Teacher Thoughts Series: Blending Interactive Notebooks to Digital

Continuation of the series of what I'm thinking.

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Guest Speaker

Over Christmas break, I bought a book: Teach Like A Pirate by Dave Burgess and at @burgessdave . This book has changed how I look at educating students and student engagement. It has re-energized me. It has shaped how I look at presenting my lesson to my students. You should buy it and read it. You will be transformed. I guarantee it.

One of the things I picked up from the book is to have guest speakers come into your classroom. Profound, right? Well, this book talks about using yourself as the guest speaker. I created a hook (read the book for awesome hooks) for the lesson by posting an Instagram picture of a Viking helmet with the caption, "You better make sure you're in class tomorrow for this."

We're also talking a little bit about the Vikings so it worked. I borrowed the helmet from a friend and colleague...follow him here. Kids were intrigued. In the morning the next day, I told them we were having a guest speaker. I left it at that. I got asked about 25 times or more throughout the day when the guest speaker was going to be here. I told them, "Soon." I still had their attention and anticipation. 

The previous interactive notebook social studies lesson involved reading from the text book, answering some questions about the reading (right side), and then having the students write an introduction speech that would introduce Charlemagne to a large group of people (left side). Essentially, the students were writing all about Charlemagne and his accomplishments to introduce him to the people prior to him giving the speech. They were learning and then applying their learning instantly, which is what I love about the interactive notebooks. I then asked the students that wanted to share their intros to come up and read them. I let them use the class microphone. About 5 of them wanted to share. They were each about 2 paragraphs. After the last one went, I put on a tiara that I had in my closet. (I forgot to go to Burger King in the morning to get a manly crown). I stood on a chair because Charlemagne was said to stand very tall. I changed the sound of my voice a little and started off with thanking them for having me come and speak to them about my life. I was the guest speaker as Charlemagne.

I did some research the night before that went a little deeper than our textbook and then gave an interactive speech to them. Some of them just started smiling. Others laughed because they've noticed me getting more out of my shell in class, others were excited, and of course, some were skeptical, as well. They asked me questions and I answered in a way that I thought Charlemagne would answer the questions. Most, if not all of the students, were totally engaged. They asked me questions about the time period. They asked what I would do if the conquered lands wouldn't convert to Christianity. They asked me what area was the easiest to defeat. They asked me lots of questions. I told them how the Pope and I were incredibly tight-knit. It was incredibly inspiring because I could see them craving more. I thanked them for coming when I was done. Then, the students clapped. After I gave their assignment for the day, some were still talking about it. I asked some of the quieter ones what they thought of the guest speaker. They both said it was funny, fun, and that they liked it. 

I think I'll keep the lesson for next year and pull out the guest speaker again sometime. I like learning funny. 

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SS Interactive Notebooks on Culture

I plan on blogging about our Interactive Notebooks this year. Our first chapter will be in culture. We started with reading a handout on the 5 elements of culture. Then, we created mind maps of the five elements and added some personal "swag" to them.

Here's some samples.

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Interactive Notebooks in Social Studies

Last summer, my colleagues and I stumbled upon interactive notebooks. It was odd because we each came together at an iPad training conference all of us were attending in our district and said, "Hey, you gotta check this out!" All three of us didn't know that the others had stumbled upon the same thing. Anyway, long story short, we decided to use interactive notebooks in social studies this year. We collaborated on them. KP did a lot more than I did. :) I really liked it. The students really liked it. Or at least the majority of them did. :)

We all somehow stumbled upon this and this, from www.themiddleschoolmouth.blogspot.com and Mrs. Gannon's site of this all within the same week. We decided that we should do it. That was that.

For a nice overview see below or here for the nice Prezi presentation by Susan Rubin that gives a pretty good overview of them.



The year before, we basically did packets per unit. (The packets were borrowed/stolen/given/whatever from our fearless team leader, Kim P. Have I ever mentioned how much she took me under her wing? No. Well, I'm eternally grateful. Other people I'm eternally grateful to include Amy C., Chris D., Connie B., John D., and Sonna S.) I digress. The packets were good. A lot of the packet material found its way into the new Interactive Notebooks. We just thought that we got tired of rerunning the packets for the kids that lost them. So, our solution was the Interactive Notebook.

