OneNote: Where the Magic Can Happen

How to create a class notebook that increases student engagement and innovation.

Created by the author’s student using Microsoft OneNote.

In July 2019, I attended an AVID Summer Institute that transformed the way I teach (and by extension, the way my students learn), all because I was encouraged to document my own learning at the conference in an “AVID Binder.”

At that time, the AVID Binder was still a paper-based method that enabled students to organize their work and, more importantly, reflect on their learning — a metacognitive task that Pedaste et al. (2012) indicate improves students’ inquiry skills (p. 93).

While I was immersing myself in the AVID Binder at the Summer Institute, I decided to enroll in an independent study course offered by our EdTech department. The question I wanted to pursue became apparent just a few days later at the end of the conference: How can I digitize the AVID Binder so that my students are empowered to be innovators?

My EdTech coach suggested I use Microsoft OneNote, a digital notebooking app that was already available for our students on their school laptops. At first, I was intimidated: the platform wasn’t always easy to navigate, and the amount of options it provided in structuring learning materials could be overwhelming. After three weeks of experimenting, however, I managed to develop a class notebook that I hoped would enable my students to organize, synthesize, reflect on, and share their learning.

That fall, I introduced the class notebook to my bewildered junior English students. Although many of them had used OneNote to complete assignments (particularly in math and science classes), they had never had a class notebook that (1) contained materials for an entire unit and (2) required them to actually create content. Although they were hesitant at first, my students eventually embraced what we called the Interactive Notebook (INB) — in fact, several students mentioned they had created their own notebooks to better understand what they were learning in other classes.

It certainly wasn’t a perfect roll-out: for example, I had underestimated my students’ familiarity with OneNote and didn’t provide enough exemplars to help them see the myriad ways in which they could use the platform’s features to help them learn. Ever since I started incorporating student feedback and learning even more about the program’s options, however, class notebooks have become a staple of teaching and learning in my classroom; in fact, I’m confident they could benefit many teachers who are looking to engage and empower their students in new ways.

Here are just a few of the advantages of using a Class Notebook (as well as examples from my own students):

1. Students don’t need to be connected to wifi to work on their notebooks. This is critical for students who may not have reliable internet access at home (not to mention the days on which our internet goes down at school).
2. Students have limitless space to type, highlight, draw, insert videos and images, and create almost any other type of content tailored to their interests and needs. Students can even add their own sections and pages to further personalize their notebooks (for example, one of my students made a “Creative Writing” section in which she composed her own short stories).
3. Students get to keep their own record of their learning and growth across time. This makes our metacognitive activities (including daily and weekly reflections) easier and more substantive.
4. Teachers can access students’ notebooks at any time and provide authentic, real-time feedback. I like to host “Notebook Conferences” in which students share the content they’ve generated, which keeps them accountable and promotes collaboration.

Although I’ve now been using class notebooks for two years, there are so many ways in which I know I can improve this experience for my students. Right now, I’m in the process of designing more “content creation” activities within the notebook so that my students are less likely to fall into the trap of “finishing” the materials and more likely to apply, extend, and share their knowledge and skills. Ultimately, when used with purpose (not to mention a willingness to solicit feedback and make revisions), OneNote can be a powerful tool that puts students in charge of their own learning.

References

Pedaste, M., Maeots, M., Leijen, A., & Sarapuu, T. (2012). Improving students’ inquiry skills through reflection and self-regulation scaffolds. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 9, 81–95.

Subscribe to Insights from Educate for a midweek dose of professional learning and inspiration from authentic voices in education.