The website tes.com has a wonderful definition for the word “pedagogy”. It states that Pedagogy is defined simply as the method, and practice, of teaching. Just as important, however, is the practice of learning. Dr. Gyi states that we all need to
- Learn how to learn
- Learn how to teach
- Teach how to learn
- Teach how to teach
The most important of these is the first one – learning how to learn. A key practice in learning is related to notetaking. Note-taking involves multiple steps: The act of writing contemporaneous notes, while the subject is still fresh in your mind, the act of reviewing your notes, and the act of refining your notes for clarity and to link them to other key ideas. This is true whether you’re learning something about Bando, learning to speak Italian, or becoming a musician.
For today’s Bando minute, focus on your most recent note-taking. If you haven’t taken notes from your last training session, spend some time and do so now, no matter how sketchy they may turn out. If you already had taken recent notes, go to an older set of notes and re-read them.
- Mentally review the training that those notes describe
- Take the time to annotate your notes, or even to transcribe them, to better capture the essence of the ideas you were intending to capture
Notetaking itself is a learned art. You need to explore how to take notes that work best for you, and take the time to improve your notes. As you pay attention to this aspect of learning, your notes will evolve and improve.
Bando on-line students – be sure to share something of what you did with your own personal notes! And be ready to ask questions in our next class about gaps you’ve noticed in some of your notes.