Education Archives

Sönke Ahrens: How to Take Smart Notes

Are you an academic or non-fiction writer? Have you ever sat in front of a blank screen and struggled to write a paper? In How to Take Smart Notes, Sönke Ahrens argues that this happens because traditional, prewriting note-taking methods don’t work—and that you can avoid this issue by using the slip-box system. Slip-box is a method of taking notes and organizing them that fosters the creation and publication of original ideas. Here’s how to take smart notes, according to Sönke Ahrens.

Zettelkasten: Digital Versus Analog

Why is a digital Zettelkasten better than a paper version? What are the benefits of going digital? Having a digital Zettelkasten is generally more convenient than a paper one. You can access a digital slip-box anywhere; you can only access a physical slip-box if you’re standing next to it. Having said that, paper slip-box is better for efficiency. Here’s why you should have a digital version of the reference system—no matter which slip-box version you pick.

How Schools Can Improve Students’ Confidence

What role do schools play in students’ self-esteem? What can educators do to help nurture their students’ confidence? Many parents are emotionally unable to teach their children the skills and beliefs necessary to achieve healthy self-esteem. Schools can rectify this gap and boost their students’ confidence—or, if they misstep, they can reinforce the harmful behaviors learned at home and further impair their students’ psychological development. Here’s how schools can help nurture children’s self-esteem.

The Importance of Self-Esteem in Education

What role does self-esteem play in modern education? Why is it important that educators put effort into building healthy self-esteem in their students? Developing self-esteem should be a major objective, not an afterthought. That’s the view of psychotherapist Nathaniel Branden. Since the aim of educational institutions is to provide students with the skills and qualities necessary for professional success, they must make building self-esteem—not compliance—their central focus. One way to do this is through the curriculum. Read about the importance of self-esteem in education and how schools can adjust their curricula to promote healthy self-esteem.

How to Take Slip-box Notes in 5 Easy Steps

What is the slip-box notes system? How does the slip-box note-taking method help you take better notes? The slip-box notes system (also known as Zettelkasten) was created by German sociologist Niklas Luhmann. The slip-box system is specifically designed to help you both have and share original insights—and make the writing process easier overall—it has several benefits over the traditional writing process: For example, using it will make you more efficient and lead to more creative insights. Here you’ll learn the specific steps to effectively use the slip-box note-taking system to create a publishable manuscript.

How Top-Down Writing Hurts Your Creative Process

What is top-down writing? How does it actually hurt your writing process? Top-down writing is the traditional writing method where you draft a thesis and then conduct research based on your thesis statement. In other words, you create ideas to support your existing thesis rather than developing a thesis that encompasses your original ideas. This method works in theory, but in practice, it has several issues. Here’s how the top-down writing approach hinders your creative process.

Building Student Confidence in the Classroom: 5 Tips

The Importance of Studying Mythology and Folklore

What role does confidence play in academic performance? What can teachers do to boost their students’ confidence? Healthy self-esteem and confidence are important prerequisites for academic success. Therefore, teachers must ensure that their classroom is an environment that supports these qualities. Here are five tips for building student confidence in the classroom.

The Slip-Box Method: Level Up Your Writing

Mastering the Art of Giving Feedback in the Workplace

What is the slip-box system of note-taking? What are the benefits of the slip-box method over traditional techniques? In his book How to Take Smart Notes, Ahrens argues that the slip-box system is specifically designed to help you both have and share original insights. The slip-box method has several benefits over the traditional writing process: For example, using it will make you more efficient and lead to more creative insights. Let’s look at the three benefits of the slip-box method.

Bored Writing? Here’s How to Spice Things Up

Do you write for a living? Do you sometimes get bored or demotivated to write? If you get bored writing, you might need to spice things up by taking a different approach. Instead of using the top-down approach (going from thesis to argument), try doing it the other way round. Here’s how to spice up your writing using the slip-box note-taking method.

How to Apply Knowledge to Become Unstoppable

Do you want to be the best in your field? Do you want to apply your knowledge to every aspect of life without even thinking about it? In the self-help book Relentless, motivational speaker and trainer Tim Grover says that he wants you to be unstoppable. One of the few ways to achieve this is to apply knowledge to tap into your primal instincts, which will make life effortless and more meaningful. Here’s Grover’s lesson on how to apply knowledge so you can become unstoppable in your life.