Our classrooms are becoming increasingly digitized…which is extremely exciting!
At the same time, many of our students, especially at the secondary level, have been taught a specific way to take notes…an activity we can agree is essential to student success.
However, with many classrooms becoming “flipped” or “blended” learning environments, the way our students have been taught to take notes may no longer be the best way to take notes. Let me explain.
As a student, I was taught the typical outline approach to note-taking. My teacher recorded a rough outline on the board with Roman numerals, letters, numbers, and the occasional bullet. My classmates and I filled in the outline as the lecture progressed. I, like most of you, used a notebook and a pencil. The teacher was the center of the classroom…my teacher provided the students with knowledge, and then the students regurgitated that knowledge on a test. If you could master that concept..boom, you get an A!Times, though, they are a-changin!
Next year, when I have a true 1:1 classroom, I don’t plan on having my students purchase notebooks and folders and pencils and pens. Our classroom will be “cloud-based,” so my students won’t require those typical classroom tools.
Will my students still be required to take notes…YES!!! Will their notes still need to be structured? YES!!
So, what tools can my students use to take notes in this new learning environment? Check out a few resources below:
Evernote
I LOVE Evernote! This tools works with so many other apps-including the digital version of my textbooks. Students can create notebooks, highlight, include images, video, recordings, and so much more. For more information about this amazing tool, please click here.
I LOVE Evernote! This tools works with so many other apps-including the digital version of my textbooks. Students can create notebooks, highlight, include images, video, recordings, and so much more. For more information about this amazing tool, please click here.
Quick Note (Chrome)
Add this app to your Chrome account! It’s free! Highlight a selection of text on a page, right click, and add it to your notes.
Google Keep (Chrome)
This is seriously an awesome app, and is definitely a must have for my Chromebook classroom. Students could use this as a note-taking tool, but it would also be beneficial for just recording tasks or reminders. Check it out! It’s FREE!
VideoNot.es
Due to the increasing digital nature of our classrooms, our students will most likely be watching short video clips at some point in time. These videos could be created by the teacher in the flipped model, found on YouTube, Vimeo, etc. VideoNot.es is an incredible tool that students can use to take notes while watching a video…and it can be save in the student’s Google Drive and Evernote! For more information about VideoNot.es, please click here.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Add this app to your Chrome account! It’s free! Highlight a selection of text on a page, right click, and add it to your notes.
Google Keep (Chrome)
This is seriously an awesome app, and is definitely a must have for my Chromebook classroom. Students could use this as a note-taking tool, but it would also be beneficial for just recording tasks or reminders. Check it out! It’s FREE!
VideoNot.es
Due to the increasing digital nature of our classrooms, our students will most likely be watching short video clips at some point in time. These videos could be created by the teacher in the flipped model, found on YouTube, Vimeo, etc. VideoNot.es is an incredible tool that students can use to take notes while watching a video…and it can be save in the student’s Google Drive and Evernote! For more information about VideoNot.es, please click here.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Thanks! I will check these out.