Managing NotesManaging Notes

Making Sense Out of Making Sense Out of Information in Your Information in Your NotesNotes to to

Increase UnderstandingIncrease Understanding

By: Alicia A. MitchellBy: Alicia A. Mitchell

RSCC Community CollegeRSCC Community College

January 13, 2009January 13, 2009

DefinitionDefinition

Notes are a group of words that must Notes are a group of words that must be be generatedgenerated by a person, who is by a person, who is usually referred to as a student, and usually referred to as a student, and who is listening to or is reading some who is listening to or is reading some form of information. The group of form of information. The group of words must show relationships words must show relationships between ideas.between ideas.

Generate = to produce, Generate = to produce, to perform, to perform,

to do to do

In order to generate those notes, a In order to generate those notes, a student must listen/read for ideas, student must listen/read for ideas, concepts, substance, and the like, concepts, substance, and the like, and WRITE down those and WRITE down those ideasideas..

Recognize the IdeasRecognize the IdeasOne skill a student will practice by One skill a student will practice by taking (generating) notes in class taking (generating) notes in class and while reading is capturing ideas.and while reading is capturing ideas.In order to capture those ideas, the In order to capture those ideas, the student must recognize the ideas as student must recognize the ideas as pertinent, significant, as something pertinent, significant, as something he/she needs to know, and he/she needs to know, and writewrite the the ideas down ideas down immediatelyimmediately! (Selective ! (Selective Attention)Attention)

No Notes = Blank SlateNo Notes = Blank Slate

If students do not take notes to If students do not take notes to capture ideas, then within an hour of capture ideas, then within an hour of hearing/reading hearing/reading new informationnew information, the , the information will begin to fade away information will begin to fade away from memory (Kanar 247).from memory (Kanar 247).

Another Benefit = Connect Another Benefit = Connect Not only are notes important to help Not only are notes important to help a student a student rememberremember the information, the information, but to also connect ideas discussed but to also connect ideas discussed throughout the weeks within the throughout the weeks within the semester.semester.A teacher builds on ideas, concepts, A teacher builds on ideas, concepts, and the like within the semester, so a and the like within the semester, so a student needs to student needs to understandunderstand how all how all those ideas fit together.those ideas fit together.

Studying from NotesStudying from NotesStudents can fit (connect) the ideas Students can fit (connect) the ideas together when they use some organization together when they use some organization methods.methods.

Students need to do more than just take Students need to do more than just take notes. They need to do something with notes. They need to do something with those notes once the notes are generated.those notes once the notes are generated.

Creating Creating graphic organizersgraphic organizers can help can help students study and retain information.students study and retain information.

So, Once a Student Takes the So, Once a Student Takes the Notes…Notes…

He/She has to do something with the He/She has to do something with the notes.notes.

Preferably, Preferably, organizeorganize the notes in a way the notes in a way that makes sense to him/her.that makes sense to him/her.

The added benefits of graphic The added benefits of graphic organizers: condenses information organizers: condenses information that is easier to remember, helps to that is easier to remember, helps to visualize relationships, & gives practice visualize relationships, & gives practice in decision making (Kanar 211-12).in decision making (Kanar 211-12).

Taking Notes = Capturing IdeasTaking Notes = Capturing IdeasTaking notes in class and while reading is Taking notes in class and while reading is the process of capturing ideas. the process of capturing ideas. Once the ideas are captured, a student Once the ideas are captured, a student has to do something with those ideas!has to do something with those ideas!Capturing ideas relies on sensory Capturing ideas relies on sensory memorymemory, , which is retained for just a few seconds, which is retained for just a few seconds, which is why a student has to write the which is why a student has to write the idea down to push the idea into their short idea down to push the idea into their short term memory, which is retained for just term memory, which is retained for just under a minute (Kanar 248)under a minute (Kanar 248)

MemoryMemoryInformationInformation must be received & retained for it to must be received & retained for it to be recalled.be recalled.

