This chapter hit home on many levels.
Taking notes is such a non-thinking activity.
But why was I still doing it?
Because I had learned math that way?
Because it felt like my job to provide a resource?
Did I dare think it was a time for students to process what they had learned?
Yikes!
But this chapter has made a lot of sense!
I love love love the concept of having students write notes for their future forgetful selves.
This means that the notes are BY the students and FOR the students!
Not something that the teacher wants.
The challenge is on though as the research shows that 8th graders had the hardest time with this.
Will try the graphic organizers,
Suggestions to include examples,
A list of potential problems to include as a worked example.
BUT THE VERY BEST PART OF THIS????
Is that students can get authentic feedback when a problem is circled back to three weeks later.
Students can reflect on if their notes were enough to help their forget selves.
Question 1
What are some of the things in this chapter that immediately feel correct?
See summary above.
Question 2
Which of your students do you think will have an easy time doing meaningful notes? Which will need more support? Which will not do them?
Students that will have it easy are the students that want to get it all done. They want to do what they are supposed to do. They care about their learning.
The students that will need support are those that are too worried that they are doing it correctly. I will need to be careful with my responses and not put judgement in my words, but instead use the phrase "do you think these notes will be useful for you in a few week's time?"
The students that won't do the notes are the students that don't project that they care. These are the students that can't read their own writing. It's also the students with a fixed mindset.
Question 3
Which graphic organizer, if any, do you think would be best for your students?
I'm going to start with the Type 1, where students record their notes in a limited space. I will offer suggestions of what to include (examples, big ideas, annotations), but this will help establish that their thoughts count. If I start with a graphic organizer that has headings, I can see a bunch of students asking for reassurance if what they are filling in is what they should be writing down.
Question 4
How do you feel about the fact that if you try to manage meaningful notes, students will start to do them for the wrong reason?
It's going to be absolutely important that when introducing these types of notes, I focus on the fact that they are by the student for the student. That what needs to be written down is what THEY need for their own forgetful self down the road.
Question 5
Think of a time where you, yourself, took I-write-you-write and/or fill-in-the-blank notes. How engaged were you?
Not very. Not much thinking was happening. Although I have always been one of those that used my notes.
Question 6
What are some of the challenges you anticipate you will experience in implementing the strategies suggest in this chapter? What are some of the ways to overcome these?
Challenge 1 - Setting the stage and getting cooperation from my 8th graders.
Overcoming Challenge 1 - The circling back to a similar problem three weeks down the road will be absolutely critical to reinforce that power of these notes.
Challenge 2 - Finding the time to take these notes. Like I mentioned before, Test Trainer is a necessary assessment item for our district, but now I'm not sure where to place it...I was thinking at the end of class but notes will need to be taken. Maybe notes won't be an every day thing???
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