SUGGESTED STUDENT NOTEBOOK STANDARDS
Student Notebooks are valuable memory aids as well as daily documents of key concepts and skills learned by a student. Notebooks are evidence to parents and evaluators that the school is teaching the program of study and that the student was exposed to key learner outcomes.
Each Division Professional Learning Team is invited to adapt the notebook standards identified below to suit your local needs. Some PLC Teams may choose another system of ensuring mastery of key concepts, vocabulary and documentation of student learning- ie- a student portfolio system.
Once the PLC members have identified their student notebook standards, it is important that administration and staff ensure that these standards are consistently met and shared with parents in the Agenda Book or during teacher-parent conferences.
DATE ON EVERY MAJOR DAY OF STUDY or ITEM ENTRY
Students need a format to show the day in which an activity is done. Here are some options:
Primary: Wednesday, August 29, 2011
Gr. 1-3 Wednesday, August 29
Intermediate: Wednesday, August 29, 2011
Gr. 4-6 Wednesday, July 8
Wed. July 8th
Junior High: Wednesday, August 29, 2011
Gr. 7-9 Wednesday, August 29
Wed. August 29th
Month/Day/Year : 08/29/11
High School: 07/29/09
IDENTIFY THEME/ACTIVITY/ITEM ENTRY
Notebooks help students identify and reflect on major activities, conceptsin and academic vocab in a field of study. Also, the student notes provide parents evidence that homework was assigned and the material is being covered as per the teacher’s long range plan. The notebooks are invaluable data to be used at teacher-parent conferences.
Primary: Wednesday, September 28, 2011
(Theme) About Our Weather In September
Intermediate: Wednesday, Sept 8,
Addition: Ones and Ten Columns
(Activity) Key Examples: Add Ones Add Tens
(HWK) HWK: pg 32- 1-6, 8,10, 14-17
(New Words) Carry over, the sum, ones column, tens column
Junior High: Wednesday, Sept 8th
Pollution & Statistics: Local & Provincial
By having a chool or division standard, students can move effortlessly from one grade to another. Further the consistency in practices makes it easier for peers and family members to help each students meet school or class standards. Finally, it demonstrates to parents that the professionals at the school are implementing easily discernible standards.
REVIEW OF SUGGESTED STANDARDS FOR LOCAL STAFF DECISIONS
DATE: Wednesday, Sept 8,
THEME: Addition: Ones and Ten Columns
ACTIVITY Key Examples: Add Ones Add Tens
HWK HWK: pg 32- 1-6, 8,10, 14-17
The Division team needs to decide how to handle NEW ACADEMIC VOCABULARY.
Do you want to create a Section at the back third of the Notebook OR Do you want to highlight the NEW WORDS at the start of a lesson or as they pop up during a lesson?
Our students will continue to under achieve if they do not increase their academic vocabulary in each discipline. Mastery of key academic concepts and words are essential for student academic success.
New VOCAB: Carry over, the sum, ones column, tens column
The vocabulary needed for each academic activity is subject specific. Scientists, mathematicians,, artists, and writers need specific vocabulary to carry out their activities as well as understand each other as they discuss problems in a discipline.
Acquisition of Science vocabulary is extremely important since it is based on Latin and Greek words whose “roots” are alien to most students. The earlier that students acquire the basic technical words in a field of study, the greater the chances that they will begin feeling comfortable using sophisticated subject matter concepts: ie-cell, mitoses, meiosis etc.
The teacher needs to identify the words but also introduce the words in various subject matter and everyday contexts. If the word is representative of major concepts then these should be illustrated as diagrams or major examples in the Student Notebook.
Weekly vocabulary activities within each subject are valuable and can be integrated into your review, KWL, Word Wall or test strategies.
Some teachers may wish to consider a Double Entry System for their Key Vocabulary:
1st it may be introduced as part of your daily lesson vocabulary. Lesson “KEY MATH WORDS” Entry is by heading: KEY MATH WORDS.
This option gives students and adults a clear picture of the new technical words acquired or covered by the students during that lesson. It can be the basis for tests and discussions or exercises on family of words and meanings, multiple meaning of words or how a meaning is determined by its context: ie cell-
The prisoner is in his cell.
The cell of an amoeba splits in two.
The cell in this battery is dead.
The monk prayed in his cell.
2ND teachers may wish to create a GRADE 6 NEW VOCABULARY WORKBOOK or a KEY VOCABULARY Section at the back of the student’s workbook.
Notebooks can make an invaluable contribution in student skill and subject-specific concept acquisition. By providing a Notebook format that is school-wide both parents and students can be enlisted to help the individual learner make use of illustrative examples as well learn key concepts and vocabulary.
Another Option: COLOR CODE NEW VOCAB SECTION:
You decide on how to use colors to spice up the notebook. For example, all blue in math, green in science, red in social studies etc. Ultimately, students will realize that the same word may be used to mean different things in different contexts. Also, the earlier that they deal with the literal or figurative meaning of a word the better they will be in building their language arts comprehension and writing skills.
OTHER USES OF NOTEBOOKS:
- Teachers may have open notebook exams.
- Use the new words in one or more subjects as a basis of Friday or end of unit test materials.
- Have students glue to their notebooks key diagrams, picture prompts for a story, marking matrix, graphic organizer templates, study tips, math measuring units etc. Essentially, the notes are a source for students to study key concepts and a place to return to when reviewing a discipline.
- Teachers may have students who miss classes ( our less than 75% attenders) catch up on their notebooks. By having a format, it’s easy for students to know what they need to do. It is evidence for parents who are called in for a conference.
- Teachers may award recognition or prizes for best notebook, easiest to read, best illustrated etc.
- Teachers may take an activity such as a story outline or story and use the student’s narrative as an illustrative example.
- The vocabulary words may be used for a classroom or inter-school Spelling Bee Competition.
- Each day or week students would be asked to post the Key words or concepts on the Word Wall or Smart Board sheet for later use by teacher and students.
- Students are asked to type the words on a computer and put them on the Teacher’s memory stick. The word, its meaning and an illustrative example in context is typed and then printed by the teacher at the end of a Unit. Then the list is glued to the student notebook as part of a test prep activity.
- Create your system of Notebook Cues: *****, ****. ***, **, *
- Teachers need to review the quality of student work and ensure that HWK is corrected on a daily or timely basis. Put your initial and date reviewed!!!
- In the higher grades, teachers may have students and TAs assist with the correction of homework. This is especially useful for ensuring students are involved in maintaining quality standards and assisting with timely marking of notebooks.
- For those teachers that have students write First Draft and Second draft of a Story, please ensure that 1st draft is on the Left side of the Notebook and 2nd draft is all on the Right side. This allows the student to compare the drafts. Some teachers have another student of choice write the 2nd draft etc.
- Teachers need to review the student notebooks to gather data in handwriting and spelling skills of students. What are the recurring student problems that show up in a student notebook?
- Since Student Notebooks ensure that students write everyday, they promote adherence to Alberta’s printing (K to early Grade 3) and cursive writing standard (Grade 3 on).
- Students need to be reminded to have a Title for each picture or diagram.
- The Division’s teachers are encouraged to adopt standards for their whole Division-Primary, Intermediate, Junior High , or High School rather than for each grade!
- Ability to take notes or summarize key concepts in college and university are a determining factor in student course success.
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