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implementation of approach, method and design in teaching language. Thus, technique of teaching reading means technique for the instructorsteachers in
teaching reading to facilitate the learnersstudents in gaining their competency in reading. There are numerous techniques in teaching reading; particular techniques
may suit to some students but it is not a certainty will suit for the all others.
2. Note-Taking Pairs technique
a. The Nature of Note-Taking Pairs
Students write notes during lectures, either on handouts produced by a lecturer or separately from these. They also take notes in tutorials and seminars
and when reading independently. Barkley, et al. 2005: 135 state, “Although Note-Taking Pairs was originally designed to improve lecture notes, teachers now
also use it to help students improve their notes on reading assignment and other kinds of learning activities.” Moreover, “Note-Taking Pairs can be incorporated as
regular breaks throughout a long lecture or as a final wrap-up at the end of a class. Some instructors have applied similar strategies to students’ reading notes, as
well.” CTL up Dates, 2008. However, there are numbers of students who still cannot take a good note,
whereas it is crucial for them, especially the university students, to have a sufficient skill in taking notes for their effective learning process and for gaining
good achievement. Barkley, et al. 2005: 135 stated, “Being able to take good notes is an important learning skill, yet many students are poor note takers; their
note is incomplete and inaccurate.” In addition, “Effective note-taking is an
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important practice to master at university. You have a lot of new knowledge and you need to develop reliable mechanisms for recording and retrieving it when
necessary.” University of Reading, 2011. It is assumed that if the students try to develop their ability in taking good
notes, they can improve their understanding in reading and revise their notes better after checking their notes with their partners. Poor note-taking leads to
poor performance. Designing an exercise which requires students to summarize their
understanding of a concept based on notes taken with directed questions such as what is the definition of a concept, how is it used, what are the
three most important characteristics of a topic and receiving reflective feedback from their partner provides students the opportunity to find
critical gaps in their written records Starting Point, 2010.
Students can also complete their notes by recheck their notes with their friends. According to Barkley, et al. 2005: 135,
In Note-Taking Pairs, student partners work together to improve their individual notes. Working with a peer provides students with the
opportunity to revisit and cross-check notes with another source. Partners help each other acquire missing information and correct inaccuracies so
that their combined effort is superior to their individual notes.
In addition, the idea above is supported by another thought. It is stated in CTL up Dates, 2008,
Basically, all Note-Taking Pairs involves is asking students to work for a few minutes with a partner summarizing for each other the notes they’ve
taken and mutually addressing any gaps or questions. This can improve not only the quality of students’ notes, but can also serve as a mini-
review that drives home the lecture’s main points.
Furthermore, Note-Taking Pairs provides the students with an arranged step. Barkley, et al. 2005: 135 stated that this technique equip students with a
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structured activity to pool information, fill in gaps, check for and correct mistakes, and help each other learn to be better note takers.
1 Types of Note-Taking Pairs
There are two types of note-taking; passive note-taking and active note- taking. The most effective note-taking is active not passive. Active learning helps
the students to make meaning from what they learn, passive learning is allowing themselves to be an empty vessel into which knowledge is poured with no way of
organising or making meaning from it. The students are less likely to remember things they learn passively which mean more checking their notes while they are
writing assignment and more repeated effort when they come to revise. The criteria of both passive and active note-taking are stated in University
of Reading 2011 as follows. Passive note-taking includes:
i underlining words
ii cutting and pasting from online documents
iii trying to write everything you hear in a lecture
iv copying slides from the screen
v copying lots of direct quotes rather than putting the ideas in your own words
vi writing notes on everything you read, because youre not sure what will turn
out to be important vii
not evaluating or criticising the sources you use, but just accepting them as suitable evidence
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Active note-taking means: i
thinking about what you want to get out of your research before you start ii
looking for answers to any questions you may have about the topic iii
looking for connections within the topic youre studying, and to other topics on your course
iv writing notes mostly in your own words - your own explanation of what
something says or means v
recording direct quotes only when its important to have the exact words that someone else has used i.e. when how they say something is as significant as
what they say
2 How to Make A Good Note-Taking
Students will know how good their notes are when they try to use them. It is consider important to make notes easier to read, easier to understand and
easier to find when you need them. There are some suggestions to make good note-taking as stated in University of Reading 2011.
