Digital interactive Notebooks 

What are digital interactive notebooks?

"A digital notebook is the digital analog to a paper notebook. It is the space for student inquiry, thinking, brainstorming, reflecting, taking notes, collecting clippings of text, and synthesizing information from disparate online sources. The digital notebook is a problem space, central to each SOAR Strategy and essential to the whole research process."
The SOAR Strategies for Online Academic Research: Helping Middle School Students Meet New Standards

Generally, Digital Notebooks are designed in Google Slides.  These notebooks have a snazzy cover, dividers, and predesigned pages (slides) that the teacher has added ahead of time.  Additional pages can be shared later that the students will add to their copy of the notebook.  You will also see digital notebooks created using website tools such as Google Sites, Blogger, Wix, etc.     

What are the benefits? 

Digital Interactive Notebooks (DINB) have many benefits for both the students and the teacher.  DINBs allow for students to integrate both text and media (photos, videos, charts) online while developing  transferable technology skills and creating a professional looking online presence.   Generally DINBs are created using Google Slides.  Students who enjoy writing notes by hand can still do so and simply take a photo of those notes and insert them into their DINB. Digital notebooks also eliminate the need for students to drag around traditional heavy three ring binders that often fall apart, loose pages, get left at school, rarely being used as a tool to reflect on their learning or as a study tool. 

Below are the TOP 10 reasons why YOU should start using digital notebooks with your students: 

• Students and teachers can insert media (photos, images, videos), charts, and tables to complement their notes 

• Enables students to be creative, independent thinkers and writers 

• Teachers and students can easily add additional slides (notebook pages) 

• Notebooks are always available to students and teachers from any device with internet access

• Students create artifacts of their learning that can be  easily shared with parents, colleges, employers

• Students can reflect on their learning and growth with an embedded reflective blog

• DN contained in one reliable digital source (no chance of pages falling out) 

• Less class time prep (Paperless. No printing. No cutting. No glue)

• No need for teachers to drag home 30+ notebooks to grade 

• Easy to differentiate 

• Tons of FREE snazzy templates available (whoops...that's 11).

How Do I Use a Template or Create from Scratch? 

Watch some of the videos below to learn how to use an existing Digital Interactive Notebook Template or to design one from scratch.  If you need help or have questions, please reach out to one of the district's Instructional Tech Specialist via email.