Spotlight Blantyre P.S. OneNote pilot project

As the 2014 part to the school year comes to a close, the students in Ms. Klayman's class at Blantyre Public School are just getting started with OneNote. As part of the AT team's pilot project, the students created their digital binders and had a chance to explore the many helpful tools available to them to organize their daily school work.

In their first session, the Blantyre students became comfortable working with and navigating their new tablet devices. Since their first session, they reported using programmes such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint, and Read and Write Gold as part of their school work completion. Students also used internet websites available on the tablet such as Google Earth and linked to their homeroom classroom teacher's web-based sites such as bitstripsforschools or Edmodo to contribute to class work.

A Blantyre student shows his homeroom classroom's class profile on bitstripsforschools which he uses to complete his Media work. (left) A student swipes to navigate between different programs and apps on the device. (left)

During the past week's session,  students set up their OneNote notebooks and tried different ways to organize information within their new digital binder's pages. Ms Klayman's class used tools such as Screen Clipping and tags.

Tagging helps students to organize ideas, process and questions. This Blantyre student did a screen clipping from a web site. He tagged parts of the captured web page within OneNote then created a tag summary page. (right)

Ms Klayman's class also used the app HP Pagelift to make non-digital work digital withing OneNote. After bringing a reading assignment into their OneNote binder, they brainstormed ways they might be able to use this tool daily:

• If you get a paper you have a backup..
• Take a picture of your textbook so not to have it so heavy in your backpack.
• Help me put my homework or notes into OneNote…
• Art – can edit my art digitally..make it virtual
• History – take a picture of notes
• (chart paper) charts for Math 

A Blantyre student captures a handout about Brain functions using HP Pagelift.
(left) Capturing the page. (right) Editing and cropping the digital image. 

The group of Blantyre students brainstormed five ways that the OneNote can help them to organize their school work. 

When they are back in January, these students will only improve and individualize the way they use the tools and the tablet to support their learning and academic achievement.