i Make your notes brief and be selective
ii Keep them well-spaced so you can see individual points and add more
details later if necessary iii
Show the relationships between the main points link with a line along which you write how they relate to each other, for instance
iv Use your own words to summarise - imagine someone has asked you so
what did x say about this? and write down your reply
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v Illustrations, examples and diagrams can help to put ideas in a practical
context vi
Make them memorable using: colour, pattern, highlighting and underlining vii
Read through to make sure theyre clear - will you still understand them when you come to revise?
viii File with care - use a logical system so you can find them when you need
them, but keep it simple or you wont use it.
3 Purpose of Note-Taking
To get more understanding and to ease teachers in applying the Note- Taking Pairs as the effective teaching and learning technique, it is important to
know the purposes of the Note-Taking itself. There are five points of the purposes of Note-Taking as follows.
i In order to take efficient notes, the student is forced to listen carefully and
critically to what is being said. ii
Taking notes aids comprehension and retention. Personal notes in ones own writing are easier to understand and remember than textbook material.
iii Lecture notes should represent a concise and complete outline of the most
important points and ideas, especially those considered most important by the professor.
iv Lecture notes clarify ideas not fully understood in the text or elaborate on
things that the text mentions only briefly.
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v Lecture notes combined with notes from textbook material are an excellent
source of review. They provide a gauge to what is important in the textbook. Student Learning Center, 2011
Note-Taking helps the students in comprehension processing of information. “But note-taking is also a learning process in itself, helping you to
process and understand the information you receive.” University of Reading, 2011. In addition, when students check their notes with their friends they can
advance their understanding by reviewing the notes. It is stated in Schulz, 2011, “The objective of note-taking is to enable students to take something from one
another’s notes to improve their own.” It can be concluded that Note-Taking aids the students improving a deep
comprehension and retention of the ideas of their lesson, outlining of important ideas, clarification of the ideas, and as an excellent source of review.
4 Graphic Organizers for Note-Taking
According to McKnight 2010: 175 there are some graphic organizers can be used for Note-Taking and Study Skills: Cornell Notes, Three-Column Notes, T
Notes, Analysis Notes, Summary Organizers, Journalist Graphic Organizer, Story Board Notes: Three Frame, Story Board Notes: Six Frame, Outline Notes, The
Five Senses, and Cycle or Food Chain. Moreover, there are two kinds of way in make the effective note-taking as stated in University of Reading 2011. They are
the linear notes and spidergrams, where these two forms of note-taking are useful for different things.
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Cornell Notes
Developed by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University in the 1950s, Cornell Notes is a widely used and accepted strategy for taking notes.
The students should take notes in the right-hand column of the organizer; the left- hand column is for corresponding questions, main points, or ideas. The bottom
space prompts students to summarize the information they have recorded.
Figure 2.1. Cornell Notes
Tips for Classroom Implementation
Model this strategy for the students and remind them of the five Rs of note taking:
-
Record
the most important or emphasized information. -
Reduce
and synthesize information wherever possible, making it as concise as you can.
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-
Recite:
read your notes aloud. -
Reflect
and consider how this information is connected to your personal experiences and what you already know.
-
Review:
look over your notes more than once. Cornell Notes are most frequently used at the high school level.
Oftentimes when the students are assigned textbooks to read, they are faced with text that is densely packed with information. Cornell Notes are a structure that
helps students pull out the key ideas and details. The figure 2.1. above is one of the examples of the Cornell Notes.
Three-Column Notes
This strategy should be used as a
during reading
or
after reading
activity. For a
during reading
activity, you and students complete the organizer together. The first column is used to record the topic of the text or discussion. In the second
column, students should record what they learned from reading the text or from discussion. In the third column, the students will write their ideas and opinions as
they reflect on the information about the topic. Make sure that you model the
strategy and explain how to use the column note structure. Tips for Classroom Implementation
As the students progress from the first column to the 3rd, explain that they are carefully narrowing the topic. The first column will have the main topic recorded
and as they progress to the second and third document, there will be more details and text. The third column should be visually ‘‘packed’’ with details and
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information. For some students, offering a visual like sand passing through a funnel, this can aid their understanding. The figure 2.2. below are the examples of
the Three-Column Notes.
