UWCSEA Teachers

Stop taking notes. Scientists have recently proven that you are less likely to remember something once you write it down

They split a population of undergraduate students into 2 groups, one that took notes and one that relied on straight memory. They showed them pairs of cards and instructed them to memorize the location. One group wrote it down and the other did not. After the study time, the note-taking group had their notes taken away and the full group was tested on the cards’ location. Surprisingly, the note-taking group performed very poorly in the exercise, far underperforming the memory group

It is amazing to me that the practice of note-taking in class is so widespread, given how ineffective it is

Unfortunately, if you try to take notes while you are listening, and then try to study from your notes later, you are receiving half-way exposure twice that doesn’t even add up to a whole

The philosophy of note-taking is patently absurd when you really think about it. The idea is that in class, the teacher verbally recites relevant facts, while students are supposed to split their attention between listening and writing them down, essentially taking dictation and creating a very low-fidelity personal copy of their textbook on the fly. Then the students are supposed to go home and re-learn (or learn for the first time) the information that the teacher gave them in class from this hastily constructed replica.

As early as I can remember, we were told to take notes.

during that conversation, I paid attention to more than just what was being said; I watched eye movement, body language, and every other form of nonverbal communication. I wasn’t just listening, I was engaging in an interaction. It was then that I found myself wondering, how much was I missing in other classes because I was too busy taking notes?

I started to challenge myself not to take notes during other classes and to actively listen, instead

up to 90% of what teachers learn alongside coaches will be retained. This means, that unlike traditional professional development where Knight's research shows that teachers lose 90% of what they learn, coaching can provide an enormous impact.

Research suggests that the most creative children are the least likely to become the teacher’s pet, and in response, many learn to keep their original ideas to themselves.

What holds them back is that they don’t learn to be original. They strive to earn the approval of their parents and the admiration of their teachers.

only a fraction of gifted children eventually become revolutionary adult creators,

Think about when you go to Starbucks to complete some work. Why do you choose to work there? Where do you choose to sit? I usually gravitate towards the comfy seating choices like the couches and big chairs, and yet, I see people choose the tables and chairs over and over again.

We know that technology belongs to the classroom. Have you ever asked whether technology belongs in your workplace? Technology is a tool that helps us develop and apply skills we all value – curiosity, problem-solving, persistence, collaboration, information literacy.