Writing Online and Cornell Note taking

Writing Online and Cornell Note taking
Cornell note taking is one method to help turn information from others into our own learning. It includes three steps: what is done before, during, and after class.
Before class we should prepare by using a three ring binder that can include both our notes and handouts. We also need to prepare our paper or use a template that has a line 2 ½ inches from the left side. The right side will be used for taking our notes and the left is a recall column. Another useful thing is to review previous lectures and make note of any questions that might help increase the learning.
During class it is helpful to choose our seating carefully and fully engage in the lecture. We take notes by using short phrases or sentences to capture main ideas and supporting facts. Our own consistent symbols and abbreviations can be helpful.
After class there are three important time periods. Immediately after we do a quick review of our notes to make sure we have captured all the key ideas and to see if there are questions we need to clarify with the professor. Within 24 hours we fill in the left recall column by reducing our notes to the most important concepts and possible additional questions. This makes it easier for future reviews.
Over time we regularly review, recite, and practice our notes which helps move it into long term memory and makes it easier to recall in the future. After we accumulate several pages of notes it is also helpful to further reduce our notes into a page or two of summary of key ideas and concepts.
Another thing we discussed this week is online writing habits. If we want to be taken seriously and understood, we need to pay attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar even in our online writing. That includes emails and online posts. Things to pay attention to include: using a meaningful subject line; addressing the recipient; being specific about who we are, why we are writing, and what we want; avoid using all caps or not using any capitalization; use proper punctuation; make our intended tone clear; emoticons to be used informally; don’t overuse exclamation points; avoid overstating our point or being aggressive or offensive; and do not use abbreviated “text Messaging”.