Cornell Notes

 I introduced the kids to Cornell Notes today.  We prepared the paper, then watched this video of Beowulf.

After taking notes, I told them to come up with 3 questions for the right hand column and write a summary at the bottom of the page.  Then we asked each other our questions.   lP was a little annoyed that her understanding was questions she had about it, like "Why did the dragon steal the cup?"  Good question but it wasn't covered in the material.  So she learned the type of question we were looking for and now she knows something new.

I was today many years old when I learned how to take Cornell notes.  It's brilliant!  I wish I'd understood this when I was younger.  I was so prideful and didn't want anyone to know that school was hard for me.  So I pretended I didn't care and did a good job of that.  I can only hold 3 facts or tasks in my head at once, and if someone needs me to know more than that, I need to write it down.  Growing up in such a brilliant family, that loved to call each other stupid, I felt stupid a lot, and mad a lot.  I'm not actually stupid, just not as good at the same skills as many of my siblings, who are brilliant and talented.  Compared to normal people, I'm quite smart and capable.  I wish I'd learned more strategies when I was younger.

They say "Work smarter, not harder."  I didn't know how to work smarter and didn't want to look stupid working harder.  Wow.  

I hope my children will learn to work harder, and smarter.  They are so capable, like someone who is really able to walk well.  And I hope they don't rely on their natural ability to memorize, but instead learn to use tools, like a bike, to go further, faster, than they can on their own two feet.