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:

Apply what you learned to a new situation.