| Description
There are two parts to this learning experience.
The first, A, requires students to make dot-jot notes and the
second part, B, involves students in the skills of thinking, analysing,
and synthesising as they work with the information they now have
in note form.
Students are given notemaking
sheets (pdf, 118k) and are shown examples of the process.
Once they have their key questions approved (or their teacher
has given them questions), they must find three sources of information
for each question. They then make dot-jot notes from each source
making sure they complete the reference details at the top of
each note section. 
A.
Making Dot-Jot Notes (pdf, 118k)
Students make a dot and then jot down one point, idea, or fact.
They should try to keep to one line per point and they should
not use complete sentences. These are notes only. It needs to
be emphasised that notes do not need to be perfect – ensure
that students do not spend ages writing complete sentences or
twinking out mistakes.
This is a useful method to use for summarising the chapter of
a book, a poem, or for getting down the main points from a page
or chapter. It can be used at any level and in any curriculum
area. It is a good idea to practise ahead of time by getting students
to make some dot-jot notes from a paragraph of a book they are
using.
This exercise is always preceded by a class discussion about
copying, copyright, and plagiarism. Students are told that this
method will help them avoid plagiarising other people's work.
B. Combining
Notes (pdf, 93k)
They then combine these three sets of notes into one set of dot-jot
notes using 8 to 10 dots or bullet points. These final points
then form the basis for the answer which will be included in the
final product – whether it is a speech, report, chart, or
some other form of presenting information.
We have found that even if students are answering a simple, background
type of question which requires mainly factual material, they
need to put in a surprising amount of careful thought and synthesis
of information to work out which points from which source to include
in the final answer. It is also not at all easy to include copied
material when using this method.
Some students dislike the idea of finding several sources, saying
that "they have a book with all the information in it" or that
they "know it already and don't need to use any resources". This
is a good time to point out that it can be helpful to find similar
information in different sources as that can be a sign that the
information is correct. On the other hand they can often find
extra, interesting information that they did not know about and
that will add to the quality of their answers.
A blank
template (pdf, 118k) is available for anyone wishing to use
this technique with their own students.
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