Focus Notes
aka Cornell Notes
What are Cornell Notes
Cornell Notes are a proven focused note-taking method. When used appropriately, students are guaranteed to increase their knowledge and raise their grades in any given class! Cornell Notes are taken during class lectures, class power points, class readings, or movies in which students are responsible for the information. In order to receive full credit for the weekly Cornell Notes quiz grade, students must have all the required parts of the notes:
- Full heading
- Specific topic
- Notes in the right side highlighted with key words or phrases
- Main ideas and high level questions in the left column
- A summary at the end of the notes
Students may take Cornell Notes in a spiral notebook or on notebook paper as required by the content area teachers, however, students are expected to use the Cornell Note format and repetition strategies and review notes regularly.
Resources:
Part I: Note-Taking
C – Step One: Create Format Leave 1/3 of the paper on the left for questions, 2/3 on the right for notes Leave 2 inches on the bottom of each page for summary Write name, class, date, topic, and objective in heading Create an essential question based on the objective to be addressed in the notes and in the summary
O – Step Two: Organize Notes on the Right Side of Your Note Paper Take notes while listening to a lecture, reading a textbook, solving a math problem, etc. Listen and take notes in your own words – paraphrase what you hear Leave spaces for revisions by skipping lines between ideas Abbreviate words and use symbols Write in phrases, not complete sentences Know what to write – differentiate between important information vs. trivial information
Part-2: Note-Making
N – Step 4: Note Key Ideas to Create Questions Write questions on the left side of your notes page that connect to key ideas Review the main ideas highlighter on the right side Determine the purpose of the lecture, reading, or activity Read the highlighted main ideas and create higher level questions
E – Step 5: Exchange Ideas by Collaborating Collaborate with a peer(s), as a small group, as a whole class, outside of class, etc. to compare, enhance, and revise your notes Fill in any gaps and clarify points of confusion Brainstorm a list of key terminology from the lesson to be included in the summary
Part-3: Note-interacting
L – Step 7: Learning Tool – Use Completed Notes as a Learning Tool Review notes taken, questions developed, and the summary, individually or with a study group Apply new learning to increase performance in the class by using notes to study for a test, write an essay, prepare for a presentation, etc. Interact with material by taking notes, writing questions, and summarizing to internalize the information and increase subsequent learning Use the notes to transfer knowledge to long-term memory by forming connections with and making meaning of the notes
Part-4: Note-Reflecting
A – Step 9: Address Written Feedback Create a goal for improving future note-taking Use the feedback provided to identify an aspect of note taking that challenges you Identify specific actions to address this challenge in future note taking
Y – Step 10: Your Reflection Review your notes, questions and summaries, then reflect on your learning by completing a reflective log to show how you mastered and/or applied your new knowledge