THE FOCUSED NOTE-TAKING PROCESS: PHASE 1- TAKING NOTES

Create the notes. Select a note-taking format, set up the notes, and take notes based on an information source (lecture, book, website, article, video, etc.), selecting, paraphrasing, and arranging the information in a manner that meets your note-taking objective.

The first phase of the focused note-taking process is the one most people envision when they think of note-taking: the creation of the notes themselves. During this phase, the learner writes or types notes form a source or an experience. This step in the process is, however, more complicated than it appears, as it involves much more than jotting down information. Taking notes demands conscious choices such as determining the purpose of the notes, identifying the note-taking objective, selecting the appropriate format, setting up the notes, and taking the notes themselves.

To teach students how to take notes, educators must be able to do the following:

Plan for note-taking
Establish and share a note-taking purpose with students
Teach students how to determine a note-taking purpose of their own if one is not provided for them
Instruct students on formats and best practices for note-taking
Model and practice note-taking with students
Provide opportunities for students to implement what they have learned to take their own notes
Model digital tools when appropriate, to use for taking notes, as well as annotating and organizing them