HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

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my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by my3sons » Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:39 am

Everyone can see that HOD’s student notebooking is beautiful, but there is SO MUCH MORE to HOD’s notebooking than beauty! Yesterday as my nephews were playing with our sons, I had the chance to page through my nephew’s Resurrection to Reformation portfolio of notebooking assignments alongside my own son’s RTR portfolio. I could not help but be struck by how DIFFERENT their entries were! I know not every mom gets this chance to look at two notebooks at the same time, and so I thought it would be interesting to snap pics of each of their portfolios, along with the directions given for those assignments within the RTR guide to share them with you here. :D Side by side, you’ll get to have the same tour through HOD’s notebooking I was treated to today!

I have done my fair share of different styles of notebooking throughout the years, having taught for 15 years now (7 in ps and 8 within homeschooling). HOD’s notebooking is different in so many ways that enhance learning and encourage creativity. Over the years, I have seen many notebooking assignments that are really nothing more than run-offs that repeat. Others are so open-ended that there are little or no guidelines for assessment. Still others are one dimensional, requiring very little actual thinking from children, as they are often just looking up encyclopedia type information from one source, which really results in a tacked-on kind of research assignment that has little to do with what they learned from the books they were reading in the first place. Some even have stickers dc just place in squares, or cutouts they simply glue here or there. Truly meaningful notebooking requires structure (so dc know the skills they must portray within their entry for assessment), as well as flexibility to allow creativity (so dc’s work reflects their individuality and personality). HOD’s notebooking provides both structure in the form of skill-based learning, and flexibility in the form that no 2 dc’s notebooking entries are the same when completed.

HOD’s notebooking requires dc to draw upon all that they have learned and mesh that learning to create notebook pages specific to each unit. Each week is a mini-immersion in a specific portion of history, while the entire year is a total immersion within a specific time period of history.

So, for example, just within RTR, within a week, dc read excellent living books. The timeline sketches they do, they draw themselves and put their own bent of creativity on each entry. They research a specific place they read about that week in history, and then write a postcard in their own style to share what stood out most to them. They create drawings to match what they have read, but the drawings each look different from another child’s drawing – individuality shines through. They write written narrations about what is read, and they are able to write in their own style, responding to what they’ve read with their own personality.

The Biblical connections they make are theirs, and what one child takes from it is different from what another child does. Oral narrations are shared, but dc’s unique style of retelling is naturally used and encouraged. History projects have clear directions but no picture of what the end result is to look like, as each child’s history project is instead a personal reflection of the way each of them envisioned their projects looking like in the end.

Artwork within “Looking at Pictures” is used for CM’s method of picture study, but then dc must also compare artwork provided in the Student Notebook, noting similarities and differences among them, thus sharing their own thoughts on the matter. Likewise, classical poetry is studied, with a bent toward understanding that particular poet and why they wrote the poems they did, as well as responding to higher level questions that ask the child to ponder their thoughts, ideas, and reactions in response to the poetry, rather than questions that have one right answer.

Mapping exercises are of exact places dc have just read about, and audio CD’s they listen to provide another narrative look at the history they have just read about in their living books. Writing lessons give yet another source of stories linked to the exact history they are studying, and ask them then to mesh what they have learned in all of their studies to create their own creative writing pieces, reflecting their own interests and style. Dc choose their own quotes or facts they found interesting to remember for each of the “Who’s Who?” biographical sketches they do each week.

I could go on here, but the important thing I am trying to share is that HOD’s notebooking assignments encourage creativity, individuality, personality, and unique style in our children. They get our dc thinking more deeply about what they have read, and they focus on the very top peak of higher level thinking skills of Bloom’s Taxonomy… analysis, synthesis, and evaluation… they abound in HOD’s assignments on a daily basis. Rather than just regurgitating facts from another source about one thing, the HOD notebook gives a visual snapshot of everything happening all over the world within that increment of time.

