Quote of the Week

Never say you are "just" a teacher. That's like saying Clark Kent is "just" Superman.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Interactive Notebooks—Graphic Organizers at their Best, by Mary Lee Burkett, 5th GradeTeacher at Elzie D. Patton Elementary

What are interactive notebooks?  They are journals that students use to make graphic organizers, take notes, illustrate concepts, etc.  They utilize several modalities and learning styles, especially linguistic and visual intelligences. As a reading/language arts and social studies teacher, I have found one of the most successful strategies has been utilizing interactive notebooks. 

In my classroom, I make my journal an example for students to follow.  I keep them year after year to help me plan for future lessons. Students can reference my journal whenever they want, and it models the importance that thoughts must be organized for optimal learning.  Students can learn to color code key concepts, group important ideas together, and make decisions on what is the most important information to highlight. The students enjoy making choices and being creative.

The student can use the notebook as a resource to study for a test, review a concept, or use to complete an assignment in the future.  It can also be a resource for a parent that is trying to help a student with homework. Teachers, parents, and students will be able to see the work that has been completed throughout the school year and how much knowledge students have gained.

Ideas can easily be found on Pinterest in sites such as these:

No comments:

Post a Comment