Immersed in Interactive Info
Want a way to enable your students to be more independent thinkers and grow in processing and applying information? Try implementing interactive notebooks. These tools allow students to organize information through creative thinking and can be developed for most any curriculum area. Interactive notebooks are used for class notes, problem solving, and other activities where students are asked to express ideas or process information. They are as unique as the teacher’s purpose and evolve as the student creatively develops the task assigned into a meaningful notebook entry.
One of our favorite interactive notebooks is simple to create and can be used to differentiate instruction to meet each student’s developmental needs. It focuses on problem solving and changes daily to review or assess skills that have been taught. This kindergarten class uses it for the “Problem of the Day.”
Lilly’s teacher creates problems that meet individual student’s needs, reviews the expectations, and sends the children off to solve the problem of the day. These kindergartners are encouraged to use pictures, words, and numbers to show their work. They have a 3 step process:
The children are encouraged to use a variety of materials to show their work. Colored pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, glue sticks, colorful cutouts and templates help to spark creativity for notebook assignments. Each task can be as simple or as detailed as needed to develop, review, or show understanding of a concept.
This link from Carson-Dellosa will give you more ideas on how to form interactive notebooks that will aid students in organizing information and applying their knowledge.
Interactive notebooks allow children to be active participants in their own learning. Teachers guide their students through the process and encourage them to complete their pages in ways that are meaningful to them. What we love about this process is that it is a wonderful tool for differentiation, provides the flexibility to meet a variety of student needs, and can take as much or as little time as you would like. You tailor the task to meet your specific goals and each student creates a meaningful artifact that demonstrates their understanding.
“Learning endures when an experience is meaningful.” –Elizabeth Sutherland