How do you teach note taking? I usually don't teach it very well, assuming many things from the students. And then getting bogged down in: "but I don't know how to spell/read/write...how can I take notes?"
As I was reading through the new AASL Standards, I was using post-its and underlining. I was going to have a Kindergarten class and wanted to start using my learning ASAP...whether I had really thought it through or not...
As I read, I made this table:
Of course, then I found this: AASL Learner Framework Spread. Way prettier, but only learners. I will be working on mine, but onward and upward. I wanted to start students on questioning and SLOWING down when reading. I knew note-taking would help with this.
In my kindergarten class, I showed them my actual book - with all my post-its, flags, underlines, etc.
Then I opened to one of the post-its, and read it to them.
I read several to show how I took notes on my thinking - what I wondered, what I needed to go back to, etc.
This is what this whole lesson is based on - they know how to formulate questions - talk to any Kindergartener and they will exhaust you with their questions.
But, how to find the answers, how to share those answers, how to grow from that and apply it to their learning and understanding of the world?
I explained that I was going to give them 2 post-its when they checked out. Once they checked out, they were to read their book and write down EITHER a question they wondered or a word they didn't know. I modeled questions versus words.
Then they were to copy *the exact same thing* onto the other post-it. One post-it stayed in the book, one post-it went on our Take Note poster.
The next week, I asked them to do the same thing, but this time we would organize our thoughts. I showed them my standards book again, and I explained that I had a "code" - different post-its/colors/types meant different things.
My code:
if it was red, that meant STOP and think, find out more.
If it was yellow - SLOW down, reflect.
If it was green - GO, try / use this idea!
Learner
Student
|
School Librarian Professional
|
School Libraries Space
|
|
Think
|
Questioning
Prior and background knowledge
|
||
Create
|
Evidence
Plan
Generate
products
|
||
Share
|
Feedback on products
|
||
Grow
|
Seek
and engage knowledge
Real
world connections
Reflections
|
Of course, then I found this: AASL Learner Framework Spread. Way prettier, but only learners. I will be working on mine, but onward and upward. I wanted to start students on questioning and SLOWING down when reading. I knew note-taking would help with this.
In my kindergarten class, I showed them my actual book - with all my post-its, flags, underlines, etc.
Then I opened to one of the post-its, and read it to them.
I read several to show how I took notes on my thinking - what I wondered, what I needed to go back to, etc.
This is what this whole lesson is based on - they know how to formulate questions - talk to any Kindergartener and they will exhaust you with their questions.
But, how to find the answers, how to share those answers, how to grow from that and apply it to their learning and understanding of the world?
Big questions for little people.
I explained that I was going to give them 2 post-its when they checked out. Once they checked out, they were to read their book and write down EITHER a question they wondered or a word they didn't know. I modeled questions versus words.
Then they were to copy *the exact same thing* onto the other post-it. One post-it stayed in the book, one post-it went on our Take Note poster.
The next week, I asked them to do the same thing, but this time we would organize our thoughts. I showed them my standards book again, and I explained that I had a "code" - different post-its/colors/types meant different things.
My code:
if it was red, that meant STOP and think, find out more.
If it was yellow - SLOW down, reflect.
If it was green - GO, try / use this idea!
I explained to the kids that I would have 2 colors of post-its out this time - pink and yellow. Pink was for questions and yellow was for words. Then I took one of each color - on the pink post-it I drew a question mark. On the yellow post-it, I wrote the word "Words." I took 2 poster papers and labelled each. Now when they checked out, they started reading first. Then they chose a post-it to write on. Of course, some kids did yellow and pink, some did 2 pink, etc., but that's the point right? We don't just take one note! They also did it twice again - one to keep and one to put on their poster.
Note: If they had not brought their book, they STILL got to do the activity, they knew to return the book at the end in the designated place. They still fully get to check out, read, and take part, but still take responsibility and have to return at the end of the class period.
When we come back from the holidays, my plan is to give them a bookmark - one side will say Words and the other side will have a ? at the top. They can take notes as they go along and then we can try to find out answers to our questions and look up our words in dictionaries. We'll see how it goes!
Thanks for reading! Share your ideas in the comments!
Keep researching,
Mrs. Thakkar
Thanks for reading! Share your ideas in the comments!
Keep researching,
Mrs. Thakkar
