middle school conference interactive student notebooks

Interactive Student Notebooks

Amy Schwartz & Katherine Leatherman

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD YOUR STUDENTS SAY . . . I can’t

remember what we did

in class yesterday.

I was absent last week; did I miss anything?

WHAT IS AN INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOK?

What is the purpose of the notebook?

The purpose of the interactive student notebook (ISN) is to enable the student to be a creative, independent, and reflective thinker and writer throughout the year. Interactive student notebooks can be used for class notes, as well as for other activities where students will be asked to express their own ideas and process and/or apply the information and skills learned in class. It also helps students review for tests.

HOW Do I

Set it up

???

STUDENT MATERIALS ●

●5 Star (or comparable) 5-subject college-ruled notebook, 8.5” x 11”

●Highlighters (multi-colored)

●Glue stick/Elmer’s glue

●Assorted color pencils

●Colored markers

●Pencil sharpener/pencil (mechanical

accepted, too)

●Scotch Tape

COVER

Your cover must be clearly labeled to include: •Class Name (SS or full Social Studies)

•Your Name (First and Last)

•Period

•School Year (2013-2014) Please include pictures, drawings, designs, etc. that express who you are as a person.

Example Covers

If they aren’t decorated, have students write their names in Sharpie on Day #1. If names are not on

the cover, it makes it very difficult to do notebook checks!

INITIAL SETUP Think about the assignments you use already! Divide them into categories, such as:

1.Ancient Civilizations 2.Renaissance 3.World Wars

or 1. 1st Semester 2. 2nd Semester

3. Cumlulative Review or

1. Notes 2. Literature

3. Writing/Grammar

INITIAL SETUP (CONT.)

Section A – Classwork / Models

Section B – Grammar

Section C – Vocabulary

Section D – Reading Logs

Section E – Novels

Section F – Portfolios

Section G – Clock Buddies

Section H – Jr. Great Books

Section I – EOG Review

Section J –

(evens) (odds)

Date

Title Title

Date

HOW IS IT

Interactive

???

Left Side - Right Side In - Through - Out Next Clean Page

Left Brain vs. Right Brain

Left Side Right Side

Page #

Teacher

Information

Page #

Title

Title

Date Date

Student

Responses

LEFT SIDE The Left Side belongs to the teacher The Left Side has all “testable” information; it’s what you will be learning: ● Title and Unit pages ● Table of Contents ● Vocabulary ● Notes (class, reading, and discussion) ● Worksheets ● Study Guides ● Quizzes (formative) ● Content and Language Objectives ● Other relevant information

LEFT SIDE GUIDELINES 1. Should be completely done. 1. Should clearly have both the title of the

assignment at the top and the date centered to the right of the title. The page should be numbered at the bottom right-hand and left-hand corner.

1. All assignments should be in chronological order

by the times they were assigned. 1. All work should be completed in neat, legible

handwriting.

EXAMPLES OF LEFT SIDE ASSIGNMENTS (TEACHER)

•Class notes

•Graphic Organizers / Thinking Maps

•Articles, graphs, charts, diagrams

•Foldables

•Quizzes/Tests

•In-class Assignments, mini-lessons

•Recording Sheets

•Etc.

Class Notes

Notes

Notes

Math

Science

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS/THINKING MAPS

Foldables

RIGHT SIDE Right Side is to record students’ thinking, reflections,

questions, thoughts, impressions, connections, and wonderings.

The Right Side belongs to the student! •Apply skills learned in class •Use graphs, charts, Venn Diagrams, research from

internet •Make connections between new and old learning •Questions •Thinking Maps •Poems •Songs •Homework

1. Format is the same as Left Side (title, date, neatness, completed, etc.)

1. Activities can be done individually, in pairs, small

groups, centers, etc.

1. Student is responsible for completing anything not done in class.

1. Each fully-completed and correct Right Side

assignment earns a grade.

Any missing part (date, title, incomplete, etc.) will cause points to be deducted.

