What Teachers are saying about using Interactive Notebooks
These comments are from Ravenwood teachers who completed a Google form providing feedback on the Interactive Notebook
In what capacity did you incorporate the interactive notebook into your classroom?
oMy students used it to take mostly grammar notes which were then used for practice sentences in the language in my French II class.
oMy students we required to keep an interactive notebook for the entire school year. This was mainly used as a "study guide" for their EOC test in May.
oI used it for students to take daily notes in as well as complete homework assignments. All worksheets and in class projects went into the notebook. It was organized by chapter and unit.
oWe used it as our primary notebook and assignment book. We completed all notes on the right side of the notebook. We also stapled in most handouts and assignments. All interactions on the left side were assigned by the teacher as exit tickets or homework. I did not do a table of contents.
oUsed with daily lectures, graded on a weekly basis
oI used it more for an organizational tool than "interacting". I had students put their notes on the right, and they did their homework on the left side.
oI used the notebook as an organizational tool and accountability piece for my class. Students took notes on the left and did in-class activities on the right. I used it almost every non-test class period.
What do you like about the interactive notebook?
oThe kids remembered the material better!
oStudents were accountable for their practice and use of class concepts.
oI liked the "forced" organization, as well as the idea of getting students to use their notes to make them meaningful to them. I loved that students had to take everything a step further in making their learning useful and meaningful to them. It also easily allowed me to identify areas of improvement based on the quality of their interactions.
oThe organization. Students knew exactly where everything was for every chapter. The other thing is it significantly cut down on the grading I have to do. I was not collecting and handing back papers on a daily or even weekly basis. It was a one-time collection every few weeks.
oLike that it incorporated their knowledge with their notes, provided accountability to take notes
oIt gave the students a chance to creatively interact with their notes and synthesize the information into something that makes sense and into something that they will remember.
oI liked that it kept the students organized, and that their notes were right there when they did their homework.
What did you not like about the interactive notebook?
oIt was cumbersome to grade, and I would always forget to take a grade when the opportunity arose (like while testing).
oI found myself running out of good interaction ideas. I tried to keep mixing it up on my students, but I found myself going back to the same few interactions every time.
oSome of the issues I had were if a student lost their notebook in the middle of a unit. I had policies set up for this at the beginning of the year, it was their responsibility to come to me and gather all the worksheets again. Depending on the time they came and due dates, they may or may not have a few extra days to complete.
oNothing really. I just have to tweak a few things moving forward. This year, students ran out of room and were forced to start new notebooks because I wasn't particular enough with assignments that went into the notebook. For example, I had students do their vocab/questions for each section in the notebook which really took up too much room plus it had to go on the left and right side.
oSome students reluctance to do it
oI'll be doing a very similar thing next year, but using a 3 ring binder instead. I have handouts for notes 99% of the time, so I felt I was being wasteful of the paper in the notebook.
oIt was pretty bulky, and the kids are terrible at getting the correct size so all the papers hang out the edges.
otime grading and some of the interactions were not clear how to do
oI don't like checking notebooks, mostly because of the logistics of keeping, organizing, and moving big stacks. I found it more useful to do quick checks during class, rather than an "end of the quarter" or "end of the unit" comprehensive notebook check.
What would you change about the way you incorporated the interactive notebook into your class?
oI would keep track of the different items I asked them to write in notebook in order to make checking them easier.
oI would stress the importance of a 5-subject notebook more, as well as the need for a mini stapler. I would also like to get more ideas for useful interactions to keep things "interesting and new".
oI am working on gathering class reviews to see what I might change; one may be that rather than students doing their own interactions (not directed by me) have them summarize their nightly reading.
oThe only way I plan on changing next year is to look into possibly doing a separate notebook for section vocab/questions because most students had to use two notebooks this year.
oI will work next year on a description for all of the interactions that I will give to make them a little clearer on expectations.
oI'll be doing something very similar next year, but I'll be using a 3 ring binder instead. Everything will be in the same order as I did this year, but I give note handouts 99% of the time, so I felt I was wasting the actual
oI'm going to use the same idea, but with a 3 ring binder next year. That way I don't waste the spirals paper, and they will all be the correct size
ofind a way to make it manageable - eliminate some interactions
oLike I said above, I felt pressure to do a comprehensive check at the end of the unit or quarter, but that felt overwhelming to me, logistically. I do quick checks on a frequent basis, and never take the notebooks up from the kids. That's been a positive change for me.
What students are saying about the Interactive Notebook?
What was most helpful about using the interactive notebook?
it helped me learn so much! it made me study, and made studying for quizzes and the exam a lot easier.
Definitely keep the study guides and the interactions because they honestly are incredibly helpful in learning and, if you really read the text and fill out the study guide, you learn everything you need to know. It combines both creative (interactions) and analytically (study guides) as well as auditory and visual learning to create the perfect learning process.
The interactive notebook made me study and review more than I would if I didn't have it.
Doing more hands on activities and creative things helped me more because it is harder for me to just read and take notes.