You can see from the Prezi above that the INB (they say ISN in the Prezi) is divided into sides. The right side is the input side. What I would consider the "teacher side." This is the side that anything the teacher goes over. Maybe it's notes, questions that  you must answer, essential vocab, chapter reviews, etc. Also, what others typically call it is the "Testable Material" side. Anything that is on the right side is fair game to be on a test/quiz. In other words: know it.

The left side is the output side. It's basically how students make sense of the right side. I typically call this the "student side." I also would consider it the "creative side" because the students create things to show their knowledge of the topic.

After doing it for a year some suggestions that I have come upon.

1. I really like the composition notebooks over spiral bound notebooks. None of the pages fall out. 
2. I'm going to put a data sheet in the front next year. That way all the students can keep track of all their grades as we go through them.
3. I took a grade on the notebook after they took their test over that unit. All in all, if they do the notebook their test grades were always very high. Use can use the activities as exit slips as well. You can grade them daily. It makes it really easy to do informal assessments from yesterday's work as they are working on today's assignment. 
4. Students don't really have any excuse to not understand a given topic because they will go over the material 4 times. All in different ways that hits on different learning styles. 
1. They will probably read something (more than likely from their textbook)
2. They will then respond to some of the important questions on the teacher side of their notebook. 
3. They will then participate in a class discussion on the topic. 
4. They will then complete an activity on the left side demonstrating their knowledge of the material. 
5. Typically, we would do a lesson a day. (Chapter 7, Lesson 2) But, I think the students can do more. This was our first year doing it. We also switched to block scheduling. One day they are in SS, the next day in Science. So the students have 2 days to complete the work. You just have to plan accordingly. 
6. I like glue sticks. Another teachers likes Elmers liquid glue. No matter what, you're going to need more than you think. 
7. Cutting and gluing - I cut and glue the day's activity every day. Another teacher has her students cut everything out and glue everything for the whole unit on day one of the unit. Either way is fine. You just have to decide. 
8. This can be used as a textbook for them to take with them as they progress through grades. 
9. I used the same notebook for the entire year. It ended up being about 135 pages. 
10. I make a notebook as well. I cut and then glue everything in. Actually, I tape mine in. It's a lot quicker that way. My notebook can be used for the absent students to look at. I don't fill mine out until after both of my classes have put them in. I will fill out the questions on the teacher side so that when we discuss in class they can check to make sure that they have the correct answer since it is "testable." 
11. I run off everything I will need for an entire chapter before we begin. 
1. So I can get my plans done.
2. So I can put everything in my notebook. 
3. So if a student wants wants to work ahead they can. 
4. So if a student is going to be absent they can pick it up ahead of time. 
5. So it just makes it easier and you're not rushing around trying to run something off the day that you're doing it. 
12. Most of the sheets get shrunk down to accommodate going into the smaller than 8.5" x 11" standard. 
1. 87% of the original seems to work well. 
2. If you create something in Word just change your margins to your liking so that when they cut it out it fits in a composition notebook. 
3. If you run a double sided page, like something you're going to have them read, and you shrink it, sometimes the front and backs don't line up when they cut it out. 
4. You can run full-size front and back copies of things you want them to read. You just put a pocket into the notebook and fold the handout and put it in the pocket. 
13. You'll want to have a place for your handouts to go for the absent students. I have a folder in the back of the room. After I have given the material to both of my classes, I put the extras in the folder. I typically run off extras just in case there is some traumatic event that happens like my dog ate my notebook sort of thing. I then never have to mess with that student who was absent. I just tell them to check the folder. If there is nothing in the folder, that means I have ran out. By that time, they'll probably just copy the assignment from my notebook or a friend's. My room is upstairs. The copier is downstairs. I can't get them another.
14. Digital - I know a lot of this is paper and pencil. Some students created their pieces digitally and then glued/taped them into their books. I have four iPads and one laptop in my room. I had 32 students this past  year. That's not enough for everyone. If they are fortunate enough to have a device that can show me their learning in a different way than paper/pencil/colored pencils then that is fine. I would like to do all of this digitally, we just don't have the firepower currently. I also would like to use a lot of the apps instead. 
15. Only have them use colored pencils/crayons for coloring. No markers. Markers seep through the pages. 
16. What students put into their notebook, they usually get out. You reap what you sow. I know it's cliche, but it's true. 
17. I'd like to get to the point where I model a lot of the creative sides and then second semester let the students decide however they want to show their thinking. 
18. Some of the things we did creatively ended up going on the walls. Some of those included. 
1. Invitations to a Roman Colosseum event. 
2. The students had the choice to do one of these to represent a Roman Emperor
1. Roman Emperor Report Cards
2. Sensory Figures of a Roman Emperor
3. Action Figures that they made of a Roman Emperor
19. I like to get to the point where students are taking full ownership of the left side with little guidance from me. 
20. Have fun with them. 

