2020-01-14
188
Has it ever happened that you read or listen to something, and shortly afterwards when you want to recall it, you can only remember a small part? Have you ever thought of how many interesting ideas you have missed, just because you have not taken a few seconds to note them down as they occurred to you? Everyday happenings pass through time and can never be recalled again if they are not recorded either on a tape or with a video camera. But, not many of us have these devices always handy. What we do have available is a simple sheet of paper, a pencil, and our five senses. Taking notes on what takes place not only permits us to remember but also facilitates our oral and written communication.
Regardless of their age or level, students tend to rely too much on their memory, instead of taking notes. For this reason, I began devising different tasks which demand the recall of facts that the students would have only if they had taken notes. The results have motivated me to do further research on the topic through interviews, reading, and analysis-all the time noting down the information I was obtaining.
The note-taking process
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In order to reconstruct a complete account of what one perceives through listening, reading, observing, discussing, or thinking, it is necessary to take notes either simultaneously with the act of perception or after an interval of just a few seconds. We cannot expect to remember everything we perceive, and despite the advantages of training our memory, it is better to have notes taken at the moment things happen.
Language educators have approached note-taking from different perspectives. McKeating (1981) sees note-taking as a complex activity which combines reading and listening with selecting, summarizing, and writing.
Grellet (1986) advises helping students to establish the structure of a text so they can pull out the key ideas and leave out nonessential information. Nwokoreze (1990) believes that "it is during the note-taking stage that students reach the highest level of comprehension."
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Two main aspects concerning note-taking:
· It involves the combination of different skills, i.e.; listening or reading, selecting, summarizing, and writing.
· It requires the selection of relevant information from the nonessential.
Moreover, most authors see note-taking as a complex activity which must be approached gradually. When teaching the skill, Raimes suggests that elementary-level students can be given a skeleton outline to work with when they take notes, so that their listening is more directed. Advanced students can listen to longer passages and make notes as they listen.
Murray refers to a "rehearsal for writing," which begins as an unwritten dialogue within the writer's mind: what the writer hears in his/her head evolves into notes. This may be simple brainstorming-the jotting down of random bits of information which may connect themselves into a pattern later on.
Note-taking involves putting onto paper the data received through any of our senses. These data could range from simple figures, letters, symbols, isolated words, or brief phrases to complete sentences and whole ideas.
Most teachers instruct students to take notes while perceiving. However, Nwokoreze insists on the need for first listening long enough to make sure the essence of the information is perceived before taking notes. The decision on whether the notes are to be taken at the moment of perception or shortly afterwards depends on the complexity of the task and the ability of the note-taker. Consequently, if we are to take notes with figures, letters, or single words to fill in a pre-designed skeleton, we can do it at the same time we receive the information; whereas notes which require selection, summarizing, and organization ought to be taken later.
Guided note-taking
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As teachers, we must decide what sort of help our students need for every task we assign. The guidance we give for taking notes will depend on various aspects. One of them is language level. Raimes suggests providing beginners with a skeleton outline to fill in or expand to make their listening more directed. She also proposes letting the advanced students listen to longer passages and make notes as they listen.
Guidance provided will depend on the degree of difficulty of the task involved. The reasons for taking notes and the follow-up activities are also important. If the students only take notes of simple figures, letters, or single words as the basis for a discussion to take place immediately, they will not need much guidance. But if they are supposed to take notes of a higher complexity to use in writing a report for homework, they will need more preparation.
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Using note-taking in our classes
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Assuming an extreme position when defining the concept of note-taking, we can say that even checking or ticking items on a list is a form of note-taking, as long as what students have to "tick" represents the content of the reading or listening passage. If we give students a multiple-choice exercise, a list, or Yes/No questions, and ask them only to tick the correct answer, they will be taking notes. This could be considered the most basic form of note-taking. Nevertheless, if we analyze the task in detail, we find it is not as simple as it seems. To answer accurately, the students will first have to understand the statements and determine whether their choices are correct or not. Furthermore, they have to predict and speculate about what they are going to perceive.
When revising any topic we may practice it and use this technique giving students a skeleton to fill in while listening. Example:
| Hypertension | |||
| Instructions: | |||
| Patient's name: | Mrs. Kelly. |
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| Main Symptoms: | high blood pressure headache | ||
| dizziness | |||
| Other Symptoms: | obesity | blurred vision | |
| trouble breathing | swollen ankles | ||
| urinary problems | pain in the back | ||
| chills and fever | |||
| Past History: | heart disease | chest pain | |
| kidney infection | |||
| Family History | hypertension | diabetes | |
| kidney disease | stroke | ||
| heart attack | |||
| Any other information? | |||
With this last question, we are prompting the students to note down other information, not limiting them only to what the chart asks for. Not all the students will be able to take further notes, but the most skilled will not get bored while their classmates are engaged at a more elementary level.
Another instance that calls for note-taking is reporting on medical cases. To do this, the class may be divided into teams of three or four students. Each team prepares a case for the others to analyze. One variant would be having each team first brainstorm, then prepare a skeleton outline with the sort of information they need the other team to provide in order to write a full case report. Once ready, they exchange skeletons, brainstorm again, and note down the information the skeleton forms ask for. The teams should give neither the diagnosis nor the treatment. As soon as they finish, they swap these "problem-cases," analyze them, and confer on the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of the patient. Next, they write a full case report that everyone reads and discusses. The class then moves around, reads, and comments on them. Finally, they decide which of the skeleton forms are better and which reports are the most coherent and faithful to the information provided.
