I have been doing my reader's/writers project on note-taking. I know it's not the most glamorous topic, but I am a big fan of practical things. I take and use a lot notes to help me study in my classes. I usually have two note books going for each class, notebook for my reading notes, and a note book for my class notes, some of which I will condense down into another set of notes if I am studying for something big. No one ever taught me any note taking strategies so I thought this information might be use full.
Another reason I choose this topic came from my student teaching experiences, Granted the group I had were a tough crowd, but they would take use their notes, and as a big note-taker/user, I wanted my students to see the importance of note-taking. I also wanted to find out what I could do to help students have better study skills.
My research consisted of surveying local students to find how they took and used their notes. This survey asked students what they found works for them, if they were using notes in the classroom, and what advice they had for their fellow students and their teachers. I have Linked a Pod cast that lets you know what I found out. Click here to listen.
I also did E-mail Interviews with a small group of teachers to find out what they were doing in the classroom, what they found to be successful in their classrooms. These interview gave some good insight into what is going on in our classes and what is working in their classes. I have posted The interview responses for you to read in the comments section of this blog, It is accidentally repeated, so when you come to the second one it is the same as the first.
My traditional research consisted of books and articles from the web. I was kind of disappointed in what little I found, basically I got a lot of different note taking strategies and different methods on note-taking, and I was looking for something more research based. These were useful in give me information on techniques, tips, lessons on how to teach note-taking strategies, and in giving many different organizers and maps. I condense this information, with my student surveys into a little brochure that I will have in class tomorrow I hope this information will be useful to you.
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E-MAIL INTERVIEW
On note taking
Hi I am Paul Rector, and I am U of L M.A.T. student teacher who is doing a research project on note taking in the high school and middle school classroom. If you could please answer these questions and tell what is going on in your classroom and how your students use their notes, it would be very beneficial to my research. I was planning on posting some of these interviews online with my research, your post will be anonymous, if you do not wish to be posted please let me know. I want to thank you for taking the time to answers these questions it is greatly appreciated.
Thank you again
Paul Rector
RESPONSES
1) Do you ever model any note taking strategies, or other study skills?
SS… I have not in my classroom of 7th graders. I do occasionally have them take down notes in their writer’s notebooks, but I rarely do. When I have I get them to write down characteristics of a writing genre. That way they can refer to it when they begin the writing process. But for the most part I’ve never taught any strategies. In regard to study skills I tell the students that what worked best for me was making flash cards on index cards. I see the kids study this way for vocabulary.
PS… I always model note-taking strategies for my students. There isn’t any sense in giving kids information that they can’t use due to poorly organizing that information.
CW… I have not intentionally modeled note taking strategies; however, I tend to use a lot of power point when giving notes to students and that will show how I tend to organize my information.
DW… I usually start off the year demonstrating several note taking strategies for my students and then encourage them to pick the one that works best for them. We work with Frayer model, double entry journals and various other ways to summarize text
SS2… Not note taking.
2) Have you found any note taking strategies or activities that are effective in your classroom? What works in your classroom?
SS… See above.
PS…I always use the over-head projector when giving students note so I can make sure they are with me. My content is heavy with information on processes and vocabulary. I do not use a specific activity teaching note taking strategies (like games, worksheets, etc.) other than giving them the information in an organized manner in outline form on the over-head and have the kids copy what I write. I can insure they have the correct information in an organized, useable way. I hope that students can use this technique of organizing material on their own in other classes without the aide of an over-head, having the information spoon-fed to them.
CW…Again through the use of the power point, I have discussed with students about idiosyncrasies in my own note taking to show that they sometimes are able to find ways that will work for them.
DW… The strategy that I have found to be the most effective is a guided reading. I give the kids a list of questions or statements to complete. They then read the text and look for the answers. We then go over the material as a class.
SS2…My students like using graphic organizers. I provide power point presentations that they copy for specific notes.
3) Do you grade your student’s notes or have any activities in which your students are allowed to use their notes in the classroom?
SS…I count it as an assignment in their writer’s notebook.
PS…I do not grade their notes. Since I tell them exactly what to write and how to organize it, no grade is necessary. If they do not do what I have asked as far as following directions, being cooperative, I consider that another issue other than an academic one.
CW… I have not done this with my limited experience, but I would consider this type of activity.
DW… I have tried letting them use their notes on things like tests but I have not had good results with this. They think that they do not need to study because they will be able to look it up. When it comes time for the test they are not prepared for it and do not do well. I do grade their notes once each grading period. This is really just to encourage them to take them because otherwise many will either not take notes or only take them so that they look busy in class and then they will throw them away.
SS2…I don’t grade notes. They are allowed to use notes when working on a piece of writing, but not for tests.
4) Have any of your students stated to you any note taking strategies or organizers that they have found effective?
SS…I love graphic organizers, but they are for formulating ideas more so than anything.
PS…No, my students have not mentioned anything relating to other effective note-taking strategies.
CW… Some have talked about it in discussion, but it is usually the higher level students who have already been able to organize their note taking well.
DW… This is something our school has been working on this past year so about half way through the year I had a discussion with all of my classes asking them what they thought was the best. Many told me that just coping notes from the board did not help them at all. They paid no attention to what they were writing down. Most of them seemed to find the reading guides the most helpful because it made them read and search for answers to the questions themselves. This does not mean that they liked them. They always complain about any work but they did admit that these guides helped them learn the material.
SS2… Graphic organizers. They tend to be visual learners
5) Any other advice, experiences, thoughts or strategies that you have to share on the topic on note taking.
SS…I would like to know more myself.
PS…Note-taking is a skill that must be taught and learned in the classroom like any other information we want kids to have. They do not come to school already knowing this.
