Focused Note-Taking

Taking Notes

Establish a purpose for note-taking

-- Create an Essential Question

Select the best format for the notes

-- Cornell notes, Mind Maps, Graphic Organizers, Three-column Notes

Write notes based on the sources

-- Paraphrase, arrange, and organize thoughtfully

Processing Notes

Think about your notes and revise:

  • Underline/highlight

  • Circle

  • Question

  • Add notes/delete notes

  • Organize/chunk

  • Main ideas . . . Less important notes . . . Details

Connecting Thinking

Think Beyond Your Notes

  • Ask wonderment questions
  • -- Comprehension   -- Prediction

    -- Anomaly detection   -- Application

    -- Planning/Strategy

  • Ask Costa's higher level questions

  • Make connections

  • -- To what you already know   -- To another content

    -- To your life   -- To the world

Summarizing and

Reflecting on Learning

Write a summary of what you learned.

  • Answer the Essential Question.

Include a reflection.

  • How will you use this information?

Applying Learning

Use your notes for the intended purpose:

  • Writing

  • Socratic Seminar

  • Studying for a quiz

  • Experiments

  • Problem solving

  • Philosophical Chairs

  • Speeches

  • Narratives

  • Research

  • Blogs

Apply what you learned to a new situation.

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