Digital Notebook Tutorial #2: Setting up a digital notebook

Digital Notebook Tutorial #3: Student steps »

Digital Notebook Tutorial #2: Setting up a digital notebook

July 30, 2014 by Nick Mitchell

Here’s the next instalment in my video tutorial series on digital notebooks. In this video I explain how to create the actual notebook using Google Sites. When you combine this with paperless documents using Google Docs (explained in the first tutorial video), you have a digital notebook that is easy for students to use, simple to keep organized, and ready to take advantage of the ever-growing number of technology tools for learning.

Here’s the link to the digital notebook template: https://sites.google.com/a/asd.edu.qa/digital-notebook-template/

And here are the blank versions of the post-it note pictures so you can create your own pages to match what you need for your class (click on a picture to open the full-size version and then save it for your use):

Update (July 6, 2015)

A teacher who is customizing the science notebook template for her own class just asked me a great question that isn’t covered above (thanks Erica!): How do you add new unit pages? If you have more units of study than I have on the template, you can add new ones, but it does take a little bit of extra work. Basically you need to create a new page (along with a new sticker on the cover) for each new unit, along with the sub pages for each new unit (class/lab/homework stuff). Here’s the steps if you’re curious:

First you click the icon to create a new page (which looks like a paper with a plus) and then, when the new page screen comes up, give it a name and select the template “Unit Home page” like this:

This will create a new page set up just like the other unit pages. You’ll then need to go in and create new sub pages for the Class, Homework, and Lab stuff (if you’re using those). When you make these pages, just make sure to pick the right template and put them under the new unit page like this:

Inline image 2

The last step is to fix all the links to your new pages. You’ll need to fix the cover page sticker to go to the new unit page, and then the tabs on that new unit page to go to the right sub page. Finally you’ll want to go into the sub pages and fix the links too. A little annoying, but it should go quickly. Oh, and you’ll want to change the stickers to put the right unit sticker on all the new pages too!

Posted in digital science notebooks, science notebooks, technology | Tagged digital notebook, digital notebooks, education technology, google docs, Google Sites, video tutorial | 34 Comments

34 Responses

on August 1, 2014 at 9:09 pm | Reply Digital Notebook Tutorial #3: Student steps | The Scientific Teacher

[…] « Digital Notebook Tutorial #2: Setting up a digital notebook […]
- on August 29, 2016 at 7:00 pm | Reply colleen
  
  I have a question. If I am creating a template for a digital notebook for my students but I would like to be able to add tabs and pages as we move into each unit, is that possible?
on August 15, 2014 at 10:30 pm | Reply Jason

Hi Nick,

Thank you for posting this great tutorial that breaks down this process, and for providing a template to get started. I am very excited to get my own digital chemistry notebooks up and running for this fall.

I also wanted to let you know that the link for the yellow post-it image above is not working, it brings up the green post-it instead.
- on August 15, 2014 at 11:05 pm | Reply Nick Mitchell
  
  Jason- I’m happy the tutorials and the template are useful to you! Thanks for the heads up about the image issue, I’ve fixed it now. Let me know how things go this fall. 🙂
on August 20, 2014 at 5:27 pm | Reply Kristen

Hi Nick, I am thinking of trying out digital notebooks and I love your template!
This might be a stupid question, but on your unit page, how did you get your picture of the volcano on top of the post-it and have no white border around your post-it? I tried doing it in Paint, but… I get an ugly white border.
- on August 21, 2014 at 4:11 pm | Reply Nick Mitchell
  
  Hi Kristen- thanks, happy to hear you like it! Your question’s a good one, I actually thought about adding that step to the tutorial, but I thought it would make it too long. There’s several ways to do it, but here’s a cool website I found that makes it really easy: https://clippingmagic.com/
on July 6, 2015 at 8:06 pm | Reply Erica Cerasi

Ok.. I have set up all the links except the ones that I have (newly) created on your template. I have watched over and over how to set up the 3 tab set up like yours (class, lab, homework) from the videos, but it still will not allow me to set it up like yours. I get to the tab where I link it, and when I want to create a new “unit” it goes under one of the previous units you already have set up (i.e.: scientific inquiry). Don’t what I am doing wrong, but getting frustrated. So want this to work. Please let me know a little bit more.
- on July 6, 2015 at 8:50 pm | Reply Nick Mitchell
  
