Digital Interactive Notebooks

Digital Interactive Notebooks are quickly taking over the world. (Que Evil Laugh) Mahahahahaha.  This blog post will teach you the basics of digital interactive notebooks and help you navigate your way into a technology filled learning experience. Get started using digital interactive notebooks in your classroom today and keep reading for a sneak peek into the world of digital interactive notebooks. 

In this guide you will learn:

1. How to get started with using Digital Interactive Notebooks.
2. Engage your students with Digital Interactive Notebooks.
3. What research says about Digital Interactive Notebooks.
4. Increase student achievement.
5. Make students feel like they aren’t even learning.
6. Be the coolest teacher in the school. (Guaranteed!)

Knowledge is Power

Researching digital interactive notebooks in the classroom is step 1. Luckily, I’m a research nerd and have done all of the hard work for you! Aren’t you excited? To put it simply, digital interactive notebooks are taking what you already do in the classroom, and engaging students even more by using technology to lead the way. Remember, these are the basics.

Step 1

Go Google. That’s right! It’s important that you understand how Google Drive works and how to make it relevant to your classroom. Is this the only way you can use digital interactive notebooks in your classroom? Certainly not.

Step 2

Breathe. You shouldn’t magically understand this stuff unless you are tech obsessed. Be open minded and know that you will have to download apps to make this work effectively. Are you breathing?

Step 3

Practice. Like anything else, it takes practice to make something work. You need to practice, practice, practice. I hate the saying practice makes perfect, so I usually say practice makes permanent.

 

The Basics

Up until now, when students are reading a text, they usually use worksheets, foldables, or interactive assignments on the active board to really analyze the content. This is where digital interactive notebooks come into play. Students will still answer all of the questions that relate to common core, but will do it in a way that is interesting and fun to them. Some naysayers may say, but they are missing real world connections or they are not creating meaningful learning. I think that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Technology is the world we live in. Technology has  changed my life and is the biggest part of my job as a teacher. I’d love to invite you into my classroom and watch the digital experience. It’s impossible to leave and say that students weren’t engaged. Okay, off soapbox.

 

What will you need?

• Powerpoint or Keynote
• Google Drive or Ebackpack
• Various Apps (Chatterpix, Kidrex, Google Drive (particularly slides)

 

Where can I find these?

This tutorial is not a tutorial on how to create digital interactive notebooks, but rather how to use them. Many sellers from the love of my life, I mean Teachers Pay Teachers, are already jumping on this train quickly You can find one of my products here. I will be converting all of my interactive notebook foldables to digital in the months to come. I want them to be great quality, so this will take some time, but don’t give up on me. If you have one lesson in particular you’d like to see quickly, just email me. 

 

With digital interactive notebooks you can move pieces with ease and push information out to your students through Google Classroom. Need help understanding how Google Classroom works? Check out this flip book for help with it for your faculty and staff. My students are currently 1:1 and love being engaged with learning in this way. It will take time and practice to really get your students focused on going digital, but once you do – you’ll be so glad you did.

Think Digital

Forget the world and classroom we know of. Imagine a room with no paper, no pencils, and all excitement. Those classrooms exist. If you aren’t ready to go 100% digital, it’s okay. Baby steps. Once you get your mind on connecting the pieces digitally it will all fall into place. I get to present all over the United States on digital technology and when I begin my presentation I always start with this simple quote :

“Technology is the future, it is now, and it is this generation – get with it.” That may seem a little blunt or straightforward, and it should be. It’s the truth. Our students live and thrive for technology, so its time we jumped on the train with them.

Understand Research on Digital Interactive Notebooks

I am a self proclaimed research nerd. I find it fascinating to read and learn about what scientist or just people in general have learned from random studies. Did you know science proves that students learn better and are more engaged when using technology? Students who were testing using technology performed better on standardized test that students with regular paper and pencil? I’ve seen the results in my classroom as well. I’m saying this in the kindest and non boisterous way possible – my students out perform most students in their grade level every year and I know that a lot of it is due to the challenging environment I create for them using technology. Of course a lot of that has to also do with relationships, but technology is another factor.

Reading Interactive Notebooks

What’s the best part of this digital interactive notebook world? You can use your reading interactive notebooks completely. You can throw out the glue, tape, coloring, and all the other stuff that truly scares teachers in the first place. Throw it out yall! (In my super southern accent)If you have purchased an interactive notebook and just want it to compliment that, this is perfect as well. Be on the look out for all of these interactive notebook pieces to be available digitally in the coming weeks. While you're waiting, you can purchase my first point of view digital foldable here. 

Writing Interactive Notebooks

I think knowing that the power of writing with a digital interactive notebook is limitless. Teaching proper technique with typing and writing can really improve students creativity and allow them to focus on the big picture. Some of my inclusion students have confessed they don’t fear writing as much as they used to because now they know they can just quickly backspace their mistakes instead of having red lines and eraser marks all over them. Using writing interactive notebooks digitally is going to take over the world. Who’s ready?

Closing

Ultimately using a new technique or style in your classroom is your decision. My goal is to only open your eyes to what is the next upcoming thing. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email me or leave them in the comment section down below. Be on the lookout for a YouTube video all about digitalness soon. Much love guys.