MakingHistory

How I take notes on a book I can't write in, as well as some thoughts about grabbing clips and comments from audiobooks.

Some initial thoughts about Roam Research and Obsidian, their relative strengths, and the very cool communities surrounding each app.

My review of a very good article from a recent book, and some additional thoughts about MarginNote 3 and my own note-taking process.

At the end of a very hectic semester, I'm re-evaluating some of the apps I was excited about trying at the beginning.

I read Luhmann's 1981 article, "Kommunikation mit Zettelkästen", and here are my notes on it (in English).

This weekend I listened to the first third of David Allen's famous book and began thinking about implementing the GTD program in my own process.

The reading and note-taking process I developed in grad school, and thoughts about how and why I want to teach it to my students.

I'm starting to plan how to turn the things I've been learning about my own reading, note-taking, and writing process into material to teach my students how to do something similar.

A quick description of Thomas Kuhn's famous book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and how I think it applies to historical thinking.

A brief description of how I used to work as a grad student, processing books in my little study carrel at UMass and building Tinderbox "trees" of historiography. I've since moved on to MarginNote 3 and Roam, but I'm still thinking about visualizations.

Talking about how I'm adding Reading Notes into Roam Research from Kindle highlights and notes. Also, more of my comments on Sönke Ahrens' book, How to Take Smart Notes.

I'm thinking about the idea of block quotes vs. paraphrasing, the things I'll probably use Roam Research for (and not), and my notes on the first chapter of Sönke Ahrens' book, How to Take Smart Notes.

My thoughts about the first Zoom meeting of the Roam Research Reading Group that's going to read Sönke Ahrens book How to Take Smart Notes this month. It was a great model for a virtual conference! Also, my notes on the book's Introduction.

A second pod about my learning process, as I've been messing around in Roam Research for about three weeks now and loving it. 

I listened to NowThis's final Who Is? pod of the season, on the Electoral College. While I get what they were trying to say, I think there were some historical lapses that could be corrected to improve their argument about power inequality throughout American history. 

More thoughts on what I need to change about my classes and teaching as I move to the Hybrid-Flexible format. 

Part 2 of Chapter 10, for my Modern World History class at Bemidji State University, Fall 2020.

My initial thoughts about the Hybrid-Flexible course format, which I'll be using this spring in all my courses. It promises to greatly increase student agency and flexibility, but comes with some additional work which I'll begin reporting on as I prepare for and implement this change. 

The first half of Chapter 10 of my Modern World History course for Bemidji State University, Fall 2020.

The second half of the Second World War and its immediate aftermath, for my Modern World History class at Bemidji State University, Fall 2020.

Lucius writes a long letter to Henry, with lots of news including, by the way, that he has a new daughter. 

I'm reading and watching lots of videos on Zettelkasten. I think when I teach it to my students, I'm going to just call it note-taking. 

Anarchist James C. Scott has contributed greatly to my thoughts about the power and scope of empires, and the ways people have resisted them throughout history.

Lyman returns home to Van Buren from a 400-mile cattle drive to the Missouri River.

The first half of the Second World War, for my Modern World History class at Bemidji State University, Fall 2020.