Active Learning and effective note making

1. Learning how to learn Active Learning and effective note making

2. Groundhog Day lessons • Groundhog Day: a film where Bill Murray relives the same day over and over again • Groundhog lesson: where a teacher teaches the same topic over and over again • Why: • students have failed to learn how to learn 

3. Have we done this before Sir? • Why do goldfish never get bored in a bowl • They cannot remember • We humans can but… • Sights, sounds, sensations exist in short term memory for 30 seconds • Memory:our ability to learn something, then store it, retain it and recall it when needed • Without a conscious effort we will forget

4. How to acquire memories Your memory is like a wheat field

5. Long term memory is made by creating synaptic pathways connecting neurons in the brain Memory is a path of brain cells We remember by re-treading that path Memories – brain pathway

6. So you want to remember? There are three simple steps to better remember things • Active listening in the first place to create a path • Effective note taking to create beaten down pathway • Revisit past learning by rereading class notes, regularlyie at least fortnightly Creating academic memories requires activity

7. Passive v Active listening Learning first requires listening What happens if your mind is switched off in the classroom Active listening requires • Silence: to allow the other person to speak and be heard. • Concentration: bringing all your mind to hear and understand what the other person is really saying Active listening is made easier by adopting effective note making tactics…. What did I just say…

8. Passive note taking Copying words off the board is passive and almost pointless – class PowerPoints can be downloaded Most people can copy and think about something completely different at the same time Far better to opt for active note making Traditional note taking

9. Cornell method ( adapted) Cornell method: widely used in Ivy League colleges • Divide a page into three areas 1 Notes:key points made in lesson 2 Questions and keywords 3 Summary of key points

10. Notes area In the notes area add • a topic and date for reference • key ideas made during a lesson Notes • Have headings • Are clear and concise Add underlining and colour after a lesson for emphasis Topic Date • Key points in this area. • Use • Headings • Short sharp simple phrases • Abbreviations and symbols

11. Experiment with colour and underlining Underlining adds emphasis • strengths and weaknesses • strengths and weaknesses • strengths and weaknesses Use colour for emphasis eg • red for a disadvantage or weakness • green for an advantageor strength

12. Questions and keywords area Use the left-hand column to record: • Key words and their definition • Questions raised by the talk, for follow-up • Notes from research undertaken after the lesson Add keywords, points to follow up and notes for further reading here

13. Summary area After class, use the bottom column to write a brief summary of the notes on the page

14. Taking quicker notes: use symbols

15. Taking quick notes: use abbreviations Specialist abbreviations • BoE: Bank of England • PED: Price elasticity of demand • DD: demand • SS: supply • EMP: equilibrium market price • Govt: government • Cet par: all other things being equal Common abbreviations • Cf: compare • Eg: for example • Min: minimum • Max: maximum • Etc: and so forth

16. So what Standing homework: • add extra notes • add colour and underlining • create a summary • Reread last lessons notes before class • He read notes taken in all lessons at least fortnightly Creating long-term memories is a process • Step one: active listening and note making during lessons • step two: additional notes and annotations after lessons • Step three: persistent and consistent rereading of notes