Sensory Memory

Short Term Memory

Long Term Memory

Recollection

5 senses receives information (retained few seconds)

Selective Attention Sorts Significant from insignificant information

STM captures significant idea. Write it down (under a minute)

Push info into LTM by using memory aids

LTM is permanent when you have practiced over & over

Result of Memory

What’s all the Fuss About? What’s all the Fuss About? § It’s about helping our students succeed. It’s about helping our students succeed. § One way to One way to pushpush ideas from the short- ideas from the short-

term memory into the long-term memory term memory into the long-term memory is by using graphic organizers, such as, is by using graphic organizers, such as, charts, concept maps, time lines, process charts, concept maps, time lines, process diagrams, and branching diagrams.diagrams, and branching diagrams.Visual organizers will benefit RSCC Visual organizers will benefit RSCC students because approximately half of students because approximately half of our new students are our new students are visualvisual learners learners (Thomason & Mitchell 2008). (Thomason & Mitchell 2008).

Concept MapConcept Map

3 Assumptions Concerning

Influence

Leadership is Influence

Everything Rises& Falls on Leadership

When We Under-Stand Our Influ-ence, We Can

Leverage it More Effectively

From John Maxwell’s mini lesson, Taking An Influence Inventory, 2002, audio tape.

InfluenceInfluence

Why do I?

Timing is essential

* When do I?

5 ?s

Who Do I ?

How Many?

Branching Diagram

Birds of feather flock together

Determines how many, how long, & how effectively

I will influence them.

Quality & Quantity

We truly add value to people when we truly value them.

From John Maxwell’s mini lesson, Taking An Influence Inventory, 2002, audio tape. * How

Do I?

How Do I Influence?How Do I Influence?Determines how many, how long, & how

effectively I will influence them.

Timeline5 Levels

Position Level (You get rights)

Permis-sion Level (Relation-ships)

Produc-tion Level (Morale kicks in)

People Develop-ment (pouring your life into them)

Person-hood Level (loyalty-respect)

follow you b/c they have to

follow you b/c they want to

follow you b/c of what you have done in the company

follow you b/c of what you have done for them

follow you b/c they trust you

Timing is Essential - WhenTiming is Essential - WhenChartChart

Wrong Decision @ Wrong Decision @ the wrong time =the wrong time =

DisasterDisaster

Wrong Decision @ Wrong Decision @ the right time =the right time =

MistakesMistakes

Right Decision @ the Right Decision @ the Wrong time =Wrong time =

Lack of acceptanceLack of acceptance

Right Decision @ the Right Decision @ the Right time =Right time =

SuccessSuccess

Thank God!Thank God!You took notes! You took notes!

You organized those notes in a way that You organized those notes in a way that makes sense to you.makes sense to you.

And now the test is tomorrow, and And now the test is tomorrow, and although you haven’t studied the material although you haven’t studied the material for the last four days, you have glanced for the last four days, you have glanced over your organized notes 5 minutes over your organized notes 5 minutes before class and after, …before class and after, …

Therefore, you are not in a panic because Therefore, you are not in a panic because you understand how the ideas are related you understand how the ideas are related (connected) to each other.(connected) to each other.

ReferencesReferences

Kanar, Carol. Kanar, Carol. The Confident StudentThe Confident Student, 6, 6thth ed., Houghton Mifflin: New York. 2008.ed., Houghton Mifflin: New York. 2008.

Maxwell, John. Maxwell, John. Taking an Influence Taking an Influence InventoryInventory, Maximum Impact: Nashville, , Maximum Impact: Nashville, 2002.2002.

Thomason, Sarah, and Alicia Mitchell Thomason, Sarah, and Alicia Mitchell Graphic OrganizersGraphic Organizers, RSCC Community , RSCC Community College: Harriman, TN 2008.College: Harriman, TN 2008.