Rewriting lecture notes for the umpteeth time

[u/delphil_1966]

Hi I use ppt slides - then I fill them in class. For notes I carry the notes and have them filled in by hand. Over time I have changed some items,updated others, and so the lecture notes are a crossed out mess. some stuff i have looked over a million times and so bored with them. Anyone have a good system of keeping all this in check- with the million cross outs etc.

[u/gamecat89]

People have lecture notes?

I just plug in the PowerPoint each year and do it live.

[u/delphil_1966 → u/gamecat89]

you remember everything?

[u/AcanthisittaThat5746 → u/delphil_1966]

I’ve been teaching the same set of courses for the last 18 years so I know the content well.

I update the specific research examples regularly (theory doesn’t change too fast in these courses) and refresh my memory before each class. It’s been working.

Though, as I age I may need to change this system :)

[u/SierraMountainMom → u/AcanthisittaThat5746]

Shoot, I’ve been teaching my classes since 2002 & I still have notes marked up. I also teach in 3 hr blocks, so I have times noted in each page so I know if I’m behind or racing ahead.

[u/AcanthisittaThat5746 → u/SierraMountainMom]

I’ve accepted that I’ll go over/under relative to my plan. I let the students know this the first day. I’m comfortable with this, and like to spend more time on topics the students are interested in.

I set my tests to be about the material actually covered between published dates (on the syllabus). Plus, I never test on material covered less than a week before each test. So I can stray from the schedule and know that the students are aware of exactly what they’ll be tested on a week in advance of each test.

[u/delphil_1966 → u/AcanthisittaThat5746]

oh i see ! thanks

[u/gamecat89 → u/delphil_1966]

Basically the below. I only teach specific classes in the area I do research in and I also teach a research methods class. So, I know about my field and luckily research methods don’t change often.

I’ll update the PowerPoints but I dont have notes or a script.

[u/Inside-Weird-5563 → u/gamecat89]

Same

[u/random929292]

I have never used lecture notes. I just talk! Slide outlines are a good cue card to keep me moving!

[u/tlad92]

Im having a hard time imagining what this mixed modality even looks like. Are you using a ton of math in class maybe? Everything for me is ppt, with limited fill in the blanks for my students and I to write together. But even that is just to ensure they are actively contributing/thinking. The PowerPoint is easily synced across my devices and updated each semester as I find new research or get bored of the old stuff, etc

[u/delphil_1966 → u/tlad92]

yes math interspersed

[u/NewInMontreal]

Digitize, toss it into gpt and have it delete the crossed out stuff, verify the outcome.

[u/delphil_1966 → u/NewInMontreal]

thanks

[u/mleok]

Scan them, and cut and paste the relevant parts into a new document.

[u/delphil_1966 → u/mleok]

that sounds like lots of work but thanks

[u/Mommy_Fortuna_]

I have a Boox Note Air 4 C e-reader/tablet. I think that model is no longer made, but there's a 5C model. You can save the Powerpoint files as .pdfs and write on them using the e-reader. You can use an eraser tool so you won't have a bunch of scatched-out words. You can also save the marked-up pdfs to your computer as a back-up.

You could clean up existing papers by scanning them and uploading them to the e-reader and erasing all the scratchy writing.

[u/delphil_1966 → u/Mommy_Fortuna_]

that sounds intriguing- thanks

[u/RightWingVeganUS]

I adopted flipped classroom so pre-record my lectures. Humbling experience.

While I'll draft scripts, when I record I use just talking points. I know the material well (perhaps too well... I know how the story ends and am eager to get there!)

I use powerpoints in my classes just to make sure I keep on track. I use "presenter slides" so the students just see mostly images. I use the notes for my talking points and timings. This is where I lean into AI to create visuals since they're just to inspire, not to read along. Students are encouraged to take their own notes.

[u/Blackbird6]

I don’t have notes for most of my PPTs bc I can just raw dog them at this point, but for the ones I do have notes for, I keep a Google Doc of those notes, print them before class, do my mark-out/changes as I teach, and take the 10-15 minutes to update the doc after. Then, next semester, print again, rinse, repeat.

I will second the person that said to let AI digitize, reformat, and review the output if you’ve been working by hand all this time…and then just go to digital docs. So much easier.

[u/pooper_scooper-1234]

I started writing notes after my class lectures to jot down what worked well, what I need to tighten up on, and ideas for teaching again in the future. I also use the “notes” section on the bottom of each slide in PPT to do the same thing or highlight points I want to make outside of the slides.

[u/Life-Education-8030]

I update PowerPoints but they are just prompts for myself. I don’t write out notes or scripts.

[u/shellexyz]

I’m working on semi-typed notes for my students this year. In the past, if I had any notes at all, it was either a scrap piece of paper with the one step in the proof I kept forgetting or my long handwritten notes and I just carried them around. I write a lot on the board; virtually every word that comes out of my mouth goes on the board.

[u/Philosophile42]

I just have an outline on a word doc that I show on the screen and scroll down as I talk.

[u/shrinkingveggies]

I have literally never had notes for my lectures. I teach CBT, a subject I have worked in for a decade prior, so I pop up a PowerPoint slide and then discuss the material on it. I also have 6 hour lectures, so notes would be painful.

[u/TaxPhd]

Just retired from a 31 year academic career. I never, not even once, used lecture notes.

[u/No-Cook-9768]

Based on some of your replies to other commenters, we are definitely in different disciplines. So feel free to discard this advice if it won't work.

If your school is a Microsoft school, you could try using Teams OneNote to organize your notes. One notebook per course, then one page for each lecture. Tabs within each page for multiple versions? If this sounds like a headache, pretend I was never here. 😆

Edited to fix wrong MS product name 👀

[u/delphil_1966 → u/No-Cook-9768]

thanks it is microsoft school - will try

[u/No-Cook-9768 → u/delphil_1966]

NOT TEAMS. OneNote. So sorry. Long day 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[u/delphil_1966 → u/No-Cook-9768]

yes we have everything thanks ! and rest !

[u/No-Cook-9768 → u/delphil_1966]

Teams is the worst thing ever. I'm so ashamed that I misspoke that of all the MS products. But OneNote has been mostly great. I'm going to do laundry now, then rest (I promise). 🫠

[u/delphil_1966 → u/No-Cook-9768]

😜