When dc look back at their notebooks, they find within its pages what was truly meaningful to them that year. Rather than just a bunch of facts, or a report style kind of writing on a single event or person, the HOD notebook instead leans much more toward the flavor of CM’s Book of Time. It requires a lot of thinking on the dc’s part about how they are going to design their entries, and there is so much thinking about the people they are getting to know through their history readings… knowing about their lives… about their families… about their dreams, aspirations, and accomplishments… and also knowing what was happening in the world around them.

No two HOD portfolios will ever be the same, as no 2 dc’s reflections upon learning are exactly the same. What is meaningful to each of our dc just jumps off the page at us - the notebook is in fact a window to their minds! And in the end, dc have created their own beautiful book of time as a keepsake forever – what an amazing, memorable way to learn! :D

And so, now you can see how HOD’s Notebooking is so much more than just a pretty face! In the pictures to follow, you can see more of what I am describing here.

For those of you that have done notebooking in the HOD guides, I’d love to hear you share about your dc’s progress as well! :D

In Christ,
Julie

P.S. It will take a bit to add the photos below this, so I'll be adding to this for a bit today. :wink:
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

shaffer96
Posts: 101
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:56 pm

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by shaffer96 » Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:10 am

It sounds great! When do you start notebooking in HOD? Does it start in Bigger?
DD 8 - BHFHG
DS 5 1/2 - LHFHG
DS 4 - Enjoying preschool toys and workbooks.

my3sons
Posts: 10702
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by my3sons » Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:14 am

Timeline Entries (sorry for the tea stain - we drink tea together during that time :lol: )...
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Written Narrations...
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History Projects...
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Research...
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Biographical Sketches - Who's Who? Studies...
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Draw and Write Through HIstory Sketches...
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Science Notebooking...
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Science Written Narrations...
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Science Experiment Labs...
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If you would enjoy looking at other HOD assignments side by side and seeing the way dc's creativity shines, you can look at the pages of the HOD photobooks. You'll notice no two dc's work looks the same! You'll also see a lot of smiling faces, as these HOD portfolios are special - they are worth sharing. :D
http://heartofdakotasphotobooks.shutterfly.com/

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

pjdobro
Posts: 1491
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:45 pm

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by pjdobro » Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:03 am

Very neat! I enjoyed seeing how each child's creativity shines through. They both have done such beautiful work! :D
Patty in NC

b/g twins '02 Rev2Rev 2014/15
previously enjoyed LHFHG, BLHFHG, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, RTR
******
Nisi Dominus Frusta (Without God, frustration)
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

Mom2Monkeys
Posts: 1410
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:31 pm
Contact:

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by Mom2Monkeys » Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:23 pm

Wow! How creative and beautiful! Thank you for sharing these examples! Great job, boys!
~~Tamara~~
Enjoying HOD since 2008

DD15 long-time HODie finding her own new path
DS12 PHFHG {dysgraphia, APD, SID}
DS9 PHFHG
DS6 LHFHG
DD new nursling

Tiffini
Posts: 413
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:36 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by Tiffini » Sat Apr 23, 2011 2:15 pm

Julie, just earlier today I was looking through the notebook for RtR that is coming up for us. I really can't even say how impressed I am with these notebooks. The one we just completed for CtC was amazing - and the one for RtR looks even better if that is possible! As I was looking through it, I was just once again overwhelmed at the amount of work and creativity and love that is put into those pages. There really can't be anything better out there in all the homeschooling world!! I've seen most of it and nothing compares - at all - to these notebook pages! Having 3 children in the same program, I have this side by side comparison between notebook pages all the time - and you are so right - they are all so different and creative and individual. I am SO blessed to have HOD in my life and I keep telling my kids how lucky they are to get to do school this way. I would've done anything to be able to do school like this. They agree with me!
Tiffini
DD (21 ) Graduated! Used HOD from 5th Grade through 12th Grade!
B/G Twins (18) Graduated! Used HOD from 3rd through 12th Grade!
DS (12) and DS (10)- Preparing Hearts
HOD Users since 2008

water2wine
Posts: 2743
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:24 pm
Location: GA