CW… Teachers tend to teach note taking how they are comfortable with taking notes. I would consider myself a poor note taker by most standards yet I have found ways to be successful in school. I think teachers should work with different techniques and allow students to process their notes in their own way—as long as it works for the student.
DW…. I would say do not assume that your students know how to take notes before they come into your classroom. This was a mistake I made in my first year as a teacher. I thought because they were in high school this was a skill that they should already have. Yes they did know how to copy down everything that I wrote on the board but they did not know how to use it to study. They could not put anything in their own words or pick out what facts were more important. I would advise you to be sure to model different forms of note taking for your students. It is pretty easy to integrate this into your lessons and you might help a few kids find a way to summarize information that really helps them learn.
SS2...I think as a teacher, having some strategies to teach my students would be helpful. I tend to go with whatever works for them. I don’t model this strategy. (Yet)
E-MAIL INTERVIEW
On note taking
Hi I am Paul Rector, and I am U of L M.A.T. student teacher who is doing a research project on note taking in the high school and middle school classroom. If you could please answer these questions and tell what is going on in your classroom and how your students use their notes, it would be very beneficial to my research. I was planning on posting some of these interviews online with my research, your post will be anonymous, if you do not wish to be posted please let me know. I want to thank you for taking the time to answers these questions it is greatly appreciated.
Thank you again
Paul Rector
RESPONSES
1) Do you ever model any note taking strategies, or other study skills?
SS… I have not in my classroom of 7th graders. I do occasionally have them take down notes in their writer’s notebooks, but I rarely do. When I have I get them to write down characteristics of a writing genre. That way they can refer to it when they begin the writing process. But for the most part I’ve never taught any strategies. In regard to study skills I tell the students that what worked best for me was making flash cards on index cards. I see the kids study this way for vocabulary.
PS… I always model note-taking strategies for my students. There isn’t any sense in giving kids information that they can’t use due to poorly organizing that information.
CW… I have not intentionally modeled note taking strategies; however, I tend to use a lot of power point when giving notes to students and that will show how I tend to organize my information.
DW… I usually start off the year demonstrating several note taking strategies for my students and then encourage them to pick the one that works best for them. We work with Frayer model, double entry journals and various other ways to summarize text
SS2… Not note taking.
2) Have you found any note taking strategies or activities that are effective in your classroom? What works in your classroom?
SS… See above.
PS…I always use the over-head projector when giving students note so I can make sure they are with me. My content is heavy with information on processes and vocabulary. I do not use a specific activity teaching note taking strategies (like games, worksheets, etc.) other than giving them the information in an organized manner in outline form on the over-head and have the kids copy what I write. I can insure they have the correct information in an organized, useable way. I hope that students can use this technique of organizing material on their own in other classes without the aide of an over-head, having the information spoon-fed to them.
CW…Again through the use of the power point, I have discussed with students about idiosyncrasies in my own note taking to show that they sometimes are able to find ways that will work for them.
DW… The strategy that I have found to be the most effective is a guided reading. I give the kids a list of questions or statements to complete. They then read the text and look for the answers. We then go over the material as a class.
SS2…My students like using graphic organizers. I provide power point presentations that they copy for specific notes.
3) Do you grade your student’s notes or have any activities in which your students are allowed to use their notes in the classroom?
SS…I count it as an assignment in their writer’s notebook.
PS…I do not grade their notes. Since I tell them exactly what to write and how to organize it, no grade is necessary. If they do not do what I have asked as far as following directions, being cooperative, I consider that another issue other than an academic one.
CW… I have not done this with my limited experience, but I would consider this type of activity.
DW… I have tried letting them use their notes on things like tests but I have not had good results with this. They think that they do not need to study because they will be able to look it up. When it comes time for the test they are not prepared for it and do not do well. I do grade their notes once each grading period. This is really just to encourage them to take them because otherwise many will either not take notes or only take them so that they look busy in class and then they will throw them away.
SS2…I don’t grade notes. They are allowed to use notes when working on a piece of writing, but not for tests.
4) Have any of your students stated to you any note taking strategies or organizers that they have found effective?
SS…I love graphic organizers, but they are for formulating ideas more so than anything.
PS…No, my students have not mentioned anything relating to other effective note-taking strategies.
CW… Some have talked about it in discussion, but it is usually the higher level students who have already been able to organize their note taking well.
DW… This is something our school has been working on this past year so about half way through the year I had a discussion with all of my classes asking them what they thought was the best. Many told me that just coping notes from the board did not help them at all. They paid no attention to what they were writing down. Most of them seemed to find the reading guides the most helpful because it made them read and search for answers to the questions themselves. This does not mean that they liked them. They always complain about any work but they did admit that these guides helped them learn the material.
SS2… Graphic organizers. They tend to be visual learners
5) Any other advice, experiences, thoughts or strategies that you have to share on the topic on note taking.
SS…I would like to know more myself.
PS…Note-taking is a skill that must be taught and learned in the classroom like any other information we want kids to have. They do not come to school already knowing this.
CW… Teachers tend to teach note taking how they are comfortable with taking notes. I would consider myself a poor note taker by most standards yet I have found ways to be successful in school. I think teachers should work with different techniques and allow students to process their notes in their own way—as long as it works for the student.
DW…. I would say do not assume that your students know how to take notes before they come into your classroom. This was a mistake I made in my first year as a teacher. I thought because they were in high school this was a skill that they should already have. Yes they did know how to copy down everything that I wrote on the board but they did not know how to use it to study. They could not put anything in their own words or pick out what facts were more important. I would advise you to be sure to model different forms of note taking for your students. It is pretty easy to integrate this into your lessons and you might help a few kids find a way to summarize information that really helps them learn.
SS2...I think as a teacher, having some strategies to teach my students would be helpful. I tend to go with whatever works for them. I don’t model this strategy. (Yet)
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