Printing Tips for INBs

The most daunting part about starting Interactive Notebooks in the classroom is the prep work - what do you do with the resources you already have? How do you modify existing things easily? Do I have to remake or buy EVERYTHING?

Absolutely not!

I have a few helpful tricks that have been an absolute lifesaver while switching to interactive notebooks.

Many teachers choose to keep their existing activities separate from the interactive notebook. For me, personally, the goal of the interactive notebook is to keep students organized and to have consistency within the classroom routine. Keeping a notebook as well as a set of separate activities breaks up the continuous routine of the classroom. To keep a consistent procedure and routine, almost everything done in class is kept in their notebook.

Tip #1: Adobe Acrobat is your Best Friend 

There are several features unique to Adobe Acrobat that will make your notebooking life so much easier! I may create something in Microsoft Word, but always be sure to save a copy as a PDF in order to use the Adobe Acrobat printing features.

1. Print 80% - any normal 8.5 x 11 paper can be shrunk by 80% to fit perfectly on a traditionally sized composition notebook page. Many copiers have the ability to shrink the size of a copy, but in Acrobat there is an option to print in that size as well. This allows you to take any single sided paper and have it fit perfectly in their notebook - no editing needed!

2. Print as Booklet - This was a game changer for me! In science, we have lots of "packets" for labs and activities - usually 2-3 pages. I did not want to use 2-3 pages in their notebook for a single lab. I would modify any activity or lab in Microsoft Word so that it utilizes three pages - being sure not to use a font smaller than 11 pt and making fonts larger as needed to use three pages. Then, save as a PDF and open in acrobat. When printing, select the "Booklet" option and it automatically prints it into a three page booklet, on one sheet of paper, that is blank on the back for gluing.

Tip #2: Adjust your Word Documents

There are also plenty of ways to modify your word documents without converting to PDF. These are tricks I use when creating new activities. Sometimes, when making these adjustments to existing documents, it can get frustrating.

1. Margins - Change the margins to 6" Wide and 8" Long. This will automatically make your document notebook sized!

2. Add Page Borders - Add page borders around the text to provide easy cut lines for students. Add borders then click "Options." Under the "Measure From" drop down menu, select "Text."

3. Fun Fonts - This is totally optional, but definitely one of my favorite things. There are tons of free fonts available online. Using fun fonts can jazz up title pages for activities. I always try to keep the directions and information in a simple font (like Century Gothic) for accessibility reasons, but love using fun fonts for titles!

Tip #3: Learn to Use Google Drive

I find INBs run so much smoother when they are incorporated within a collaborative team. It can seem like a huge amount of work to do alone, but many hands makes light work! I strongly recommend having a notebook "buddy" to work with - especially the first year of implementation!

1. Share! - Make a shared folder or team drive to share resources among all the teachers using notebooks in your team. Having an open, collaborative environment means students are getting the absolute best from the school.

2. Google Drawing - This is the least known tool in Google Drive, I think, but is one of my most used! Google Drawing is a more friendly version of paint. You can make flow charts and concept maps look professional and clean. You can modify images easily. You can create simple foldables easily (such as flaps).

3. Google Slides - Interactive Notebooks are a huge part in my overall classroom management. Almost every day in class you can see a Google Slides presentation projected on the board. It allows me to insert videos and timers seemlessly (no window changing!). It allows me to share my presentations easily with my team mates. I can edit the presentation from any computer.

Check out my post about how I use Google Slides as a part of my Classroom Management!