Why make notes?
EyeWrite is designed to help learners to create a visual plan of a project, essay, report, presentation, investigation, evaluation or lesson. The plan or Map should contain key ideas or words structured to identify major headings (the branches) and connected ideas, reasons or examples (the smaller branches and twigs). The Map is not designed, however, to contain the detail that will often be needed for a successful final product. This is where the Make Notes function is very useful.
What kinds of notes?
Users can type into this box short memos (e.g. for a class talk), sentences or even long paragraphs. The notes can be additional factual information, evidence, opinions, quotations, references or questions. It is also possible to copy notes already made into this box if users choose to do so.
Will I need to make notes on all the key words?
No. Users can do this if it is appropriate, but it is more likely that notes will be made on key branches only and that the key words on the twigs will serve as memos or as examples of the key idea on the main branch.
Revision
Users may want to use the Concept Map as a tool for revision. Learners who recognise their preference for thinking and planning visually will find that the Concept Map can be used as a single document for memorising key ideas and connections. When users are doing this, however, they may find the Make Notes facility extremely useful.
Some key words may remind the learner of a key issue, event, person or even date. Quick notes, not even in sentence format, will serve as memos for the detail needed to accompany the memorising of the word. So, for example, in a topic on the History of Education in the UK, the map might contain a key date 1944. The notes might simply consist of Butler, Tripartite, 11+, age 15 and Technical. This might be enough for the learner to recall the lesson on the 1944 Education Act, promoted by Rab Butler, that raised the school leaving age to 15, introduced the 11+ and the Tripartite system of Grammar, Secondary Modern and Technical schools.
Links
The Make Notes function can also be used to contain additional information on any of the hyperlinks that the user may have created for certain key words.
Tutorial 11 Making Notes
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