Take Notes & Review Them

Take notes as you work through each learning module (beginning with Module 1.1). Title the upper right corner of each page in your notes with the module number, a keyword, and the page number from the corresponding page title in this Canvas course. For example, suppose you’re taking notes while working through the page titled 4.3: Find the Equation of a Logarithmic Function (12 of 15), the upper-right corner of each page of notes related to this material could be 4.3: Logarithm (12 of 15). Here are some additional tips for organizing and taking good notes:

• Use a three-ring binder
• Use college-ruled notebook paper
• Use a pencil and an eraser as opposed to a pen
• Write neatly

Why a three-ring binder and college-ruled notebook paper? To make your notes easy to find and review, your notes should be organized in sequential order by module. If you are taking a face-to-face class, you may need to insert your class notes between pages of your Canvas notes for a particular module. Or, after meeting with me or your fellow students for a study session, you may have notes that you want to weave into your Canvas notes. Or, you may find that you have fallen behind and need to insert notes from a previous module when you have time to get caught up. It’s important that your notes are ordered properly so that you can readily find and review them as needed (especially if you plan to take advantage of the extra credit opportunity described at the bottom of this page).

Finally, this is not a textbook. So, while you’re taking your Calculus course, if you want to review material from this class, you will need to rely on your well-organized notes.

Math is Not a Spectator Sport

Math may be temporarily understood by watching someone do it, but no one learns math as a spectator; math is learned and retained by doing it yourself.

As you work through the learning pages in this course, you will encounter many video lessons and written examples. A spectator’s approach to working through them may prohibit you from retaining concepts and skills you need.

WORKING THROUGH THE VIDEO LESSONS

As you work through the short video lessons, take notes. Be sure to include the name of the video in your notes. When an example is presented in the video, pause the video and try to work through the example on your own. Restart the video when you need a hint or to check your work when you’re finished. Be sure to correct your work if necessary to make sure your notes will be helpful to you in review.

WORKING THROUGH THE WRITTEN EXAMPLES

Include every example on every learning page in your notes. Try to work through each example on your own and use the provided solution when you get stuck or to check your work when you’re finished (make corrections if necessary). Write neatly, organize your work, and write comments to yourself to help you further engage with the material.

FEATURES OF HIGH-QUALITY NOTES

• The title of the corresponding page in Canvas is in the top right corner of each page of notes. In other words, every page of notes includes a title in the top right corner.
• Notes from each video begin with the name of the video and include each worked example.
• Each written example on the Canvas page is numbered correctly in your notes.
• For each example, your work is correct, neat, and well-organized.
• There are occasional comments to yourself that improve your learning.

What are “comments to yourself?” It depends on your learning needs. For example, some students like to remind themselves how to avoid certain mistakes. Others like to celebrate their success by pointing out something they did well. And, some prefer to use arrows and highlighters (as opposed to specific comments) to emphasize important points 

Prompt

The Prompt section of any assignment includes the questions you will work on. To answer the questions for this assignment, you may need to review the previous page (opens in a new tab so that you can toggle between this assignment and the information you will need).

To practice submitting your handwritten work, be sure to answer the following questions using paper and pencil (or pen). Using a digital notebook and stylus to write out your responses is another option for completing this assignment or any other “paper and pencil” assignment.

Question 1

What are the primary features of high-quality notes as defined on the previous page?

Question 2

Do you plan on taking notes as you work through this course? Why or why not?

Question 3

Do you have any questions or concerns about the course so far? If so, feel free to share them.