Are Interactive Notebooks Effective?

  Recently, I've been seeing a move towards getting rid of interactive notebooks and replacing them with digital collaboration and learning.  The largest argument I've seen against it is that all students do is glue it into the notebook and that is all.  They don't learn from that!

I am not sure I would fully agree with that particular idea because I get students in high school who have not been trained to take notes or to use them effectively once the notes are recorded.

I serious thought of not having them this year but realized I do not know if I'll have my iPads for another year so just in case, I will have the composition books available for notes.  I found a blog whose author lists seven reasons students should use interactive notebooks.

1. They teach students to organize and synthesis their thoughts.
2.  They meet multiple learning styles both in and out of the classroom.
3. When students work in their notebooks at home, parents get to see what they are doing.
4. This notebook acts as portfolio showing growth over time and is a place students can record their self reflections.
5. This interactive notebook becomes a personalized textbook which can open avenues for extended learning.
6. Students gain ownership using color and creativity.
7. They reduce clutter because its all in one place.

One new suggestion I have seen in interactive notebooks is to have students record notes on the right hand side of the page while reserving the left hand page for putting the material into their own words, pictures, etc.  This suggestion fits in with my desire to teach students to create sketch notes also known as visual notes.  It gives me a nice way to have them practice it starting from their notes.

It is also suggested students be given a chance to decorate the front cover of their interactive notebook so it is personalized.  The first page should be left open as the table of contents so students know exactly where to find the notes on a specific topic.  All left hand pages will be even numbered while the right hand pages have odd numbers.  Furthermore, all pages should be numbered and dated.

In addition to putting the material into their own words or creating pictures, the left side can be used to brainstorm, show their thinking when completing a task or solving a problem.  This is their side to learn that not all notes must be words.  

One teacher recommended teachers create their own interactive notebook so students can consult them should they be absent or want to make sure they are up to date on notes.  I've used these before but I learned a few things last year. The most important thing I learned is to have any thing that needs to be filled in located where they are easily found.  I like the idea of having my own notebook so students can come in after school to fill in what they missed due to travel or an absence.

Let me know what you think.  I'm working my way through a couple of books on visual note taking so I can instruct my students in this as I've read it makes it easier for them to remember material.

Interactive Notebooks.

It has always been hard to find information on interactive notebooks for high school math but thanks to Josh Fisher, I was directed to Sarah Hagans' website M+A+T+H = Love.  This wonderful lady has posted examples of the interactive notebooks she uses with her classes and offers the materials freely.  I am so thrilled because I can start using some of the units in my Algebra I class.  Yeah.  I think it is going to help them.

Her interactive notebooks include table of contents, chapter contents and lots and lots of foldables.  Its the foldables that would make it hard to put on a digital device but as someone pointed out, technology encompasses different levels of technology and we don't have to do everything digitally.  I can always have the students create an end project to integrate technology and show what they have learned.  Furthermore, some students need that kinestetic element that digital devices do not offer.

I have looked for information on using interactive notebooks in my classroom but honestly, life seems to come and throw a monkey wrench into my available time so I can't do the research I need to do.  This site is awesome and gives me everything I need to do this.  

I will be starting these interactive notebooks with my Algebra I class on Tuesday.  I have the composition books, I have the glue, I have everything else I need to I can hardly wait to try it.  I really appreciate these resources she has provided.  Thank you Sarah Hagan!

Printing and notebook apps

The tech guy who works with me on the iPads, is working to figure out how to configure the iPads so I can have students print out material. I will talk to him later today to see if he needs an app with the ipad so it works as an interface or if it can be done directly.  He is also working on figuring out how I can take advantage of the airdrop facet of iOS 7.02 to push pdf's and documents to my students.  It is all one step at a time.  We learned yesterday which settings to use so I can image one iPad with an update and transfer it to the other iPads.  He and I are learning things together.
This is an update on free notebook apps and how they are going.
SAS notebook is nice but the students discovered if they want to import photos they have to use the scratch page but if they want text, they have to use the text page.  They are still trying to figure out how to get text and photos or screen shots on the same page.  I have my seniors using this program.  Each day they play with it, they learn more and share the knowledge with each other.
Goodnotes free is used by my Algebra 2 class and they are enjoying it. They have figured out how to import photos, drawings, etc, add text and handwriting.  They help each other and are having fun learning all of the functions it offers.
Inkflow is used in the Geometry class and the kids love it.  They've imported pictures, screen shots, drawn pictures, written and typed so far.  this one was quite easy for them to use and it comes with a users guide that many of the students played with as they read it.
Yesterday I introduced my 9th grade Algebra I class to Smartnote free and they struggled with it.  You can make text for some or all of the page.  You have to hold your finger down at the end of the type text here message to bring up the keyboard.  This app allows you to record a lecture while taking notes.  We haven't tried importing a photo yet but that is going to happen on Friday. 
Using Smartnote made me realize, I need to see which of the other apps allow students to record something to go with the notes.  That would add one more element of interaction to the notes. 
I have one more notebook app but I won't be able to introduce that to Period one until Monday of next week.  I think I am having fun watching the students explore and learn how to use these apps.  So far it is going well but if the students save anything in photos, other students delete them as I don't allow students to keep photos on the iPads.  I may have to rethink this position.  I need to check a couple apps on that question.
I am learning quite a lot from my students.

