Instructional Leadership Team

CORNELL NOTES

The Instructional Leadership Team (High Quality Teaching Team) are asking all teachers to encourage students to take their in class notes using the Cornell Note-Taking System.

Why are we asking?

Research shows that taking notes by hand is more effective than typing on a laptop. The physical act of writing can help students remember better than just listening or reading.

Students can do this on their iPads using a stylus/Apple pencil or in paper notebooks. It is ideal for note-taking in class and requires very little preparation. There are some apps available as well that help students organise their notes such as "GoodNotes 5". OneNote is also handy.

I am focusing on just my Year 7 class at the moment and especially focus on my "messy" writers. It is part of our classroom routine where students enter the room, rule up their Cornell note page and write the title of the days lesson at the top. Sometimes the cue section is used for a question, sometimes for a definition, and sometimes for a prompt for procedural writing - aim, hypothesis etc.

I am currently using the summary section as a reflection or sometimes a hook for the next lesson. My favourite strategy is getting the students to write a $2 summary, where each word costs 10c. You can switch up the cost of each word to make them really have a think about how they can make their summary concise. I love watching the wrinkled brows and the finger counting as they try to figure it out.

If you are not sure how to use Cornell notes in your classroom or how to introduce it to the students, please come to find me for a chat so I can help you out.

A shout out and thanks to staff that have sent me examples of students using Cornell notes - it is much appreciated. Any more examples sent my way would be great.

I hope you have a fabulous week

Cathy Watson