Me.
'Tis true, although I accept the title of World's Worst Note-taker humbly. My notebook is a teacher's worst nightmare--full of half-finished doodles and random asides, ALL CAPS yelling and colorful language. While it makes sense to me--I know what I mean when I say "Nero did a graceful acrobatic flip off the deep end"--it's totally incomprehensible to anyone else. While this method-that's-not-really-a-method works for me because I've used it for so long and it's what I'm most comfortable with, I don't want my students to follow my example. I was never taught how to "take notes" in school, and as such I don't take cohesive notes. Good note-taking strategies and reading skills are something I feel is vital to impart onto students, if only because I know that referring to Nero "Neckbeard Rockstar" constantly in your notes is not a wise practice.
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Exhibit A: ♫ What do you do with an Emperor like Tiberius ♫ followed shortly by ALL CAPS excitement over a dead man. (Actually the cleanest page in my notes)
There were a number of reading strategies introduced in quick succession in Chapter 5, so I've made note of my personal favorites/the one that stood out to me the most. In addition, I'd like to note that we as teachers must "Model, model, model. Keep modelling, even when you're sick of modelling". (92). Even if we don't enjoy taking notes the more traditional way (see Exhibit A), if we don't give our students at least options we're doing them a disservice.
Coding/Annotating: Probably my favorite method of actually note-taking, and certainly not because I get to doodle officially. I find that coding gives you a sense of what to look for, and annotating allows you to become more critical and combative within the text--you're always looking for main ideas, connections, and conflicting ideas.
Frontloading with images: History texts are dry. I'll admit this right out. As a history major, there are just some texts that are just so bone-dry it drives me to tears, so image how bored my kids are going to feel. In order to really understand succeed in history, I firmly believe one needs an empathetic connection with history's major players and their struggles. It can be as simple as putting a face to a name, or providing images of slave markets before reading an excerpt from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, a slave autobiography. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and nowhere is this more true than in history.
Prereading quiz/discussion: Perhaps not a quiz as Smokey and Zemelman suggest (we don't want to scare the kids), but I think a pre-reading discussion or debate about 'big ideas' the text will introduce will get the students going, and they'll have their own opinions as well as that of their classmates in mind as they read.
Think-pair-share: I've always found this effective. Share what you've learned with a classmate, and then out to the class. Shy students are more likely to share after receiving some private validation--I know I was. (Yes! I was the shy one! Shocking, isn't it?)
Tweet the Text: "Kids are texting anyway"--all right, that made me laugh. Humor aside, when teachers incorporate modern technology into lessons the students perk right up, especially if it allows them to get creative. I still remember how much fun I had making a Facebook profile for Frankenstein's Monster in 12th grade English!
Clustering and Mapping: Excellent for those post-reading "big ideas". History has a lot of big ideas, most of them intersecting. It's good for visual learners, and as a reminder to other students too.
Chapter 8 was marginally less extensive than Chapter 5 (marginally), so I'll be quick with this. Suffice to say that I'm relieved that Smokey and the Bandit take independent reading seriously--I always treasured independent reading time in high school, because it was so rare and so precious. However, during my observations from 406, the class I observed did set aside time for independent reading, so it's nice to see it creeping back into classrooms, slowly but surely.
On more thing. Smokey and the Bandit mention one-on-one conferences as a good way to keep tabs on students, but I think that it helps establish an empathetic bond too. Students like it when you show interest in their interests, and ask them questions about it!
I thought the same thing about the one on one conferences as you.
ReplyDeleteI also liked a lot of the same strategies you did. I must say, I really hate the idea using twitter or facebook. I just hate social media. It exploded into popularity after my time and I have never heard a cogent argument for why I should start using it.
When it comes to note taking, I realized that my style of note taking is not unlike the Cornell style. My notes are not as neat as they could be and I doodle all over the place in boring classes, but they do resemble that Cornell style. I would probably show students Cornell style, but let them know it is just an option that can be adapted or ignored.
I have very similar feelings towards the one-on-one conferences. They can be a good way of taking some time to understand your students, not just gauge their understandings of whatever their reading.
ReplyDeleteI, however, found ch. 8 to be much more useful, at least in terms of teaching and classroom management. I think the independent reading time can play a much bigger role in the classroom and be used more efficiently than a couple of note taking strategies of reading exercises. Of course these things are interdependent, but the actual reading will be more useful.
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI also cherished independent reading time, I was always the student that would take a book out if I happened to finish tea st early (one of the few, at least in my classes). I wish our students would share the similar passion for books as we do. Therefore, as you stated D&Z's (or Smokey and the Bandits' :) ) strategies assist us in encouraging students to embrace reading.
Quick note on your note taking strategies, they may actually work to help students remember. If you can present Roman history the same way you take notes on it, it could assist students (especially those who have real trouble grasping) to understand the material. I always loved my history teachers would not only use modern examples to relate back to the history but they would do it with humor \as well. You clearly seem to be well aware that this is a similar way you would like to project yourself as a teacher, as seen through your notes and ideas on the strategies. I really do think you will have no problem connecting with students and teaching excellent note taking strategies.
I do not understand your notes, but as long as they work for you :) I agree you your opinion on think-pair-share. It really did help me as a student to have my opinions agreed with, so that I felt comfortable sharing. Also, I did the Facebook assignment too for history and it worked out great! So I think you should do it :)
ReplyDelete