What Type of Note Taker Am I?

There are many different ways to do effective note taking with no one way being more important than the other. One technique can only be more important than the other depending on the person themselves and whatever way they find more effective. Effective note taking personalises the required information, so instead of you learning off big words and long windy complicated stuff, you are learning off what you have broken down into something you understand.

          Effective note taking involves the following:

• ·         Recording- gathering notes
• ·         Reducing- key-points/ words/ phrases
• ·         Reciting- restating and personalising
• ·         Reflecting- thinking about what you’ve learned
• ·         Reviewing- update and build to consolidate information
• ·         Recap- summarise key learning.

Although you have probably read the above and your jaw hit the floor, thinking sure that’s loads of work to do, you’d be surprised that you’ll have found yourself doing all of the above, maybe not at one go but you will. The first 3 you will do on the spot as your taking down your notes, and the last 3 you will do when studying.

There are different types of effective note taking styles: The Cornell Format, The Outline Format, The Sentence Format, and Mind mapping.

Cornell Format:

 

Mind mapping:

 

Sentence Formatting:

  Example

• A revolution is any occurrence that affects other aspects of life, such as economic life, social life, and so forth. Therefore revolutions cause change (See page 29 to 30 in your text about this).

 Example Sentence Format

• Revolution - Occurrence that affects other aspects of life: e.g., econ., socl., etc. C. text, pp. 29-30

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAhRf3U50lM this link is well worth a watch with its tips on how to write good, effective notes.

Here is an example of Sentence formatting I did when watching a video clip ‘TedTalks’ by Kevin Breel on the  topic of ‘Confessions of a Depressed Comic’ :

This video highlights the taboo subject of depression. Kevin Breel outlines how being depressed is not being sad when something in your life goes wrong, but how it’s being sad when everything in your life is going great.  This video is great because its answering all those questions people wouldn’t ask in fear of upsetting the person who had suffered from depression. Depression is not just something that can be gotten rid of, its a disease that will always be in the back of your mind. He outlines that it is ok to have depression and that ‘we need to stop the silence, take a look at the truth and start talking’. Its a great watch that really opens up the unknown eye into depression. 

Reference List:

·         American Digest: Cornell Notes [online] Available at: https://www.google.ie/search?q=cornell+format+in+note+taking&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=8bKpUpaZOdTG7AaQkoGQCw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1241&bih=560#q=cornell+format+in+note+taking+simple&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=8imIw9ldGLm6DM%3A%3BpQ7iJ_InoQ4VAM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Famericandigest.org%252Fmt-archives%252Fcornell.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Famericandigest.org%252Fmt-archives%252F004983.php%3B420%3B212 [Accessed 12^th December 2013].

·         Bitesize Bio. 2008. Mind mapping. [online] available at: http://bitesizebio.com/articles/free-mind-mapping-software/ [Accessed 12^th December 2013].

·         Breel, K. 2013.  TEDTALKS. Confessions of a Depressed Comic. [online] available at: http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_breel_confessions_of_a_depressed_comic.html [Accessed 12th December 2013].

·         Cooke, D. 2013. Communications and the Learning Enviroment, Lecture Notes Effective Note Taking. ITB

·         Notes Taking Formats: Activity 2.  [online] available at: http://www.settlementatwork.org/lincdocs/linc5-7/academic.skills/LINC6-7/06.note.tkg.formats/images/06.note.tkg.formats.act2.outline.gif [Accessed 12th December 2013]

·         Watchwellcast. How to take Great Notes. [online] available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAhRf3U50lM [Accessed 12^th December 2013].