Help me give my students the materials needed to create their Interactive Student Math Notebooks that will enable them be creative, independent thinkers, and math scholars!
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I teach an eighth grade math inclusion class in which regular and special education students learn collaboratively. Our middle school is a part of an economically challenged school district located in Williamsburg County, South Carolina. All areas are considered to be rural and low socioeconomic areas which place our students at-risk for achieving academic success.
Inclusive education when practiced well is very important because all students are able to be part of a community and develop a sense of belonging and become better prepared for life in the community as children and adults.
It provides better opportunities for learning. I teach several other regular education math classes at our school, but the students within my grade eight inclusion class are exceptional in an extraordinary way. No one learner is alike. They are eager to learn and want the opportunity to flourish. The goal of our inclusive classroom reflects the expectation that we want all of our students to be appreciated, accepted throughout life, and want them to maximize their full potential.
My Project
Interactive Notebooks teach students to organize and synthesize their thoughts. By working with students to create a process for them to organize and synthesize their thinking, using the notebooks, pencils, glue, and paper, I will be able to teach study skills without “teaching” them.
The Interactive Student Notebook is a "Mathematical Lifesaver"!
I truly believe that Interactive Notebooks is an idea that can save “mathematical lives” in my classroom. The interactive student notebook, is an organized notebook that allows students to easily locate concepts and practice what is learned in class. The premise is based off of brain research that helps students to visualize and learn through an active process.
Interactive notebooks accommodate multiple learning styles at one time in (and out of) the classroom, student-teacher-parent interaction is built and strengthened with the use of interactive notebooks, and they reduce clutter in the classroom, as well as in students’ lives. Not only does the organization benefit the students, but it ultimately provides a map, or progression through the learning that has occurred during the year. The student has a sense of ownership of it and is more likely to keep something that has been created through color and creativity as opposed to a notebook full of unorganized notes.
I have come to realize that the utilization of interactive notebooks via my math instruction is not just beneficial for my students but for myself as well. First, I have become a more organized prepared teacher. This instructional tool requires me to really think about the “big picture” of the learning that is occurring and what steps must be taken to get there. I am now more prepared for my students and have a complete understanding of the exact process of my lessons. Utilizing interactive notebooks will enhance my students learning and ultimately lead to increased student achievement!
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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 Mrs. Easterling and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
