Blending Interactive Notebooks with Digital Note-taking

Are you thinking about using an interactive notebook in your class this year?

Wondering how to blend an interactive notebook with digital notes?

Every student in my school has an iPad.  However, I've been using interactive notebooks in my classes for the past few years and I love them!  Since I also want to use the iPad for some note-taking, how do I blend the two?

I don't want to abandon the interactive notebooks because I feel like they are a benefit to students for a number of reasons:
1.  Many middle and high school students need hands on 
     tasks.  
     Kids are squirmy...  Using manipulatives of any type helps
     them to talk less, keep their hands to themselves, and focus
     on their work.  So, it helps with classroom management!
2.  All students do not come to us with excellent 
     organizational skills.  
     It's difficult to accomplish much academically when a 
     student cannot find notes, assignments, etc.  Organization
     does not come easily to many students, so providing a 
     framework really helps. 
3.  Using an interactive notebook is a routine.  
     Kids thrive on routine whether they want to admit it 
     or not!  The format of your notes may be different every 
     day, but the use of the notebook is a routine.

Foldable notes

Traditional note-taking outline

Card sort

Blending traditional and digital notes when using an interactive notebook requires some give and take. While everything will not be in one location, I want the flexibility to choose the best instructional method for delivering notes and examples on a particular topic. Also, secondary students should begin to develop more sophisticated note-taking and study skills.  My suggestion is to make good use of the table of contents, which should be the first page in the interactive notebook.  

Here is an example of a table of contents. There are many types of free templates available online.  Click HERE to download this one. 

Obviously, paper copies of notes will go in the notebook/binder as usual.  When digital notes are used, give them a title to be written on the table of contents. Then, use this title for the notes on the digital device (iPad or laptop).  

Here, pages of digital notes 
have been highlighted.

Be sure to have students create a folder on their device for math notes at the beginning of the school year.  All digital notes for your class should be kept there.  

If you use Notability for note-taking on an iPad, you can create nested folders to separate notes by unit or topic. Alternatively, you might have students type the page number in front of the title to keep them in order.  For example, "p15 Solving Two Step Equations" will place these notes before "p23 Absolute Value Inequalities".

Although all notes will not be located in the physical interactive notebook, it should be easy for students to locate whatever they need by referencing the table of contents.

If you decide to use a blended interactive notebook, or if you have experience/insights to share, please leave comments.  I'd love to hear your ideas and to help with any issues you encounter!