Fisher and Frey Chapter 7

Chapter 7 really explained the importance of note taking. I enjoyed reading this informative chapter because I always wanted to know how to stress the importance of note taking. Note taking was not important to me until I began college. I think it was because I was always given notes and study guides instead of developing my own notes. By developing your own personal notes, it helps with your memory and you retain the information better. I had to find a remedy to help me study once I started college because it was obvious that the teacher was only responsible for providing the skills. In ch. 7, Fisher and Frey placed a big emphasis on note taking. They discussed ways it should be addressed across the curriculum. This quote really stood out to me , "While people may have different ways of taking notes, I do believe that it's a skill that can be taught". I believe that this teacher was brilliant for speaking that quote. Everyone is capable of taking great notes, but are they good notes? What are good notes? This question really puzzled my mind! Until I read this chapter, I did not know the difference between note making and note taking. Note taking refers to written notes from a lecture while note making is recording notes form printed material. In my opinion, both strategies are beneficial, but I think I would place a bigger emphasis on note taking. Statistics has proven that students retain information more when they write rather than when they just hear it. The chapter explained that students do better on test and essays when they understand note taking and note making. This chapter provided great information on the importance of note taking. I feel that if teachers would place bigger emphasis on note taking in elementary that the students will become great note takers in high school and college!

Questions:
1. What are good notes?
2. As a teacher, how do you place a great emphasis on note taking?
3. What are ways to provide feedback about note taking?

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is very problematic in today's society. Students should be encouraged daily to increase their vocabulary because it improves reading comprehension. I think students should be exposed to vocabulary as early as Kindergarden. Chapter 3, provides an explanation of vocabulary and how it is integrated into the curriculum and content areas. Vocabulary begins with the exposure to word knowledge. Students are exposed in elementary to vocabulary but somehow they manage to forget vocabulary as they grow older. Before reading this chapter, I thought middle school teachers did not put a lot of emphasis on vocabulary. I realize now that students' vocabulary level increases a lot as they grow older. As stated in chapter 3, most students just "know a word". Knowing a word means that you cannot only identify a word but also understand the conceptional meaning of the word. Students often just memorize words for assessments and never really understand the word. In this chapter, it explained how teachers have a hard time teaching vocabulary because students are on different levels of word knowledge. This chapter provide ways to integrate vocabulary in all subjects. From experience, I have noticed how useful word walls are in a classroom. I noticed how students always refer back to word walls during assignments and test. Some students have trouble with words that have multiple meanings especially younger students. I feel that teachers should introduce and analyze words for students and show them how a root word can be used in multiple ways. Vocabulary in Social Studies is used for critical thinking and to help students analyze history. Mathematics use vocabulary within the content and context. Students must understand vocabulary in math in order to carry out the problem. Overall, vocabulary is very important because we use it daily. Supportive teachers instills in their students great vocabulary and varieties of ways to use it. Great vocabulary help students become more aware of their surroundings and provides them with understanding.

QUESTIONS:
How can I explain vocabulary and the importance of it to kindergarden students?
What are ways that I can use vocabulary providing a hands-on experience?