Yesterday was a huge lesson for me in how to help my students take notes. Sitting in the auditorium and listening to Randy Lovely, I realized that my prior experiences taking notes in meetings and academic lectures were FUNDAMENTALLY distinct from the experience of trying to capture exact quotes. I have always been an effective note taker and able to focus well during presentations, but I felt very flustered. Even though I was also recording, I was not 100% certain that my recording would be audible (step 1: arrive early to get the best seat). This left me pressured to take notes very quickly (step 2: [which should have been my step 1] be thorough in background research prior to an event or interview to give you the maximum opportunity for focusing notes and questions).
I did like the app I used (SuperNote), which allowed me to record, note time, and type notes all at once. I will upgrade to the paid version so it records more than 20 minutes (know your apps and software before you are under deadline, people!).
The corollary to step 1 is that reporters covering a story without a photographer need to sit with good access to photo opps. I could not take photos easily without concern for interfering with other reporters, knocking over laptops, etc. It takes practice to be unobtrusive and if you lack that practice, I think planning and strategy are good substitutes to help put you in place for a good shot. My other struggle was creating time when I was not taking notes to actually shoot. I was afraid of missing something.
Most of the time my students are both taking notes and photos, so I value the experience of being in their shoes.
Bonnie Katzive
Monarch High School
Louisville, CO
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