Right Side Guidelines

• Classwork • Brainstorming • Sketches related to learning • Collages • Project Plans/Outlines • Reflections • Poem, lab, etc. analysis

Examples of Right Side Assignments (Students)

EXAMPLES OF RIGHT SIDE ASSIGNMENTS

EXAMPLES OF RIGHT SIDE ASSIGNMENTS

ABSOLUTE & RELATIVE LOCATION ACTIVITY

Sensory Figures

Graphic Organizers

Concept Map

ILLUSTRATED TIMELINES

Another Example of Interactive Notebooks

Final Example of Interactive Notebooks

Next clean page: It may fit your teaching style to just go page by page. This is when a Table of Contents for each chapter/unit comes in handy.

THIS IS ON THE SMART-BOARD...

How is it Interactive?

THIS IS IN THEIR NOTEBOOK

Smartboard Activity

If a student is up at the board, every student in

their seat is working in

their notebook

Teacher Input

Student Output

Students use the information on the board to create their own work. This also make differentiation easier. With higher level students, they work independently to complete the work, and then teachers review. With lower students, teachers can work through the assignment on the board as students follow along in their own notebook. **One lesson plan, different delivery methods (AIG, Inclusion, etc.)

MAINTAINING THE INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK

•No ripped out pages or torn corners

•No doodling that doesn’t relate to notes

•Date, title, and number each page

Everyone’s ISN must MATCH!

After being absent, be sure to check the teacher notebook and get caught up!

Creativity is Important

HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE TO WORK ON

NOTEBOOKS?

Normal class time is given to work on Right Side assignments; however, assignments may need to be finished at home. The expectation is that students will revisit Left and Right Side to review the material and prepare for tests and quizzes. Once students have a good understanding of the kinds of Right Side activities that can be done, it should take them about 15/20 minutes to complete a right side.

BREAK OUT

GRADING

40% - Tests and projects

30% - Independent work (quizzes, classwork, common assessments, etc.)

20% - Guided work (group activities, teacher led activities, etc.)

10% - Homework

Right side activities are usually graded as independent work. Left side activities are usually graded as guided work. *Let your school/county grading policy be your guide

GCS Policy:

DEDUCTIONS FOR LATENESS AND LACK OF CHRONOLOGICAL

ORDER

1. If a student has forgotten to bring their notebook for that particular class when a notebook check is announced, they may bring it by the very next calendar day, but 10% will be deducted from their notebook score for that check. After two calendar days, no points can be earned for that notebook check. 1. Any Right Side assignment that is found to be out of chronological order will cause a 10% reduction in the overall score of a notebook evaluation.

Grading the Notebook GRADING THE NOTEBOOK

Grading the Notebook

10 Excellent-Above and beyond

Notebook contents are complete, dated, and labeled (+100%) Pages are numbered (odd-right side, even-left side) Right-side/ left-side topics are correct and contents are organized Notes and writing go beyond basic requirements.(typed, neat) Uses color and effective diagrams Notebook is neat and shows attention to detail Shows impressive, in-depth self reflection about work.

I give it a

10

VS…

Grading the Notebook

2 Inadequate- complete lack of effort

Notebook contents are incomplete (70% or less) Pages are numbered incorrectly, Right-side, left-side is inconsistent Contents unorganized Information shows only superficial understanding of contents or shows serious inaccuracies Notebook is not neat, sloppiness prevails Shows little self- reflection

1 Incomplete

Notebook turned in, but too incomplete to evaluate properly

Grading the Notebook

How do students like it?

● “They are very organized and help me study when I’m getting ready for a test” - Priya K.

● “I like that my notes are so organized are in one spot and easy to find” - Jessee K.

● “Notebooks are easier to keep up with. Plus, they keep all your papers together and don’t fall out like a binder” - Barbara E.

● “They last a lot longer. My binders always pop open and my notebook doesn’t” - Morgan H.

● “They are easier to write in” - Rylan S. ● “Notebooks are much easier to deal with when

carrying large amounts of books” - Jared G.

QUESTIONS & COMMENTS?