1. Note-Taking - Note-Making
Knowing The Tools for
Becoming An Insightful Note-Taker
Becoming A Thoughtful Note-Maker

2. Literacy is cognition.
• Listening process as thinking
• S peaking process as thinking
• Viewing process as thinking
• Reading process as thinking
• Writing process as thinking

3. Are WE C h ange Age nts ?
• With ou t m od e ling s tu d e nts will
continu e to d o wh at th e y h ave b e e n
d oing.
• S ocie ty b om b ard s th e s tu d e nt with
vis u al, au d itory and p rint m e s s age s
wh ile th e s ch ool ignore s s h owing th e
s tu d e nt wh at th e b rain s h ou ld “d o” with
th e s e m e s s age s .

4. Purpos e: B egin with end in mind
• What is essential learning?
• What is final “task” – What will student
do?
• What is most effective/efficient tool to
fulfill the purpose
• How can learning best be scaffolded?

5. Taking Notes:
• Responsive
• E xact information is purpose
• C ognation is negligible
5. Hand the students teacher generated
notes
6. C opying information does not
generate learning

6. Making Notes
• Generative
• Thinking is purpose
4. Model process and appropriate “recording
system” to achieve purpose
a. Outline – Harvard Hierarchical
b. C olumn Notes – C ornell, Double-E ntry
c. G raphic organizer

7. The Journey
• In the end a note-maker will replicate
thought processes (ideas, insights, inquiries)
in words, phrases, images,, symbols to
accomplish or satisfy purpose
• In the beginning a note-maker needs a
framework, scaffolds, to maintain focus and
define purpose

8. Remember Learning S tyles
• “Different texts and different individuals
call for different techniques.” S trong
Remember Modeling
• “S how students how you think your
way through the process.” S trong

9. C orne ll N ote s
• D ou b le e ntry form at
– Le ft colu m n can b e qu e s tions , top ics , te rm s
– R igh t colu m n re s p ons e
• C re ate s e ffe ctive s tu d y gu id e
• M ay re p licate te xt form at: title s (top ics ),
s u b title s (as qu e s tions ), d e tails
• Aid s te xt s u m m ary

10. C once p t M ap p ing
• R e lational s tru ctu re b e twe e n ce ntral id e as ,
top ics , conce p ts or e s s e ntial qu e s tions and
s u p p orting d e tails
• C re ate s vis u al of re lations h ip inform ation
• F acilitate s inte rre lating/ conne cting d e tails
• O rganize s conce p ts and d e tails for
ap p lication tas ks – e valu ation and s ynth e s is

11. Th e P os s ib ilitie s Are E nd le s s
• S p lit-s cre e n N ote s
• Ad d s op p ortu nity for vis u al (circu latory
s ys te m , ce ll p arts , word p rob le m in m ath )
• Aid s s u m m arizing
• U s e fu l wh e n th e final p u rp os e is a p rod u ct –
d iagram , ch art, p os te r
• C om p are -contras t ch arts
• C au s e -e ffe ct ch arts
• P rob le m -s olu tion ch arts

12. N ote -m aking re qu ire s
p roce s s :
1. Activate p rior knowle d ge
2. P ractice active lis te ning, vie wing or
re ad ing
• P u rp os e , P re vie w, P lan - b e fore
• Vis u alize , C onne ct, Q u e s tion – d u ring
• R e fle ct, R e vis it/ e re ad , U s e - afte r
R

13. N ote -m aking R e qu ire s
Ins tru ction
• D e p artm e nts s h ou ld look at p u rp os e s and
s e le ct ap p rop riate tools
• Te am s s h ou ld look at com m on p u rp os e s –
cou ld th e E LA te ach e r m od e l and p ractice
com m on tools for conte nt te ach e rs to re qu ire
ap p lication
• Te am s can re grou p (E LA and m ath in
d ou b le room s ) to attack tools u niq u e to th at
d is cip line