Interactive Notebook

Interactive notebooks, can be no-tech or created with tech. The non-tech version can have pockets and envelopes and spinning wheels fastened with brads. The tech version, also called Digital Notebooks, can have all kinds of interactivity using basically any digital tool you can think of. They are a place where students can write and create and demonstrate learning in a variety of methods. Interactive Notebooks are also a great way to personalize learning if you give students a choice in what they can include in their own notebook.

Advantages: Paperless!

Interactive Notebooks can be created with

• Google Slides, Sites, Docs, Drawing

• Google Docs exported (saved) as image files

• MS Word, PowerPoint, Publisher

• PDFs

• Keynote, OneNote, Pages,

• Images - .png (smaller & faster to load) and .png (can have better quality)

• Combination of apps, such as having page templates for slides on Google Sites for students to copy and insert into their decks

• programs like https://www.visme.co/ebook-creator/ and https://bookcreator.com/

Where to store Interactive Notebooks

Students can keep interactive notebooks within their own Google Drive and share with you. The class could also to store them in your drive so you and classmates can view them at any time.

Interactive notebooks can be used by students

• to take digital notes

• as a place to keep course resources

• organize and hyperlink to media needed for a course

• daily agenda

• digital portfolio of writing or other work

• see Matt Miller's post (below) for creative activities

• create a central class notebook that links to individual units

Getting Started using Google Slides

1. Decide on what format you like. I like Google Slides (or PowerPoint) but see what works for you.

2. Start with a template (see resources below) or create from scratch.

3. Give your notebook a title.

4. Decide on a size. If you plan to print them (or even if you don't) you can choose a standard page size 8.5" x 11" (210 x 297 mm) either in portrait or landscape view. That makes it easy to print, if required. An alternative is to make the slides smaller and have grey space on the sides for directions and interactive pieces.

5. Add content to your Interactive notebook. You can add prompts, images, maps for them to annotate, grids to fill out, anything! (See Matt Miller's post, below). I've also see novel studies that take students through the analysis of various chapters, characters, setting, etc.

6. For content that should not be changed (students write on top of it), save it as an image. You can design images in PowerPoint or Gooogle Slides. Once it's designed, go to File > Download as >JPEG (current slide). Then save it to the background. You can also use the Slide Master to create non-editable content. See Google Slides for more details on doing this.

7. Group content using tabs and/or background colours.

8. You can have students collaborate on certain activities when creating content.

Adding Slides to your Notebook after it's been Distributed

• Have you give students the notebook and then realize you want to add more slides? Here are several suggestions.

• Slip-n-Slide Add-on - J. R. Sowash explains in this video: https://youtu.be/jm7Wa9DOXS4

• Alice Keeler's Push Slides through Google Forms

• Create a Website rather than a presentation and then add pages - good if there are lots of updates

• Here's a video showing another method using a linked master presentation: https://www.tiktok.com/@hellomrsharwick/video/6860864187447381253?lang=en

RESOURCES

Laura Cahill has an excellent Digital Notebook Template on her blog at https://engageducate.com/2019/10/12/digital-notebook-template/

Matt Miller has an excellent article and offers templates here: https://ditchthattextbook.com/google-slides-interactive-notebooks-20-activities-to-fill-them/ and https://ditchthattextbook.com/infographic/interactive-notebook-master-template/

Blanca Lemus - @blemus28's presentation (Great advice and templates)

Kelsey Amaya offers a template at https://www.friedtechnology.com/post/interactive-back-to-school-notebook

Slidesmania, Slidescarnival, Slidesgala and Slidesgo all have a few different templates for Google Slides as interactive notebooks. Slidesmania offers templates here: https://slidesmania.com/tag/notebook-style/

Here is a Daily Planner for Educators, from Slidesmania: https://slidesmania.com/simple-weekly-planner-for-distance-learning-with-hyperlinks-for-easy-navigation/

Teach Smart With Fay has free resources on her Teachers Pay Teachers page at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teach-Smart-With-Fay (That's her video above the resources)

There's a cute "teen" notebook on MrsBDuncan's website at https://mrsbduncan.weebly.com/blog/tgif-day-5-of-gifts-teen-inotebook and check out her YouTube videos with lots of helpful tips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCKbzD2sXxYjU7M8l2E5bjQ