Interactive notebooks part two

I and my students are finding out more about the individual notebook programs we are using.  For instance, Goodnotes allows my students to take both pictures and screen shots and import them into their writings so they can add annotations with their finger or with a text book.  Unfortunately SAS Notebook requires the students to use a scratch paper to bring in photos or other type of picture.  They can hand write annotations, comments, etc but we are still working on adding typing.  They cannot import the scratch paper material into the text page so students will require two pages.  For inkflow the students were helping each other figure out how to create examples using the geometry pad or geoboard apps, take and crop those pictures and import them to the page.  Every single student was on task in all three classes and it was fun watching students who are not normally engaged doing the assignment.  I have one period left and that is my 9th grade math class.  We are starting with popplet and they will do one or two rectangles/cards a day
The QR codes for warm-ups are going well and a couple students asked me why I was not doing the practice standardized test questions via QR code.  I told them I"d try it for next week and the kids are buying into the technological integration.

Implementing digital apps

Tuesday I downloaded 4 different notebook apps so each of 4 classes would have their own set of digital notebooks as these iPads are shared.  For two periods I had the students write down notes and for one period, I had them write what they knew about midpoint, distance and angles.   The biggest thing I forgot to do was plan time in so they could explore the application before writing things down.  Just for your reference I downloaded SAS Notebook, Goodnotes, Inkflow and Popplet lite.  It turns out Inkflow comes with a 10 page instruction manual the students read.  When they started writing, I had students help answer each others questions on using the app such as "How do I delete something?"  "How do I start a new notebook?"  This way I don't have to answer things. 
I am hoping to have students use these apps as their digital journals. 
In the future, I plan to have them create posters, foldables, take pictures of certain worksheets and use the annotation abilities to highlight certain important items.  I am going to try to have them create posters or word salads on line and import the finished project into the journals. I am hoping this way, it becomes more interactive than just a straight writing exercise.
Only time will tell how it works.  I have one more period today and we'll see if we even get to the app as it is a shorter period than usual due to a pep rally.

Flash cards

I am having my students do word problems today and it became apparent that my students have issues with some of the vocabulary in terms of operations. 
I introduced students to the KFCW chart which is a math version of KWL.  They have to list what they know or information they are given.  F is used for the part of What do you want to find?  C is what do you need to consider?  This is where they write down what operation do they need to use? Is there some formula they will need to use?  How are you going to solve the problem?  Finally is W which stands for Work. This is where the student shows their work and the solution.  I showed it to the new Science teacher and she is making her students use the same form for science word problems.  I like the consistency between the two classes.
As my students are working the problems they get to the words telling them what operation to apply and they don't really know those words.  I have the SAS flash card app on their iPads, so I think beginning tomorrow, I will have students create flash cards for operation vocabulary so they can test themselves and learn the vocabulary.  I like the SAS flash card app because they can make either text based cards with the word, a picture, a voice over and the answer or an actual math problem. 
Yesterday, I managed to update the OS on all the ipads and downloaded a few different notebook type programs so I can use a different one in each period.  I am hoping that this will eliminate the issue of one student messing with another student's work.  I am hoping to begin the notebooks around mid October.

Interactive notebooks

I"ve been reading up on ways of creating and using interactive notebooks in Math.  All of the ways I"ve found use a composition book and foldables to create the notebook.  I know I am trying to use more technology in the classroom so I can avoid using more paper and have more things my students have to keep track of in class.  So I am wondering if I could use a book creator app or even ibooks author so my students can create interactive math notebooks.  I need to research this a bit more as I want students to be able to bring in their drawings and work and not just rely on what they can import from the internet.  I am also wondering if they can design something that flips or moves for the notebook. 
On a different note, I had my seniors start using mind map for sin and cos graphing.  The areas are altitude, shift both horizontal and vertical, phase, and frequency.  So far, it is going well.  The one thing I learned is that it takes time for them to use the mind map app right now and we are only going to be able to add one or two strands a day.
I am hoping to have my algebra 2 students use it beginning Thursday for finding linear equations.  I have to make it Thursday because some students took the initiative to download iOS7 and one or two got messed up so I have to spend part of today getting the iPads up to date, imaged, and running.