I think the interactive notebook was most helpful when the interaction involved pictures. In the activities where we had to find pictures or draw pictures it always helped me remember the information better.
The interactions, although very time-consuming, are actually extremely helpful when studying . the left side interactions are essential for different learning styles
It was a great tool for organization and studying. It was like having an already filled out study guide every test
it helped me stay involved in the class
the hands on activities really enhance the experience
its much easier than carrying a binder and you have everything in there and stapled so you don't loose it
the notebook was a big help through the school year. I found it very helpful that all my papers were in a specific order, so I could check their order in the table of contents at the beginning of every chapter. This cut down on time looking through notes and increased efficiency.
Going back in it to fill in my study guides was very helpful at the end. I think the interactions didn't help me very much though.
Everything was always organized and right where I needed it. It made studying a breeze.
It helped me stay organized and i didn't feel overwhelmed.
it is the most beneficial way, at least for me, to study.
We could review at any moment in time.
interactions help create a mental image
it kept everything I needed in one place and helped me satisfy my OCD
Kept life in this class very organized. I had everything in it, in order, so I wasn't scrambling before tests trying to find everything.
It was a creative way to remember information.
It was organized and centralized and helped me keep information I needed throughout the year.
Looking back at interactions because they outline and display ideas and info in an easy way for studying
Nothing really. The interactions kind of took up my time
It kept me organized and made studying for quizzes and test very easy
it was an easier way to study the content.
the interactions, they put the information in your noggin so well because that's sometimes how I remember info on tests
It re-worded and organized the notes that I had already taken which is helpful to some people. Visual learners will learn better with interactions.
All of my notes were kept together and I felt organized.
It kept me organized and was easy to study.
Everything was in one place when I needed to study for tests.
Interactions have helped me learn in different ways besides reading and re-reading a textbook and provide a more efficient way to study a topic and deepen understanding of it.
It was a different and more fun way of studying.
Being able to go back and read the notes
nothing
Some of the interactions helped me to remember the information better
I liked how I was able to make my own way of studying the material and some interactions were very effective while taking tests because i could visualize them in my head.
EVERYTHING!!!!! I absolutely LOVED the notebook. It was SOOO easy to study and to keep up with. I felt so organized and i wish every teacher would use it for every subject! please talk to your teacher friends and get them to do it next year. My grade would have been devastating without it! It was also a very simple 100 to get which improved my grade.
Having my notes in it. I liked having everything in one place. I prefer a notebook to a binder. I didn't have a lot of loose paper I could lose.
It kept worksheets organized.
I like how in the beginning of each chapter there is a table of contents and a Know And Be Able To sheet.
It gave me a point of reference of what we learned this past year. It reminded me of important thinks and gave examples. It also helped with certain interactions where I could visualize the notes instead of just reading them.
I had all my notes to study for in one place.
i could review anytime
the interactions. the interactions were helpful, they helped me grasp the material by working it out by myself and really wrapping my head around what i was to do.
Before a test, going back to study and look at examples
it was very helpful, and it really helped me review and go over things as i was learning them, as well as keeping everything in one place.
It was a great way to learn all the information. The interactions were a very nice way to recap everything that we needed to know, and I usually completed a few interactions the night before - so rewriting all that information really benefited me. And also, it was a very student-friendly way of staying organized. The use of color in the notebook was GREAT. Literally, it helped me so much. Having the visuals, different types of concept maps, and etc in the interactions was an awesome way to get me to remember most of what was needed.
It allowed me to stay organized, and using color and visuals helped me memorize the important events and some of the smaller facts that needed to be remembered. The interactive notebook was a more organized tool to use to study than a binder would have been.
It covered a bunch of learning styles to help me learn to my fullest potential. For example, color coding in my notebook helped my brain match certain topics together. The interactive notebook was also useful for learning new things in fun ways other than a boring textbook activity or worksheet. It was relatable and fun
You could go back and study anytime you wanted, which was very convenient
kept up with all of your papers
It helped me review for the tests, everything was nice and neat and also organized, and it helped me learn more and catch information that I might have missed the first time.
it helped so much and was a great organizer. i even wanted to have one in my other classes too
everything was very organized and the consistency of it.
it kept me organized
i am a hand on learner and some of the activities made it easier for me to learn it through the interactions
the interactive notebook should definitely stay. It helped me so much in tests and quizzes because I many times picture things in my head to remember them, so I was able to think of the interactions and remember information. It was also very organized and easily able to be studied for the unit tests.
It put notes we took into a creative format that helped me remember things better.
It was organized
I liked how some of the interactions help you understand and connect the information.
The interactions helped to understand topics easier like the guided reading question to do in the textbook.
It was very easy to keep everything organized and I was able to keep everything together nicely. I was also able to study easier rather than having loose notes in a binder.
It helped me stay organized. I always knew where to find things.
Knowing that no papers could magically vanish.
kept track of all my stuff
It kept us up to date with all of our notes and we could find things very easily.
the interactive notebook helped me study
it helped me study and help me interact with the material doing the interactions
the interactions improved the amount of understanding of the material.
the spiral notebook, because it was the main thing i used for studying and when doing the study guide interactions I learned a lot because i was putting things into my own words and it allowed me to do much better on the quizzes and tests
What would you change/improve about the interactive notebook?