Figure 2.2. Three-Column Notes
T Notes
This graphic organizer facilitates students’ ability to compare ideas and
concepts. Use the space at the bottom of the organizer page for students to record their opinions about the ideas and to summarize the recorded information. The
students identify key ideas and concepts, and as they record this information, they begin to develop language for the comparison of ideas. Students also learn how to
extend ideas and information as they record parallels on each side of the graphic organizer. For example, when a statement or fact is recorded in the left-hand
column, a parallel is required in the right-hand column. The students’ experience
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in creating notes with the T Notes graphic organizer prepares them to write
compare-contrast compositions.
Figure 2.3. T Notes
Tips for Classroom Implementation You should model this graphic organizer for the students. Using different colored
markers or pens for each area of the graphic organizer is an effective way to emphasize the different kinds of information. The figure 2.3. above is one of the
examples of the Three-Column Notes.
Analysis Notes
One of the greatest obstacles for struggling readers is the ability to pull out
main ideas and details from a narrative text. Plot analysis notes prompt the reader to identify important information while applying elements of plot. Plot analysis
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notes are quite different from a multiple-choice assessment in that students need to know and apply literary elements to a narrative text.
Figure 2.4. Analysis Notes
Tips for Classroom Implementation You will need to model this graphic organizer. Instruct the students that
they must determine what is important from the text. Let the students know that there may be instances when all the plot elements cannot be applied. This is an
effective tool for assessing students’ reading comprehension. In general terms, the more the students are able to add detail and personal comments to their notes, the
greater their comprehension of the text. Review with the students the elements of plot:
- Exposition: Usually reveals the time, setting, and c introduce the characters.
- Rising Action: An inciting event and foreshadowing are often in the rising
action and ends with the climax.
- Climax: The turning point of the story.
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- Falling Action: The events after the climax that leads to the end of the story
resolution.
- Resolution: Concludes the action of the story.
The figure 2.4. above is one of the examples of the Analysis Notes.
Summary Organizers
This graphic organizer prompts students to create main categories, supply
relevant details, and write a summary. The organizer develops the students’ skills in identifying key information and providing details that facilitate comprehension.
Figure 2.5. Summary Organizers
Tips for Classroom Implementation You will need to model this graphic organizer for students and explain
how it prepares them for assignments like quizzes and tests.
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Summarizing plays an important role in learning. On one level, by asking students to summarize important ideas, information, or text, you are checking to make sure
that they understand content. Yet on another level, by summarizing what they have learned, students are also opening the door to reflection. When students
reflect on what they have learned, they begin to understand why the newly acquired information is so meaningful. This organizer maps out the details that
lead students to reflect and to create a summarizing statement. The figure 2.5. above is one of the examples of the Summary Organizers.
Journalist Graphic Organizer
In their writing, journalists answer the five Ws: Who, What, Where, When,
and Why. These questions are essential for writing and for reading text. By answering the five Ws, students will better comprehend texts and be able to
articulate what they know and understand through their own writing. Tips for Classroom Implementation
You will need to model this graphic organizer. After they have filled out the organizer, asking students the additional questions “What do you know now?”
and “Why is it important?” fosters personal response and greater comprehension. I love to ask my students these two questions. I learn a great deal about their
thinking and what I need to do next as their teacher. It is through reflection, as prompted by these two questions, that students are more likely to synthesize what
they are learning. The figure 2.6. below is one of the examples of the Journalist Graphic Organizers.
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Figure 2.6. Journalist Graphic Organizers
Story Board Notes: Three Frame and Six Frame
When students visually represent what they are learning, they increase
their understanding and comprehension, and the Story Board graphic organizer facilitates this process. The boxes prompt the student to create visual images of an
episode, event, or scene. Each box represents a scene, main event, step, or stage. The three-frame story board prompts students to focus on the beginning, middle,
or end of a story or the situation, problem, and solution for a history lesson or science experiment, for example. These story frames are also applicable for
problem solving in mathematics. The three boxes can present the problem, the
approach to solving the problem, and then the final solution. The line in each box prompts students to use words to explain what they are portraying. This graphic
organizer prompts students to think in both words and pictures. By identifying key
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information, students develop their skills in academic literacy and critical
thinking. You can use it to assess the students’ understanding of newly acquired
material.