  Hi Erica,
  Sounds like you just need to change the links around. How about you share your site template with me so I can take a look? I don’t mind helping you out- it should be a quick fix!
  Nick
on July 10, 2015 at 10:06 pm | Reply Digital Notebook Tutorial #2: Setting up a digital notebook | Musings of a 6th Grade Science Teacher

[…] Digital Notebook Tutorial #2: Setting up a digital notebook. […]
- on August 4, 2015 at 3:43 pm | Reply Jill Retik
  
  Hi Nick,
  
  Thanks for posting your tutorials. I have two questions that are frustrating me: 1) how do I write the Unit Name on the stickers on the cover page? When I go to insert text box or gadget, it replaces my sticker with a large text box. and 2) when I go to link my unit stickers on the sub pages, it changes the stickers on the other unit subpages (ie, if I put an Astronomy sticker on the class stuff page, it will replace the Scientific Inquiry sticker on the class stuff page with the Astronomy picture). Any help you could offer on how to fix these two things would be greatly appreciated.
  
  Thank you!!!!
  
  Jill
  - on August 4, 2015 at 4:11 pm Nick Mitchell
    
    Hi Jill,
    Good questions. For the sticker name, you need to add the text of the Unit Name as part of the sticker image itself. I did this on a Mac using the program Preview (just open up the image you want and insert a textbook with Preview and then save the new image with the unit name). If you’re not sure what program to use to make your sticker images, there are free ones online as well like this one: https://pixlr.com/editor/
    
    I’m not sure I understand your second question completely- it sounds like the sticker images are doing strange things. So let me back up- each of the stickers on the cover page should be linked to a different unit sub page. If you’re adding a new unit, the best way is to just create a new page using the template “unit page” (and then also create the sub pages for this new unit). Then you should be able to replace the images and link everything correctly.
    
    Let me know if that works for you!
    Nick
  - on August 4, 2015 at 9:21 pm Jill Retik
    
    Nick,
    
    Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. For the first issue I’m having with the sticker name, I am working on a chromebook. Should I switch to my Mac to edit the sticker? I’m not sure what the program Preview is and I didn’t upload my stickers. I just copied and pasted the URL into the right spot.
    
    For my second issue. I had already done what you suggested: I added two new units – I created new pages and put them under the template Unit Homw Page. Then I added for each unit three new pages but used the templates class stuff or lab stuff or homework for each one. So now my four units: Scientific Inquiry, Astronomy, Meteorology, & Geology all have 3 sub units under them. Well, actually 4 – I added Do Nows as well. The Geology unit stays as is, however for the other 3 units, anytime I go into a sub unit and insert the sticker for the unit, it changes the picture in the other two. Short solution was I just deleted stickers from the sub pages, but I’d like to have them there, if possible. I’m not quite sure how to fix that issue. Did that make any more sense?
    
    Please let me know on both and then I’ll give it a try some more! Glad I am starting this early in August, as I’d like to have it ready to use by the time school starts.
    
    Thanks again,
    Jill
  - on August 4, 2015 at 9:30 pm Jill Retik
    
    Never mind on the names on the stickers, Nick. Figured it out – I used the pixir.com/editor. That was easy… 🙂
  - on August 5, 2015 at 3:51 am Nick Mitchell
    
    Hi again Jill,
    I’m not sure what’s going on with your strange changing pictures. It might just be that you have to fix the links on the new pages you made. When you create new pages from the templates they automatically link to the Science Inquiry page- so you might not realize that clicking the tabs keep switching your unit to that.
    
    But the easiest way to help you out would just be for me to take a look at your site myself and see what’s going on. I’ll contact you via email and we’ll go from there.
    
