15 Ways to Learn with Sticky Notes

MiddleWeb

By Kelly Owens

Oct 23

The article "15 Ways to Learn with Sticky Notes" by Kelly Owens offers educators creative and practical ways to use sticky notes to enhance classroom learning. Owens, a literacy interventionist with 28 years of teaching experience, emphasizes how sticky notes, with their versatility and simplicity, can be powerful tools for fostering engagement, organizing thoughts, and promoting interactive learning in middle grades.

The Appeal of Sticky Notes

Owens begins by acknowledging the widespread popularity of sticky notes among both students and teachers. Sticky notes are small, portable, and fun to use, allowing students to quickly jot down ideas, move them around, and share them with others. Their limited writing space encourages conciseness and helps students focus on key points rather than getting bogged down by too many details. Owens explains that sticky notes can serve various purposes, from brainstorming to summarizing, and provide a less intimidating medium for students who struggle to generate ideas.

Supporting Learning and Brain Engagement

Handwriting on sticky notes engages the brain in ways that digital note-taking often cannot. Owens cites research from Hetty Roessingh at the University of Calgary, which suggests that handwritten notes promote deeper cognitive processing compared to typing. Writing by hand helps students summarize, paraphrase, and organize their thoughts more effectively, leading to better understanding and retention of material. This “productive struggle” encourages students to interact with the content at a deeper level, shaping their learning experience.

Planning for Sticky Note Use

Owens emphasizes that sticky notes should be incorporated thoughtfully into lessons, with clear purposes and designated "homes" for the notes. For example, teachers can use sticky notes to help students organize ideas, reflect on learning, or share thoughts with peers. Owens advises educators to plan where the sticky notes will be displayed—whether on a class chart, on an anchor display, or in a personal notebook. This strategic use of sticky notes ensures that they serve a meaningful role in supporting learning goals.

Examples of Sticky Note Activities

Owens provides several specific examples of how sticky notes can be used in the classroom:

1. Gist Summaries: Sticky notes can be used to help students summarize big ideas in a concise way, encouraging them to focus on the most important information.
2. Brainstorming Aid: For students who either overflow with ideas or struggle to get started, sticky notes can act as a tool to condense or generate thoughts.
3. Parking Lot for Questions: Students can use sticky notes to jot down questions they have during lessons, “parking” them in a designated area for the teacher to address later.
4. Exit Tickets: Sticky notes make excellent exit tickets, allowing students to reflect on what they learned or what they are still wondering before leaving class.
5. Interactive Anchor Charts: Sticky notes can make classroom anchor charts interactive by allowing students to annotate or add examples.
6. Gallery Walk Feedback: Sticky notes are perfect for leaving comments during gallery walks, allowing students to provide feedback on their peers’ projects.

Promoting Collaboration and Reflection

Owens highlights how sticky notes can foster collaboration. Students can use sticky notes during group discussions to jot down key points or record thoughts for class-wide activities. In addition, sticky notes can be used as part of a “take one, leave one” board, where students share ideas or borrow inspiration from others, promoting collective learning.

Concluding Thoughts

Sticky notes offer educators a flexible, hands-on tool to support learning in various subjects. From organizing ideas to encouraging participation, they help students engage more actively in the learning process. Owens concludes by urging teachers to use sticky notes creatively, leveraging their potential to chunk tasks into manageable steps, keep students engaged, and promote deeper thinking.

Original Article

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com