I love taking notes. It’s sometimes the only thing keeping me from drooling all over my desk. I am better able to stay energized and focused when I am writing down what my professor is saying, or making quick comments about my own thoughts. When I first began graduate school, it took me a while to get used to taking notes of what OTHER STUDENTS say in class. In my seminar/workshop classes, I learned to value my peer’s statements as much as I valued my professor’s.
When I look out and see my students doodling in their notebooks, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I was a chronic doodler all throughout undergraduate school and it helped me focus when I was in danger of zoning out. However, as an instructor, I get a sinking feeling when I see their spirals and line tracings. When they do take notes, it is often on due dates (which they are inevitably confused about anyway) or the occasional class discussion. I prompt them to take notes, but without specific instructions on how to do this allusive activity, I fear they are not getting the most out of this useful process.
In The Chronicle of Higher Education, George Williams posted an article entitled, “Do Your Students Take Good Notes.” He includes several helpful articles about the note-taking process and how professors can facilitate activities to spur students on. He asks several helpful questions: “What do you do in your teaching to facilitate effective note-taking by your students? Do you have specific assignments that involve students’ notes? Do you lecture or facilitate discussions in ways that make note-taking easier?” (Williams).
I want to structure my classes in a note-taking-friendly way. A useful tactic I pulled from this article was to ask students during their one-on-one conference whether they had anything helpful in their notes when brainstorming.
http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/do-your-students-take-good-notes/62864