A simpler variant would be having each team ask for the information orally from one another, take notes on it and then report on the case orally or in writing.
In teaching Medically Speaking, I suggest taking notes while listening to the dialogues or reading the case studies given in the text. Instead of having the students take down all the information, teams are formed to take notes on specific parts.
Appendix
| Instructions for preparing and presenting a case report | ||
| First think of an interesting case you would like to report on and discuss with your classmates. Consult your professors, look for information about your case and associated diseases or cases in magazines, books, journals, etc. Note down this information. Then make an outline of the elements you need in order to report on a case | ||
| 1. Patient's | Age: | Sex: Race: |
| Weight: | Height: | |
| 2. Main symptom: | 8. Physical findings | |
| 3. Other symptoms: | 9. Diagnostic procedure: | |
| 4. Past history: | 10. Differential and definitive diagnosis: | |
| 5. Family history: | 11. Therapeutic procedures: | |
| 6. (Toxic) habits: | 12. Possible complications | |
| 7. Medications: | 13. Prognosis | |
Before presenting your case orally, copy the outline on the board, ask your classmates to also copy it in their notebooks. You will all follow this order for the presentation and discussion of your case. Your classmates will ask you for the data they need to complete their outlines and discuss the case. Once the discussion is over, they will use their notes to write a report on the case you presented.
| Patient's characteristics: Age: 22 | Race: white Sex: M | |
| Weight: 70 kg. | Height: 1.70m. | |
| Main symptom: | pain in the right lower quadrant (sporadic and colicky in nature) | |
| *began in epigastrium two days ago | ||
| *moved to periumbilical region and right lower quadrant | ||
| Other symptoms: | fever, vomits (3), anorexia, constipation for two days (no bowel movement). No diarrhea | |
| Past history: | -none | |
| Family history: | -none | |
| Toxic habits: | -none | |
| Medications: | -none | |
| Physical findings: | -patient well oriented as to time, place and | |
| -well nourished | ||
| -extreme tenderness to palpation mainly | ||
| -guarding, muscle rigidity, rebound | ||
| -difference: axillary & rectal temperature | ||
| -bowel sounds: absent | ||
| Definitive diagnosis: acute appendicitis | ||
| Therapeutic procedures: appendectomy | ||
Report
Today we discussed the case of a 22-year-old white man who was in good health prior to two days ago, when he began to have an abdominal pain. This pain was sporadic and colicky in nature. It began in the epigastrium and has since migrated to the right lower quadrant. The patient has had three episodes of vomiting associated with the pain. He has been anorectic and feverish. He has had no bowel movements for two days. He reported no diarrhea, coughing with expectoration or shortness of breath. He has no past history or family history of abdominal pain or any other disease. The pertinent physical findings are related to the abdomen. There is extreme tenderness to palpation, especially over McBurney's point. Guarding, muscle rigidity and rebound tenderness are all present. Bowel sounds are absent. There is a difference between the axillary and the rectal temperature. His urinalysis, hemoglobin and hematocrit are within normal limits. Nevertheless, both white blood count and red rate are elevated. His chest film is clear, but in the abdominal film we observed the psoas line is absent.
Finally, we decided the definitive diagnosis is acute appendicitis. Among the possible complications to consider are perforation, necrosis and peritonitis. Therefore, the prognosis is anceps. The only possible treatment is surgical: appendectomy.
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Conclusion
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As we have seen, there are numerous opportunities to help students develop the skill of note-taking. Note-taking assists the listener, reader, or observer in achieving a better understanding of what is presented, and it facilitates recall of facts as well as oral and written expression. The student's language level and the purpose which the notes are to serve will determine the type of guidance the teacher must provide to help them to take notes in class and later on the job.
Grammar games
Competitive games
Speed
| Grammar: | Collocations with wide, narrow, and broad. |
| Level: | Intermediate to advanced |
| Time: | 15-20 minutes |
| Materials: | Three cards, with wide on one, narrow on the second and broad on the third |
Preparation
Prepare three large cards with wide on one, narrow on the second and broad on the third.
In class
1. Clear as much space as you can in your classroom so that students have access to all the walls and ask two students to act as secretaries at the board. Steak each of your card on one of the other three walls of the room. Ask the rest of the students to gather in the middle of the space.
2. Tell the students that you’re going to read out sentences with a word missing. If they think that the right word for that sentence is wide they should rush over and touch the wide card. If they think the word should be narrow or broad they touch the respective card instead. Tell them that in some cases there are two right answers (they choose either).
3. Tell the secretaries at the board to write down the correct versions of the sentences in full as the game progresses.
4. Read out the first gapped sentence and have the students rush to what they think is the appropriate wall. Give the correct versions and make sure it goes up in the board. Continue with the second sentence etc.
5. At the end of the strenuous part ask the students to tale down the sentences in their books. A relief from running! (If the students want a challenge they should get a partner and together write down as many sentences as they remember with their backs to the board before turning round to complete their notes. Or else have their partner to dictate the sentences with a gap for them to try to complete.)