Figure 2.7. Story Board Notes: Three Frame Figure 2.8. Story Board Notes: Six Frame
Tips for Classroom Implementation You will need to model how to use this graphic organizer. Encourage students to
put as much detail as possible into their visualizations. Although story boards appear to be a simplistic activity, they aren’t. We know that having students
visually represent what they read helps them comprehend the text. We also know that when activities incorporate several intelligences, students have improved
comprehension. Story Boards incorporate visual, kinesthetic, artistic, and, if the students are working in pairs or groups, social-emotional learning. I witnessed this
in my own classroom as well as that of my friend Mary Green, who teaches seventh graders in Chicago. Mary’s students were clearly developing their
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comprehension skills as we observed how the students’ story boards contained an increasing amount of detail as they read novels in literature circles. The figure 2.7.
and figure 2.8. above are the examples of the Story Board Notes: Three Frame and
Six Frame.
Outline Notes
I remember when I learned how to take notes in outline form during my
freshman year of high school. Even today, I still take notes using this method of organization. Although a traditional strategy for taking notes, it is still quite
helpful and an effective strategy for organizing information and generating ideas. Outline note taking is particularly effective with textbooks, as they are themselves
structured in outline form.
Figure 2.9. Outline Notes
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Tips for Classroom Implementation You should model this graphic organizer for the students. It is also important to
note that the most recent versions of word processing programs are especially useful for outlining. You could draw on these programs to teach outlining.
However, not all students have access to this technology in the classroom, and a ‘‘hard copy’’ provides a great introduction to this strategy. The figure 2.9. above
is one of the examples of the Outline Notes.
The Five Senses Using the five senses sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch facilitates
students’ ability to identify and comprehend new information, as well as prompts them to extend what they know and understand about the information. Model this
graphic organizer for students.
Figure 2.10. The Five Senses
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The figure 2.10. above is one of the examples of The Five Senses.
Cycle or Food Chain This graphic organizer prompts students to identify important and critical
information in a sequence. It is especially useful for creating a plot chart for a narrative text, illustrating a scientific sequence, identifying the steps to solve a
math equation, or identifying important facts of an historical event. Model this
graphic organizer for the students when you introduce it. The figure 2.11. below is
one of the examples of Cycle or Food Chain.
Figure 2.11. Cycle or Food Chain
Linear notes
Linear notes are what most people are used to doing. They are written down a page with headings and subheadings. They should have plenty of room for
detail. Here are some suggestions for making linear notes more useful.
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- Use loads of headings for main ideas and concepts
- Use subheadings for points within those ideas
- Stick to one point per line
- Underline key words
- You can use numbering to keep yourself organised
- Use abbreviations – and dont worry about using full sentences
- Leave plenty of space - for adding detail and for easy reading
Spidergrams
Spider diagrams are on one page and are good for showing structure and organising your ideas. They are sometimes called mindmaps, which indicates how
they are good for making connections clear and visual. Though some people dont like this style of note-taking, there are a number
of advantages to using spidergrams: -
They keep your notes on one page - so youre less likely to ramble -
They show the main points at a glance -
They keep points grouped together - good for essay structure -
They clearly show where there are gaps which need more research To make a spidergram:
- Use whole side of paper, A4 at least
- Put the subject in the centre
- Use one branch per main point - radiating outwards
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- Dont start by making your points too big - you will need more space than you
think -
You can add how the points are connected on the joining spokes -
Make it large enough - enough space to add detail -
Add smaller branches for detail examples -
Summarise just enough to remind you of point - details and definitions can be added as footnotes
- Label with the source
The figure 2.12. below is one of the examples of Spidergrams.
Figure 2.12. Spidergrams
From the discussion above, Note-Taking Pairs in teaching reading can be defined as one of the collaborative teaching reading technique designed to
improve the students’ individual note in reading assignment and other kinds of reading activities such as: to find the answers of directed questions, missing
information, critical gaps in their written records reflective feedback from pairs, and to correct inaccuracies.
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b. The Teaching Steps of Note-Taking Pairs