Putting little labeled sticky notes in place every time a new chapter happens. I had trouble finding the specific chapter we were on. Making a check list of every interaction we have to complete.
I think we should be able to do our own interaction to our benefit that we think would help us the most.
A little less interactions and less emphasis on the coloring and stuff like that.
I feel that each student should have to only do 4 interactions per unit on which ever page they want
Nothing
Give more time for some of the interactions. Also, maybe do weekly checks over the notebook or something like that because many people, including myself, would sometimes wait until the last minute to do them and I feel like that defeats the purpose of interactions.
I would go back to using the Table of Contents because it made keeping up with the notebook a lot easier
no color. no interactions
Tab markers to mark certain things: pink - study guides; orange - new chapter; blue - case study; green - video; and so on.
Nothing.
having examples of each type of interaction, I would have branched out more in the interactions I tried
I do not think anything should be changed about the interactive notebook, it was extremely helpful every day in class and at home when doing work for this course. Putting it together was not hard and I got a huge benefit from it.
I would give next years students more choices on which interaction.
Not as much assignments to put in it.
Less interactions towards the end of the second semester. For example, only use interactions for notes.
Not as many interactions.
Start at the beginning of the course like we ended without the table of contents because that really stressed me out getting it in perfect order.
More guided notes.
I think that there needs to be more frequent checks for interactions throughout the year. I found myself slacking and waiting to do them right before the test instead of when they were assigned. More frequent checks would've forced me to keep them up to date more often.
not having it
more organized and not as elaborate
More options for the interactive side. Let us choose our activity based on what we know will help us remember.
less study guides. like i stated before i am a visual learner and just a boring question and answer page did not help me grasp material.
I would change the interactions. I think that we should have had more of a choice on which ones to do rather than be assigned one. Everyone learns differently and other ways of studying work better for different students.
I wouldn't really change anything. i liked it.
nothing
Maybe instead of a 5 subject make it a 3 subject, my backpack is pressed for space.
NOTHING! IT WAS PERFECT! Keep it just the way you had it!!
Actually i would have a big table of contents at the beginning of each semester that had every chapter and where it was located in the notebook because when studying for the CCE the only issue i found was that i didn't know where each section began.
get rid of it
no grade if you don't want to take it seriously don't its only effecting you
Continue the policy of having 2 nights to compete assignments
Not so many interactions. They were good sometimes to make sure we knew the information but I felt that sometimes they were a bit excessive and overwhelming with the amount of other work I had in this class as well as homework from other classes.
Don't drown the whole thing with worksheets.
i would make it to where their were choices for each learning style for all pages
nothing. i liked the notebook!
More opinion pieces for the interactions.
More options for the interactive side.
I felt we were told how to learn. I think we should be able to pick, that way we can pick what way helps us the most.
i would make it less strict. like let students choose interactions that would work well for them
I honestly did not really like the interactions sometimes, although they usually are pretty simple and easy.
I liked when we stopped having a table of contents. It was really hard to get all the papers in the right order. Also, doing interactions for everything we did was really time consuming and not that helpful.
I don't think there should be an interaction for every activity, but having one for notes is good.
Give more freedom about what assignment to complete.
I would have less assignments and only do interactions for the assignments that seem to be necessary for an interaction.
I understand that all of the course information is important, but if you only require interactions on really important information the students will be more motivated to do it. I also thought that Venn diagrams and charts were kind of boring, but I enjoyed making up tweets and writing stories/letters from other peoples perspective.
again i would make checkpoints where certain interactions were due by certain days because waiting until the end was really hard to have a high quality notebook
Less complex interactions. They take up too much time.
It was a little confusing sometimes to find the information I needed. It just gets to clustered with the examples and interactions sometimes. It helped me to have more notes sometimes than examples. I suggest less independent interactions/worksheets and more interactions that can go with notes.
Make the interactions not as strict and let us be more creative in what we do.
Less emphases on the small details, more emphasis on the bigger picture which is learning the topic. I feel like sometimes my teacher focused too much on completing the assignment and not enough about learning the topic.
I would lessen the amount of worksheets and interactions
less interactions
I like a binder instead of the interactive notebook as it looks cleaner and is more organized
I didn't like some of the interactions because some of them didn't benefit me and didn't interest me.
I would just make it all creative instead of a mix of the two for me personally, but for multiple students whom you don't know their learning style, i think a mix is good.
I honestly thought that the interactive notebook was so much better than a regular note-taking notebook. Right now, I think that it is perfectly fine the way it is.
Sometimes the interaction load felt excessive and hard, but it really is worth doing
USE A BINDER!! I feel it would be so much easier to do! First, you would probably have to buy the paper with the tape around the three hole punches so they wouldn't fall out. Second, you would save so much money and paper that is just going to waste in the notebook by just stapling stuff on top of it. Third, you could use section dividers to organize different chapters and worksheet sections