This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
students taking notes
Last year I had trouble getting the students to keep an automotive notebook ,so at the beginning of the year I used some of my local money to buy 60 notebooks and composition books for my students.It has been a great idea so far. I have told all of my classes the importance of taking notes,and today to my amazement my whole third block was taking notes and wrote down nearly everything that was said.It slowed the class down a little because sometimes a student asked me to repeat something because he didn't quite finish writing it down.Thats the kind of slow down that doesn't bother you.I love teaching in that situation!
Sometimes you can speed up students' note-taking time by providing them with a note-taking template or an outline for the material/lecture that they'll be taking notes on. You could post the template/outline on the board, on an overhead transparency, or on a PowerPoint slide in order to save paper.
ReplyDeleteA good follow-up activity to a note-taking task is to pair or group students up and have them compare their notes. This way if students are missing information they can get it from their partners and add that information to their notes. If you do this, you don't have to provide as much repetition during a lecture. You can tell your students that they'll have time after the lecture to check with a partner to get any missing information.
Hi Steve! I am wondering if all mechanics think alike. This is the first year that I use the notebook instead of folders and the main reason was for the students to make their own notes because I don't give study guide or notes.. When it time for test I allowed them to use their notebook
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteThat was a good idea to buy composition books for the students. Kind of reminds me of what the teacher in the movie Freedom Writers did. It encourages the kids to write.
Connie
Jessie,
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful idea! My students have trouble taking notes too. Some of them do not have a clue what taking notes mean. I like the idea of pairing up a group of students to compare notes. That gives me an idea for another group activity.
I am having fun with my group activities! I have more confidence with them!
Connie
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteJessie has some good ideas (as usual). Remember this summer when you took the notes during the FAT City video I gave you a handout with some question that were sequenced with the video. At the end we had time as a class to answer any questions that were blank. You could try something like that as well. I agree with you about liking that type slow-down! Good for you!! Dr. J