Note Taking Strategies

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Note Taking Strategies
By Beth Seufer Daniel Ribaudo
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(No Transcript)
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Note Taking Exercise

• Gradually the Court came to accept John Stuart
  Mill's argument that the correct response to "bad
  speech" is "good speech," not the suppression of
  speech that the answer to "wrong speech" is more
  speech not less speech that the right of a free
  press to criticize public officials is paramount
  to the workings of a democracy. John Stuart Mill
  recognized that speech that might result in mob
  violence could be controlled. That was the only
  specific exception he discussed in his book On
  Liberty, and it is now the only major limitation
  to the right of free speech in the United States.
  The Supreme Court has taken over a century to do
  it, but it has brought the actual right of free
  speech into line with what John Stuart Mill
  imagined it could be in 1859. In the process the
  Court has reflected, and helped to create, a
  nation dedicated to the ideal of the right of
  free speech. While many people in America
  objected to the flag-burning decisions, many
  others rejoiced that they lived in a country
  where they, as free citizens, even had the right
  to burn the national flag to make a political
  point.

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Reasons For Taking Notes

• Making yourself take notes forces you to listen
  carefully and test your understanding of the
  material.
• When you are reviewing, notes provide a gauge to
  what is important in the text.
• Personal notes are usually easier to remember
  than the text.
• The writing down of important points helps you to
  remember them even before you have studied the
  material formally.

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Outline
Preparation
Listening in Class
Taking Notes in Class
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Before ClassGet Ready to Take Notes
Come prepared! Bring all your materials to class
with you, including paper and writing utensils.
Read! Make sure you finish all assigned reading
before you come to class.
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Listen

• I like to listen. I have learned a great deal
  from listening carefully. Most people never
  listen. Ernest Hemingway
• It's a mistake to think we listen only with our
  ears. It's much more important to listen with the
  mind, the eyes, the body, and the heart. Unless
  you truly want to understand the other person,
  you'll never be able to listen. Mark Herndon

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Listen
Stop talking By dominating the conversation we
do not have the opportunity to listen. Sit in
the front of the room Sit up straight and in
front of the instructor so you are less likely to
be distracted. Focus Human nature makes our
minds wander so you need to develop methods to
catch yourself when your thoughts drift. When
your mind wanders bring it back. Sit up
straighter, put both feet on the floor and take
more notes. Maintain eye contact - with the
instructor. Keep looking at the speaker.
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Listen
Minimize your distractions - Move away from
disruptive students, doors, windows, etc. Watch
for the instructors body language and special
words The instructors body language,
expressions and special phrases are alerts that
vital information is being discussed. Ask
questions If you are unclear of the
information, ask for clarification. Do not
doodle Doodling prevents you from listening.
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During ClassTake Notes
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Note Taking Hints

• Don't write down everything that you read or
  hear. Be alert and attentive to the main points.
  
• Notes should consist of key words or very short
  phrases.
• Take accurate notes. You should usually use your
  own words, but try not to change the meaning. If
  you quote directly, quote correctly.
• Don't take notes just to be taking notes! Take
  notes that will be of real value to you when you
  look over them at a later date.
• Have a uniform system of punctuation and
  abbreviation that will make sense to you. Use a
  skeleton outline and show importance by
  indenting. Leave lots of white space for later
  additions.

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Note Taking Hints

• Omit descriptions and full explanations. Keep
  your notes short and to the point.
• Don't worry about missing a point.
• Keep notes in order and in one place.
• Shortly after making your notes, go back and
  rework (not redo) your notes by adding extra
  points and spelling out unclear items.
• Review your notes regularly. This is the only
  way to achieve lasting memory.

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Lecture Clues

• Material written on the blackboard.
• Repetition
• Emphasis
• Emphasis can be judged by tone of voice and
  gesture.
• Emphasis can be judged by the amount of time the
  instructor spends on points and the number of
  examples he or she uses.
• Word signals (e.g. "There are two points of view
  on . . . " "The third reason is . . . " " In
  conclusion . . . ")
• Summaries given at the end of class.
• Reviews given at the beginning of class.

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Semantic Map
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Explosion Chart
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Cornell Method
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After ClassRewrite Your Notes
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Note Taking Exercise

• Steinbeck's best-known works of fiction,
  including The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men
  (1937), are set in central California, where he
  grew up. In particular, one of the principal
  locales in The Grapes of Wrath is the San Joaquin
  Valley, a fertile farming area which lies east of
  the Gabilan Mountains. Although Steinbeck's
  family was solidly middle class, he had to earn
  his own money during high school, working on
  nearby ranches during the summer. He also
  delivered newspapers on his bike, exploring
  Salinas's Mexican neighborhood and Chinatown.
  Later he would use his boyhood memories of these
  places in his stories and novels.

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Summary
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Be PREPARED
LISTEN
TAKE NOTES
REVIEW your Notes
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Want More Information?

• For more study skills, please visit the How to
  Study website at http//www.how-to-study.com.
• And the
• Academic Skills Center at Dartmouth College
• http//www.dartmouth.edu/acskills/success/notes.h
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