My school is a Title 1 school. While my school is in a suburban area, the majority (approximately three fourths) of my students qualify for free and reduced lunch.
My students are an incredibly diverse bunch. Some of my kids came to the United States as refuges, others came as immigrants, and some are first or second generation Americans. Almost all of my students (I would estimate about 95%) are bi- or trilingual. Many of my students need rich, engaging lessons because their previous experiences with school have been difficult or painful. They need the opportunity have an educational experiences that values them as people and allows them to make sense of their schooling and the world around them.
This year, I chose to implement Interactive Student Notebooks (ISNs). ISNs are different from regular notebooks for many reasons.
1) ISNs are more structured. For 9th graders, this organizational aspect is HUGE. In our first marking period reflections, one student wrote that she would not change the ISN because the "ISNs make me more organized and ready for the test".
2) The focus of the notebook is to provide students a place to process their ideas. The left side of the notebook is "teacher" driven (EX: note) and the right side is "student driven". This dichotomy allows students to see learning as a partnership between myself and students take ownership of their learning. Through manipulating, transferring, and applying information using colors (pencils), foldable (paper), and Thinking Maps, students are able to activate more of their brain when studying, increasing their motivation, memory, and understanding.
About my class
My school is a Title 1 school. While my school is in a suburban area, the majority (approximately three fourths) of my students qualify for free and reduced lunch.
My students are an incredibly diverse bunch. Some of my kids came to the United States as refuges, others came as immigrants, and some are first or second generation Americans. Almost all of my students (I would estimate about 95%) are bi- or trilingual. Many of my students need rich, engaging lessons because their previous experiences with school have been difficult or painful. They need the opportunity have an educational experiences that values them as people and allows them to make sense of their schooling and the world around them.
This year, I chose to implement Interactive Student Notebooks (ISNs). ISNs are different from regular notebooks for many reasons.
1) ISNs are more structured. For 9th graders, this organizational aspect is HUGE. In our first marking period reflections, one student wrote that she would not change the ISN because the "ISNs make me more organized and ready for the test".
2) The focus of the notebook is to provide students a place to process their ideas. The left side of the notebook is "teacher" driven (EX: note) and the right side is "student driven". This dichotomy allows students to see learning as a partnership between myself and students take ownership of their learning. Through manipulating, transferring, and applying information using colors (pencils), foldable (paper), and Thinking Maps, students are able to activate more of their brain when studying, increasing their motivation, memory, and understanding.
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