Hopefully, this has helped you get started and maybe consider using them. I have found them very beneficial. The students have as well. Leave your thoughts in the comments. 

Some Resources-
Just google them and you'll find a ton.
Just search for pins on pinterest and you'll find a ton.

Wiki that is chalk-full of great things - http://interactive-notebooks.wikispaces.com/
PowerPoint  that is kid-friendly for explaining it to them.
Lots of examples for Left Side.
We got a lot of things from http://inspirededucators.com/ as well.

Some pics from some of my students' books.

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Retesting - Testing 1, 2, 3?

I recently gave a test over Rome in Social Studies. Both of my classes did not do well. The students practically had all the info that would be on the test. They had it all in their interactive notebooks. (Maybe a blog post about these over the summer.) The way I typically do my interactive notebooks is that there is a reading. Followed by some sort of questions that pertain to the reading (the right side of my notebooks). Then, the left side of the notebook is something creative where the students show their learning in some sort of an alternative assessment. Think creating invitations, report cards, sensory images, comics, historical markers, speeches, etc. The following class period, we go over their notebooks and hold a discussion. So, in all reality, the students get the information four times. It's given to them in multiple ways through the reading, the questions, the creation piece, and the discussion. Before the test, I give them a review guide that goes in their notebook. I go over it with them, to make sure they have the correct answers. After that, we play a review game. I send that review game out to them and their parents so they can study at home. The questions on the review game are the same as on the notebook review sheets so those students who don't have the Internet at home can still study.

The test is the following day. I'd say the review guide tells them 99% of what will be on the test.

If a student somehow bombs the test. I say somehow, because they have the answers to the test besides maybe an essay question that they should know the answer to anyway. I will write their grade on the test and then a note to come see me for a retest. No questions asked. They can take it again.

Most don't come. I had two come last time. So my question is, is it my responsibility to find them and make them take this retest that they don't care about, didn't take it serious the first time and won't the second or is it their responsibility to put forth some effort, study a little on their own, and come see me on their own?

These are the thoughts that circle through my head at a time like this. I really struggle with it.

Am I an ineffective teacher because I'm not forcing it to them to retest? Did I not set them up for success?  I'm pretty sure that I am. Am I teaching them a lesson in effort by letting them do it on their own? Is their self-motivation so low that a 30% is acceptable to them? My school has a somewhat 80% and lower needs to retest. While I do understand the need to for students to pass/master a topic (my district is moving to mastery learning), if a student has no desire to help himself/herself should that be a reflection on me? Can I make a kid study for things? Is it my fault? One of my favorite teachers when I was in high schools said that, "Students earn their grades. They are not given." What you reap is what you sow. Am I doing enough? Am I working hard enough for my students to be successful?

Let me have some feedback and thoughts on this please.

And some quotes just because I like quotes.

The worst thing that you can do for another person is the things they can and should do for themselves.  Abraham Lincoln

If you do not have the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over. John Wooden

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." Wooden

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