Taking Note of Note Taking By Tabbitha Zepeda RWLC Workshop Fall 2010.

Taking Note of Note TakingBy Tabbitha Zepeda

RWLC Workshop Fall 2010

Tabbitha Zepeda © 2010

Why Should I Take Notes?Taking notes helps you in a variety of ways. First, it helps you to better retain information

that you hear or read, because many people learn through actively involving themselves in what they are being taught.

Second, it allows you to keep a record of important information that you can and will probably use later on.

Third, taking notes helps you with your overall organization skills. Your brain is like any other muscle, and if you don’t work out and keep it in shape, it can affect other intellectual abilities.


When it’s Best to Take NotesIn regards to school, you should take

notes whenever…

You read a textbookYour instructor is lecturingYour instructor gives you important

information needed for future class sessions (e.g. test dates, test review topics, extra credit opportunities)

You watch a video in class or for class


Taking Notes on Text

When you’re taking notes on a piece of text, it is important to remember that, sometimes, less is more. To make sure you only write down the most important information, familiarize yourself with your objectives. In other words, know what your teacher wants you to get out of your reading (What led to the French Revolution? What contributions has Twain made to fiction today?) , and then focus your efforts on understanding that piece of the text.

Read each paragraph or section with the goal of understanding the main points and summarizing them in one sentence.


Knowing What’s Important

Many words and phrases give clues as to what is an important idea in a piece of text. Often, these phrases are used during lecture as well. Knowing these key words and phrases can help you limit the amount of information you take notes on.


Reading/Listening CluesAdditive Words and Phrases

◦Communicate that more of the same is coming also, besides, furthermore, another, in addition

Alternative Words and Phrases◦Indicate choices or differences

either, or, otherwise, the difference, similarly, other than

Repetitive Words and Phrases◦Emphasize ideas that are repeated or

paraphrased Again, in other words, that is (i.e.), to repeat


Cause and Effect◦Indicate relationships between

events or ideas accordingly, because, consequently,

since, so, thus

Contrast/Change Words or Phrases◦Suggest similar or opposing

circumstances but, in spite of, still, despite, in contrast,

instead of, though, however, whereas, even though, rather than, yet, regardless, similarly, nevertheless =


ACTIVITY

Hopefully you have been taking notes during this workshop.

What have you written so far in your personal notes?

What did you decide to leave out? What made you decide what information was

important and what information wasn’t necessary?


The Act of Note Taking

Now that you know what to take notes on, let’s look at effective note taking strategies.

Good notes must be complete, coherent, and concise. Whether you are reading, listening, or watching, you must be able to make notes quickly in a format that will be helpful later on when you need to review them.


Setting a PurposeIt’s important to know why you are taking notes so you can organize your information and decide what is worth writing down.

For example, if you’re taking notes on a historical event, you should pay attention to information given that may be of use, such as specific dates.

In other words, you should write your notes as if they are answering a question; knowing the question will help you weed out unnecessary additions.


Using Shorthand

Remember, your notes are for your use only.

Because of this, learning how to abbreviate words and phrases can help you cut down on the time you spend writing. Each class or topic has words and ideas that come up repeatedly, so using symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms can help you shorten your notes.


Suggestions for ShorthandShorten familiar words: Info for information; NY

for New York; ex. for exampleUse symbols to represent words or ideas: + for

add; = for equal; w/o for without; b/c for becauseUse acronyms to abbreviate: USA; NATO; UN;

WW1Shorten words through omission: ppl for people;

gov’t for government; pg for page, bldg for buildingAbbreviate names: MT for Mark Twain; FDR for

Franklin Delano Roosevelt; TZ for Tabbitha ZepedaShorten common terms: RJ for Romeo and Juliet;

Eng for English; OLine for outline; MW for Monday and Wednesday

It is important to note, however, that you should do this in such a way that you can understand them later on.


“Smooshy” TextRemember, you don’t need to write down every word you read or hear. Instead, you’ll want to cut out unnecessary words or information to save you time, as well as keep your notes from becoming overcrowded. Too much text can be overwhelming, making your eyes easily tired, thus making you less focused.

i.e. “Jane Austen’s personal involvement in the French Revolution was a starting point for her very short, yet important career as an author.”Jane Austen + French Rev. = jumpstart of career

On that note, it is also important to have what is called “white space”, or space between ideas, so that you can add information later on.


Giving Your Notes a “Look”The visual format of your notes needs to fit you personally so that you can easily read and understand them.

There are many ways to visually organize your notes. Here are a few options:

BulletsDashesNumbers


Information Organization

Because organization is key to effective note taking, outlining with plenty of white space is a must. It is best to identify and organize information into categories, such as by chapter, heading, major theme, or chronological event. Also, underlining, highlighting, or putting titles in all CAPS will help your eyes scan different sections of your notes quickly.


DISCUSSION ACTIVITYHow do you set up your notes?

What do they look like on the page? Are they organized in sections? Are there headings for main ideas? How are they set apart from the rest of the notes?

Do you have an example of notes you have taken from a class? Please share.


Page Layout

Now that we’ve gone over what to take notes on, how to take notes quickly, and tips on how to organize information, it’s time to look at the actual layout of your notes.

One of the structures easiest to maneuver when reviewing and studying notes is called the Cornell method. It is divided into four sections, which further organizes your information.


Cornell NotesEach section of your notes has a different purpose.

The section along the top of your page is for orienting information, such as your name, the topic of the notes, and the date they are taken.

The very bottom of your page is left for after you’ve taken notes, so that you may summarize, reflect, or respond to the notes as a whole.


The Bulk of Your NotesThe other two sections of your notes are going to take up most of your paper.

There is a narrow section on the left that takes up 1/3 of the page. In this section, you are to write any questions that you have about information, key terms, reminders, or connections you’ve made while note taking.

The other side, taking up the right 2/3 of the page, is for the notes themselves. Basically, any essential information about the subject you are studying will be in this section.


MappingThere is another common structure used for note taking if you are either a visual learner or are taking a class in which the professor skips topics and revisits them often. This is called mapping.

Mapping looks very much like a cluster used in prewriting essays. The central theme goes in the middle in a circle, and main ideas and details branch off of the center. When your professor revisits a topic, you can add another “branch” to the correlating main idea.


If You’ve Done It Correctly…

There will be many benefits to your adjusted note taking strategies. It should…

improve your recall, meaning that the organization will help your memory when tested

increase your overall understanding and digestion of ideas

increase your attention because it establishes a purpose, gives you a focus, and helps you determine what’s most important.

Taking Note of Note Taking By Tabbitha Zepeda RWLC Workshop Fall 2010.

Documents

good notes

personal notes

class tabbitha zepeda

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thuscontrastchange words

key words

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