For the last ten years I have examined what skills and abilities kids need to succeed in academic classes. The result of this research has been the "Academic Essentials," which I have summarized in the Academic Essentials Matrix. The "Essentials" guide my thinking about instructional design.
Taking Notes
Academic success requires various competencies, among them the ability to know and use a variety of tools and techniques to generate and organize information and ideas. Good readers and writers take notes—in their head, on the page, and in their notebooks. None of the ideas here is new, though I hope the way I have designed these "tools" helps you use them more effectively. To see how long people have been using graphic notes and Cornell Notes, check out these excerpts from Leonardo da Vinci's journals.
