When we think of "taking notes," we usually think of a passive process that involves writing down exactly what we hear or see. This is unproductive as that approach to taking notes does not involve any careful consideration of idea or synthesizing of ideas.
Instead, consider "note-making." When you MAKE your notes you:
- Compare and contract ideas / time periods / people- looking for similarities and differences
- Determine what is most relevant for your line of inquiry, and state WHY what you have noted is relevant to you
- Generate questions about statements you do not understand, agree with, disagree with, or want to explore further.
The goal of all this is to make the process more GENERATIVE rather than PASSIVE.
Possible Systems:
Graphic organizers
iThoughts
Inspiration
Recorded audio notes
