by condensing the information into a pattern.
comprehend and memorize simple and complicated material easily.
learn large amounts of material with greater recall.
recreate these organizers from memory on test papers to greatly reduce stress, combat confusion, and provide direction for essays.

see the whole picture/end result and how concepts relate to each other or build on each other (right brain).
see individual parts/details, how they are broken down to smaller parts, and how they work to make a whole (left brain).
use colors, shapes, placement, and words/numbers (quick recognition and long-term factors).
incorporate all the learning modalities (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic).

FLASHCARDS

Why Use Flashcards?

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STEP 1 ☞ Say the word out loud

STEP 2 ☞ Spell the word out loud as you watch yourself write it down the middle of one side of the card

STEP 3 ☞ Say the word again as you look at the whole word

STEP 4 ☞ Turn the card over by flipping the bottom of the card to the top (not side to side; this will allow you to read both sides when flipping them using the split ring in Step 14)

STEP 5 ☞ Say the definition out loud

STEP 6 ☞ Write the definition and say each word out loud (it’s usually not important to spell each word in the definition) as you see yourself write it

STEP 7 ☞ Say aloud the word that is on the front. You may want to get out of your chair and become more active by pacing around your room while you follow Steps 7–11

STEP 8 ☞ Turn the card over and check to see if you were correct

STEP 9 ☞ Say the definition

STEP 10☞ Turn the card over and check to see if you were correct

STEP 11☞ Repeat steps 7–8

STEP 12☞ Repeat steps 1–11 for the next two words

STEP 13☞ Punch holes in the upper right or left corner of each card

STEP 14☞ Place the set of three 3" x 5" cards on a split ring

STEP 15☞ Quiz yourself
• Read aloud the word on the front of the first card and say aloud the matching answer
• Flip the card over to check your answer
• Repeat through all remaining cards
• Turn the set of three over and quiz yourself the same way except saying the definitions first and the words second

STEP 16☞ Add sets of three cards, one at a time, until you have completed your list of new terms

Repeat all of the steps with each new card

REVIEWING YOUR FLASH CARDS

You should actively review the cards two to three times a week.

Flip through all of the cards, one by one, by saying the words first and the definitions second, flipping each card over to check your answer.
Then flip through them again, one by one, saying the definition first and the word second, flipping each card over to check your answer.

The best time to memorize and review is immediately before going to sleep at night.
Your subconscious “replays” the last thing you “loaded in” while you were conscious.

SUMMARY

Review for 10 minutes then go to sleep.

1. Use intentional, focused listening with a positive attitude.

2. Be an active listener and note taker.

3. Listen 80% and write 20% of the time.

4. Continually add to your personal shorthand system.

5. Review your notes regularly.

6. Match your subject to the right note-taking format.

7. Edit your notes frequently into graphic organizer

8. Use color, shapes, and placement to your learning advantage.

9. Keep notes together in an organized binder.

10. Tune out distractions.

11. Remember the results of your learning styles assessment. Choose note-taking tools that focus on your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.