Making Learning Memorable: Interactive Notebooks in the Elementary Classroom Melodye Paruszkiewicz VAST Annual PDI November 21, 2015

And, perhaps, most importantly...

Organizational tidbits: Glue sticks, glue sticks, glue sticks Organize desks so that students have easy access to glue, scissors, and trash Have a notebook for yourself to complete as you go Place a quart Ziploc bag in the back of each student notebook to hold extra pieces and ‘not quite done’ work. Be a “page nazi”, make your students match you page for page Leave at least 2 pages for Table of Contents Foldables, PowerPoint and Google Slides are your friend (so is Teachers Pay Teachers)

What to include (and why): Table of contents - this allows students to keep their work organized (and reinforces ToC skills) Page numbers - otherwise, what is the point of a ToC Cover pages - they give students the opportunity to personalize their learning Vocabulary - this gives students background knowledge so they can connect to the material they are learning Essential Skills/Knowledge in kid friendly terms - because, unfortunately, our students must process retain crazy amounts of information Color - this makes the information more appealing to the eye and gives students another opportunity to make it their own

Let’s get creative: PowerPoint and Google Slides Teachers Pay Teachers Foldables Microsoft Word or Google Docs Google Drive

What Makes it interactive? You keep a notebook right along with the students. Students are not merely copying notes from the board, they are interacting with the information. The notebooks serve as a springboard for class discussion. Many activities are, themselves, interactive (foldables, sorts, etc.) When taken home for studying, the notebook serves as a platform for parents to interact with the student and their learning.

Let’s take a walk...through a notebook:

Thanks for your time... Feel free to me with any questions! Happy notebooking!