ASSIGNMENT: Note Taking

Perhaps the most disturbing thing I see in my classes is lack of note taking.

To combat this, I want to make sure you have the skills needed to take useful notes. As a running assignment, for each of our FYF class sessions in which I predominantly lecture, a student will be assigned to take notes. These notes will be published on this web site and capture much of the content of this course.

Also, to expose you to technology, I will supply a laptop to the designated note-taker during class. I'd like to encourage all students who have a laptop to bring them to class and get into the habit of using them for note-taking. This assignment will let you experience this, even if you do not own a laptop. You'll need a USB flash-drive to remove the first draft of your notes from my computer.

Take notes according to Mortimer Adler's method, outlined in Writing While and After Listening. READ THIS before you try to take notes.

You'll turn in (by e-mail) two MS Word documents - your running notes, taken in class and your second set of revised notes. Only your revised notes will be posted here.

Because I have two sections, for each lecture you will see two sets of notes. It will be exciting to compare them!