    Nick
on February 19, 2016 at 5:28 pm | Reply Cindy Piece

Hi Nick,
I stumbled onto to you via google site templates. I have downloaded your template (from your tutorials page) and all is going well except I cannot change the 6th Science Site to 8th grade. I would appreciate any help you can give me.
- on April 3, 2016 at 8:20 pm | Reply Nick Mitchell
  
  Hi Cindy, Sorry for the late reply! I think you are using an old template. That one has the title embedded as the background picture of the composition notebook, so it would be tricky to do. I’d recommend using the newer, easier to edit template instead: https://sites.google.com/site/digitalnotebooktemplate/ If you’re stuck with the old template, then edit the cover page by clicking the pencil, then the “HTML” button, and changing the table background on the second and third line to this (but add the brackets around it ): table background=”https://sites.google.com/a/asd.edu.qa/digital-notebook-template/home/compostion-book-small%20copy.png” border=”0″ bordercolor=”#888″ cellspacing=”0″ style=”background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat”
on April 22, 2016 at 8:36 pm | Reply Sarah Howard

Nick,

I love the idea of your digital interactive notebook. I would really like to create my own template for my students to use. I am wondering if you have any tutorials on how to go from a completely blank site to a working template. I am confused on how you got your picture of a composition book into your template. I do not know how you inserted those text boxes that students can then edit. Every time I insert a text box it becomes a really big white box that says text box gadget. Is there a different box that you used? Any help would be great.

Sarah
on May 12, 2016 at 3:39 pm | Reply Ashley M Kloustermeyer

Hi Nick,

I really love your digital notebook and I think it is so awesome that you shared it with everyone! I am trying to modify your template to fit the units I will teach in Physical Science and Biology next year; however, I am unable to see your videos (it just continuously loads and never starts playing) or the images on the instructions from the July 2015 update (it just says inline image but never shows an actual image). Not sure what is going on but I would really like to modify the template and use it next year. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!
Ashley
on June 20, 2016 at 7:21 pm | Reply Jennifer

Thank you so much for this template! It is awesome and I am so excited and motivated to learn more about using Technology in my classroom. My district went one-to-one and this is going to be perfect! I cannot thank you enough for sharing! Very grateful to you!
on June 23, 2016 at 9:43 pm | Reply Jeff Sarratt

Hi Nick,

I tried to download the template. It says I do not have access to it. It said to request it. that doesn’t work either. please help. jeff_sarratt@kernhigh.org
on June 23, 2016 at 9:44 pm | Reply Jeff Sarratt

i got it. sorry
- on July 18, 2016 at 7:09 pm | Reply Nick
  
  How did you get it to work? I am having the same problem unfortunately.
on January 17, 2017 at 9:04 am | Reply Melissa

Hi Nick,

I want to use the same stickers that you have but I just want to edit the text. I tried to just change the text but I’m unable to do so.
on July 30, 2018 at 5:01 am | Reply Candice Hilton

I am wanting to use the template, but it is telling me I can not access the template or even request access. Please help Hiltonc@kisdtx.net

TIA
on November 3, 2018 at 10:31 pm | Reply Cleste

I am trying to use the template, but it is telling me I cannot access the template or even request access please help.
on April 26, 2019 at 5:12 am | Reply Jenna Baker

I am trying to use your template but it is giving me the same message about not having access. Please let me know how I can get the permissions to use this! Thanks.
on May 2, 2020 at 7:01 pm | Reply Nikki Coker

Hi Nick, I am trying to use your template, but it is giving me a request for access error message. I noticed there have been several that are trying to use your template as well without any success. Doesn’t seem like you are responding to anyone since 2016 so you may not be managing this site anymore.
on July 12, 2020 at 12:49 am | Reply Angie RIddle

Hi Nick, I am also trying to use your template! Getting the request for access error message. I hope you can help!
- on July 12, 2020 at 10:33 am | Reply Nick Mitchell
  
  All set Angie, I’ve updated the link.
on July 12, 2020 at 10:32 am | Reply Nick Mitchell

Hi everyone, it seems like Google Sites changed the link on me. I’ve updated it now, so it should work. Sorry about that!
on July 14, 2020 at 8:58 pm | Reply Kimberly

Hi! Thank you so much for sharing all this with everyone. I am so excited to use this in my virtual class this year! I see that you said the link changed and that it should work now. However, I am also receiving the “request for access error” message by using the updated link.
- on July 14, 2020 at 9:18 pm | Reply Kimberly
  
  Never mind! It was apparently because I was on my school account. It worked with my regular account. However, it opened it in the old google sites and when I converted it to the new sites, it did not send all the cool looking stuff with it.
on August 5, 2020 at 6:39 pm | Reply Jane

I am so excited to find this! When I clicked :create” to use your template, I got everything…but there is no black cover (it’s those 4 stickers on lined paper.) What did I do wrong?
on September 21, 2021 at 4:40 pm | Reply Ryan

Thanks for poosting this