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by water2wine » Sat Apr 23, 2011 2:22 pm

Wow Julie those are wonderful samples! I so agree. The notebooking is wonderful. My kids really enjoy it and I find that my kids learn so much from it. We love it. :D
All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. Isaiah 54:13
~Six lovies from God~4 by blessing of adoption
-MTMM (HS), Rev to Rev, CTC, DITHR
We LOVED LHFHG/Beyond/Bigger/Preparing/CTC/RTR/Rev to Rev (HS)

spidermansmum
Posts: 611
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:10 am
Location: UK

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by spidermansmum » Sat Apr 23, 2011 3:12 pm

Thankyou
- Delighted to have used LHTH,LHFHG and Beyond, Bigger , Preparing and DITHOR
currently Using
LHTH slowly with my 2 year old
Starting Bigger with my 8 y/o About to add on DITHOR
Finishing Preparing with my 12year with ASD/LD

JoyinIndo
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:21 am

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by JoyinIndo » Sat Apr 23, 2011 3:26 pm

Julie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share and post all of those pictures. What an amazing visual! I cannot wait to use HOD with my children this fall!
Blessings,
Joy

Heather4Him
Posts: 708
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2010 10:56 pm

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by Heather4Him » Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:05 pm

Thanks for sharing these, Julie!
Love in Christ,
Heather (WI)
~~~~~
16yog girl
DITHOR/CTC/RTR/Rev2Rev/MTMM

Carrie
Site Admin
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Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:39 pm

Re: HOD's Notebooking - more than just a pretty face!

Post by Carrie » Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:52 pm

Thanks so much for sharing this, Julie! It gives families a wonderful glimpse into how notebooking is used in HOD, and how different it is from other notebooks. :D With my oldest son, we did generic run-off pages where he input information from history and encyclopedia resources, but it was never as personal as I desired it to be! My oldest son is very creative, but even creative kiddos run out of creative ideas and creative ways to share information when there are just cookie-cutter sheets on which to provide the information. So, then we moved toward just blank pages that my son did himself, but again I found that I was continually having to nudge and prod toward varying formats and ways of sharing information. Then, we moved toward a bound portfolio with blank boxes and ideas for entries, which I liked better but still so much was not meshing with what we were studying. :wink:

So, with the HOD notebooks, we wanted to integrate the notebooking with all sorts of types of learning. We wanted to include timeline, and art, and narrations, and sketching, and labeling, and project work and much more! Plus, we wanted it to be visually appealing and very informative. My sons have spent much time looking back through their notebooks, sharing with their brothers, pondering what is included in their notebooks, and making connections. The notebook is a source of joy to them, and one of which they are truly proud of the work included. We've found the notebook entries promote such reflection and higher-level thinking all throughout the entries, and (as you can see) also encourage a personal touch. :D

We pray that you will enjoy the benefits of literally 20 years of our own trial and error methods of research on how to make kiddos' notebooks actively require thought! :D We notebooked during my 11 years in the public classroom and after that continued to try all sorts of notebooking in our homeschool the last 11 years, and have finally come to this format. It lends itself well to portfolio assessment too, and to showing growth in so many areas. Even things like copywork of quotes and Scripture verses have meaning as kiddos have just read about that particular topic and are truly pondering what is meant in the quote or what tie-in there is to the Scripture. The meatiness of the notebook is reflected in the detailed plans from the guide that go with the notebook each step of the way as ite-sized learning and connections are happening in every box of the notebook. Plus, there are no throw-away entries and no chance the parent will have to take-over the assignment to make sure a good entry is produced (making it more the parent's assignment than the child's). :wink: Yet, the parent can still glimpse the learning by paging through the notebook. :D Anyway, we are inspired and hope you will be too! The notebooks are incredibly time-consuming and expensive for us to design and publish, but we feel there is nothing that compares. :D

Blessings,
Carrie

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