Taking Organized and effective notes & Reading to Remember

1. Taking Organized and effective notes&Reading to Remember Brian Brausch

2. Taking Organized and Effective Notes

3. Taking Notes • Involves 3 major tasks: • Effective listening • Effective observation • Effective note taking

4. Effective Listening • Humans are poor listeners • FOCUS • Be alert, be aware • Active process which begins before class

5. Effective Listening: In Class • Find a good seat, comfortable • Pay attention purposefully • Listen for cues • Resist distractions • Don’t let your mind wander • Take notes while you listen • Be in the moment • Awareness Test

6. Are you easily distracted? • Arrive at each class prepared • Arrive on time • Sit near the front • Do not doodle • Stop daydreaming • Look at the teacher

7. Before Note Taking B E F O R E • Be positive – Attitude is everything • Find a style that fits you • Read • Prepare a list of questions • BE PREPARED!!!

8. During Note Taking DURING • Important ideas only • Listen and Look for cues (In other words…, Most importantly…) • Leave open spaces if you get behind • Use abbreviations • Record Questions

9. After Note Taking A F T E R • Verbalize your understanding to another student • Compare with classmates • Revise notes as appropriate • Review your notes, clarify • Rehearse aloud • Highlight

10. Note Taking • Many methods, 5 outlined here: • The Cornell Method • The Outline Method • The Mapping Method • The Charting or PEPPS Method • The Sentence Method

11. The Outlining Method • Main points on farthest left side, subsequent points follow indents • Example: • Note Taking • 2 skills needed • Effective listening • Effective note taking • 5 methods • Cornell Met., Outlining Met., Mapping Met., Outlining Met., Sentence Met.

12. The Mapping Method • A graphic representation of the lecture content

13. The Cornell Method • Draw a line down the page vertically 2 ½ inches from left hand side • Take notes on right side, leave few lines between each point • After class, write cues or questions in left margin • Review and test yourself by covering notes and leaving cues • Saves you having to rewrite your notes to study for exams

14. The Charting Method (PEPPS) • Good for history lectures • Draw columns/ categories and insert notes as necessary

15. The Sentence Method • Write every new thought on separate line • Thought 2 • Thought 3 • Thought 4 • Thought 5 • Phrases are quicker than sentence form

16. Common Abbreviations • w/ - with • w/o – without • + or & - and • ppl.- people • @ - at • Q - question • A – answer • ? – I’m lost • Ex – example • Imp- important • -> - leads to • Etc – and other things • Con’t- continued • Gov’t- government

17. Live Scribe Pen

18. Reading To Remember

19. Retaining Information • Short term vs. Long term • Ability to hold on to information. • SQ4R method • Survey • Question • Read • Recite • Review • Reflect

20. SQ4R: Step One • Survey and Question • Improve reading speed and comprehension • Skim or survey chapter (turning subtitles into questions) 5-minutes or less • Warm up for the brain • Creates advanced organizers • Improves comprehension and concentration. • Questioning is important – keeps you active and awake

21. SQ4R: Step 2 • Read and Recite • Read a section at a time • Turn subheadings into questions and find the answers • Underline the main idea (if important) • When finished with section, look at subheading and see if you can recite or re-say the main point. • Important for storing in long term memory

22. SQ4R: Step 3 • Review and Reflect • IMMEDIATELY after reading chapter, do quick review of what you learned. 5-minutes or less. • Look at subheadings – recall main points • Re-read points you highlighted. • Reflect on how you can use the info, how does it relate?

23. Review and Reflection Points • What is important? • What is the significance? • How can I use the information? • What does it mean to me? • What do I think about the information? • How does this relate to what I already know? • Can I think of a good example for this?

24. More Useful Ideas • Unfamiliar word? Look up the definition, it will be on the exam! • You may need to re-read • Speed and comprehension improves with practice • Take notes – active involvement • Don’t understand? Talk with your teacher

25. Read or skim material before class • Review periodically throughout semester • Learning disability? • Albert Einstein • Thomas Edison • Match learning style to reading style • Auditory – read aloud • Active – move around • Introvert – quiet place • Extrovert – group study

26. Additional Online Resources • www.how-to-study.com • www.studyhall.com • www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat • http://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl • www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/study

27. Questions?