What is an effective note taking strategy for your content area?
Overview:
"Where is that definition? I remember this, but I don't remember where I wrote it down! Was this in chapter 4 or chapter 5?" We ask these questions before major quizzes, tests, papers, or any major assignment. Where on earth did we write down these notes?! That is even if we wrote them down at all! Note-taking is a stressful job which many students do not take seriously. Notes are very beneficial to the student's learning. Note-taking in all aspects is how students keep track of new knowledge. Linking together key facts and details within the subject area is a key way to learn. Giving students a guided note-taking outline will benefit them in the long-run, especially when it comes to tests or quizzes. In social studies, new knowledge is always being called up. Where and what to do we have to write down when it comes to learning new knowledge?! Trust me, I have had difficulty with this myself. We, as students, get so absorbed in what we have to write down, that we miss key information that our teachers are saying. Well . . . what if there was a way for teachers to help students with their note-taking skills and strategies. By assigning them a particular kind of guided outline, students will not have to worry (so much) about what needs to be written down. Well, why didn't someone think of that before!
Skills & Insights Gained:
My role throughout this learning experience include learning how to give the correct note-taking outline for my students. A guided outline that will be both beneficial and helpful to them throughout their learning experience. Note-taking is a serious component within any subject area. Students must be able to know what they are writing down, but also to comprehend the information as well. To decipher and discern knowledge that is being learned and to know which key facts and information is important to write down.
It is meaningful for me, as a future teacher, that students know what there notes essentially mean to their learning. Sharing my own form of guided note-taking to my peers during my presentation was quite enlightening. I learned that my outline was both essential and well-formed for my particular content area (social studies). My note taking outline was essentially simple (formal outline), but it also contained key facets that give students the benefit of the doubt. The outline that I created was essentially made for the upper levels in high school. It is created for students who are taking a social studies/history course, which deals with a large amount of information being thrown at them from all angles. Enabling them to use prompts, awakens their minds to the possibilities of the argument or thesis to the subject we would be discussing in class that day. It also organizes them sequentially, starting with the main topic, leading down to multiple sub-topics and the supporting details underlining them. Essentially, I supported my outline with components such as a thesis to what documents or knowledge the students will be analyzing and learning in that lesson. High school students know little about thesis statements and arguments that are made within books, papers, articles, magazines, newspapers, etc. They must know what and how to create thesis statements in college. Preparing them through their guided notes will be part of a fundamental process that will serve them in the future.
Lessons Learned:
Throughout this learning experience, I have learned that my signature pedagogy plays a crucial role within the way I handle my students learning. Ultimately, my students need structure. The responsibility and leadership role as a teacher is so crucial that without a defined classroom etiquette, students along with my facilitating would fall to shambles. It is necessary that students are acknowledged for their learning, and their experiences with understanding new knowledge.
This learning experience has stayed with me because it has both helped and invigorated me to be the best teacher that there is to be. Especially comments from both my peers and my professor, that ultimately will benefit my learning and the future learning of my students. It is also valuable to me when positive comments are said about my understanding and creation of my guided outline.
With this learning experience, I most certainly will change how I look at my current courses that I am taking this semester. How do I take notes? Do I really know what kind of information is valuable to write down? Is this beneficial to my learning? What can I make of this information? How does this knowledge apply to my own life and understanding?
Importance/Impact:
From my own experience in high school, note-taking was not considered an essential component to my learning. What was I thinking! Really though . . . I was actually a horrible note-taker. Prioritizing my study habits and skills was not of importance. I learned (quickly) that it was one of the most essential tools to be good at. Certain teachers would hand out "teacher-prepared-notes" that were helpful, but not as helpful as writing down and composing my own outline of notes that were designed for myself.
With that, this learning experience has taught me organization, not only in my school life, but personal life as well. It has taught me skills for writing, understanding and sequentially ordering myself in everyday normalities.
"Where is that definition? I remember this, but I don't remember where I wrote it down! Was this in chapter 4 or chapter 5?" We ask these questions before major quizzes, tests, papers, or any major assignment. Where on earth did we write down these notes?! That is even if we wrote them down at all! Note-taking is a stressful job which many students do not take seriously. Notes are very beneficial to the student's learning. Note-taking in all aspects is how students keep track of new knowledge. Linking together key facts and details within the subject area is a key way to learn. Giving students a guided note-taking outline will benefit them in the long-run, especially when it comes to tests or quizzes. In social studies, new knowledge is always being called up. Where and what to do we have to write down when it comes to learning new knowledge?! Trust me, I have had difficulty with this myself. We, as students, get so absorbed in what we have to write down, that we miss key information that our teachers are saying. Well . . . what if there was a way for teachers to help students with their note-taking skills and strategies. By assigning them a particular kind of guided outline, students will not have to worry (so much) about what needs to be written down. Well, why didn't someone think of that before!
Skills & Insights Gained:
My role throughout this learning experience include learning how to give the correct note-taking outline for my students. A guided outline that will be both beneficial and helpful to them throughout their learning experience. Note-taking is a serious component within any subject area. Students must be able to know what they are writing down, but also to comprehend the information as well. To decipher and discern knowledge that is being learned and to know which key facts and information is important to write down.
It is meaningful for me, as a future teacher, that students know what there notes essentially mean to their learning. Sharing my own form of guided note-taking to my peers during my presentation was quite enlightening. I learned that my outline was both essential and well-formed for my particular content area (social studies). My note taking outline was essentially simple (formal outline), but it also contained key facets that give students the benefit of the doubt. The outline that I created was essentially made for the upper levels in high school. It is created for students who are taking a social studies/history course, which deals with a large amount of information being thrown at them from all angles. Enabling them to use prompts, awakens their minds to the possibilities of the argument or thesis to the subject we would be discussing in class that day. It also organizes them sequentially, starting with the main topic, leading down to multiple sub-topics and the supporting details underlining them. Essentially, I supported my outline with components such as a thesis to what documents or knowledge the students will be analyzing and learning in that lesson. High school students know little about thesis statements and arguments that are made within books, papers, articles, magazines, newspapers, etc. They must know what and how to create thesis statements in college. Preparing them through their guided notes will be part of a fundamental process that will serve them in the future.
Lessons Learned:
Throughout this learning experience, I have learned that my signature pedagogy plays a crucial role within the way I handle my students learning. Ultimately, my students need structure. The responsibility and leadership role as a teacher is so crucial that without a defined classroom etiquette, students along with my facilitating would fall to shambles. It is necessary that students are acknowledged for their learning, and their experiences with understanding new knowledge.
This learning experience has stayed with me because it has both helped and invigorated me to be the best teacher that there is to be. Especially comments from both my peers and my professor, that ultimately will benefit my learning and the future learning of my students. It is also valuable to me when positive comments are said about my understanding and creation of my guided outline.
With this learning experience, I most certainly will change how I look at my current courses that I am taking this semester. How do I take notes? Do I really know what kind of information is valuable to write down? Is this beneficial to my learning? What can I make of this information? How does this knowledge apply to my own life and understanding?
Importance/Impact:
From my own experience in high school, note-taking was not considered an essential component to my learning. What was I thinking! Really though . . . I was actually a horrible note-taker. Prioritizing my study habits and skills was not of importance. I learned (quickly) that it was one of the most essential tools to be good at. Certain teachers would hand out "teacher-prepared-notes" that were helpful, but not as helpful as writing down and composing my own outline of notes that were designed for myself.
With that, this learning experience has taught me organization, not only in my school life, but personal life as well. It has taught me skills for writing, understanding and sequentially ordering myself in everyday normalities.