I teach Geometry and AVID to 9th and 10th graders at a high school in Portland, Oregon. Our school is among the most diverse schools in the state of Oregon, with 67% of the student body belonging to ethnic groups other than white and 63% of our students receiving free/reduced lunch. In my current classes, my students speak 11 languages other than English.
Our students are insightful, creative, passionate kids who work hard to make a difference.
Many of them are being raised in single-parent households and receive a free lunch based on their socioeconomic status. These things may prevent them from getting ahead early in life and may not provide them with the life experiences many of us see as "typical". From the minute they walk in the door of our classrooms we focus on their potential and growth. We may not be able to control their home lives; however, we can certainly control their experience during the school day. By doing this in a creative and positive way, we hope to inspire even our earliest learners to continue on a path of academic excellence.
My Project
Many of us are using outdated textbooks or no textbooks at all, and we are in desperate need of a way to give students (and parents) a resource that they can use as a reference. Interactive Notebooks are designed for students to record their learning in a structured organization that allows for reflection and creativity.
Using colored paper and highlighters in the Interactive Notebooks allows students to easily see when the units change and what is important on each page.
I use a different color for each unit so students can see at a glance when the units change. My students have told me "the different colors make it easy to see all the units we've covered". As we go through the lessons and students glue the pages into their notebooks, they use highlighters to make key points stand out and to link pieces of the notes together. The colored paper and the highlighters allow the notes to stand out and show the students what's important.
I have seen the interactive notebooks make a difference in student learning. Students frequently go back to their notes and review what we've previously learned. They are able to see the important parts at a quick glance because the key information is highlighted. They are able to find units with ease because we use different colored paper. All in all, the interactive notebooks are a great resource for our class and the colored paper and highlighters make them easier for students to access.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Koenig and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
