Writing Notes by Hand for Better Processing

Edutopia · Beginner ·🍎 Teaching & Learning Design ·3mo ago

About this lesson

When teachers regularly pause during lectures so students can process their thinking with handwritten notes, key content is more likely to stick. In many classrooms, lectures move quickly, leaving little time for students to digest new information. At Cedaredge High School in Delta, Colorado, social studies teacher Dante Markley builds in intentional pauses so his 10th-grade students can stop, think, and make sense of what they’re learning by processing their thoughts in handwritten notes. Our How Learning Happens video series explores teaching practices grounded in the science of learning. To see more, visit https://www.edutopia.org/package/how-learning-happens-instructional-shifts Join the Edutopia community today to get articles, videos, and more delivered via email every Wednesday—all tailored to you and your unique role: https://edut.to/3wEVHUh *Follow us here:* Official Website: https://edutopia.org  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/edutopia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edutopia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edutopia BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/edutopia.org #brainbasedlearning #teachingstrategies #howlearninghappens #learningscience © 2026 George Lucas Educational Foundation

Original Description

When teachers regularly pause during lectures so students can process their thinking with handwritten notes, key content is more likely to stick. In many classrooms, lectures move quickly, leaving little time for students to digest new information. At Cedaredge High School in Delta, Colorado, social studies teacher Dante Markley builds in intentional pauses so his 10th-grade students can stop, think, and make sense of what they’re learning by processing their thoughts in handwritten notes. Our How Learning Happens video series explores teaching practices grounded in the science of learning. To see more, visit https://www.edutopia.org/package/how-learning-happens-instructional-shifts Join the Edutopia community today to get articles, videos, and more delivered via email every Wednesday—all tailored to you and your unique role: https://edut.to/3wEVHUh *Follow us here:* Official Website: https://edutopia.org  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/edutopia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edutopia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edutopia BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/edutopia.org #brainbasedlearning #teachingstrategies #howlearninghappens #learningscience © 2026 George Lucas Educational Foundation
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