The Case for Paper Notebooks In The Classroom
Explore resources that show the benefits of using paper notebooks in classroom.
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The Case for Paper Notebooks In The Classroom
This post has been updated.
As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into education, it's important to maintain a balance between digital innovation and hands-on learning.
While AI tools can enhance personalization and streamline certain tasks, they can't replace the deep thinking, reflection, and creativity that come from putting pen to paper.
Interactive notebooks offer a tactile, intentional space for students to process information, organize their thoughts, and make learning their own. They encourage active engagement—cutting, pasting, sketching, annotating—all of which help reinforce memory and understanding in ways that passive screen time often doesn’t.
In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and instant answers, interactive notebooks provide a counterbalance.
They help students slow down, reflect, and develop foundational skills like critical thinking, synthesis, and metacognition.
These skills remain essential, especially as students learn to evaluate and work alongside AI tools responsibly.
By blending tech-rich instruction with notebook-based learning, educators can create classrooms that are both future-forward and grounded—where students harness the benefits of AI without losing the human touch that deep learning requires.
Here are some resources I recently reviewed regarding the benefits of taking notes with paper and pen/pencil. I also included a takeaway from each. I've seen first hand the benefits of using paper notebooks with students but I guess I needed some reassurance in a time where digital notebooks are gaining traction. One goal I have going forward is to use the notebook to encourage students to record their thoughts in writing in a more frequent, low stakes way.
Jeremy Jorgensen
Jeremy Jorgensen
Jeremy Jorgensen
Jeremy Jorgensen
Digital Notes vs. Paper Notes: Benefits of Taking Notes by Hand
- Taking longhand notes forces the writer to slow down. The extra times makes for more effect absorption of material.
Four Reasons to Take Notes by Hand
- Handwritten notes are “higher quality”.
4 Reasons Writing Things Down on Paper Still Remains Supreme
- Writing by hand activities different brain regions at once which makes it stick in your memory better.
Stronger Brain Activity After Writing on Paper Than on Tables or Smartphone
- I like this quote so I am including it word for word. This involves a study of university students and recent graduates.
“The significant superiority in both accuracy and activation for the Note group suggested that the use of a paper notebook promoted the acquisition of rich encoding information and/or spatial information of real papers and that this information could be utilized as effective retrieval cues, leading to higher activation in these specific regions.
Is the Pen Mightier Than the Keyboard? 6 Advantages of Paper in the Digital Era
- Using ink/pencil and paper provides a multi-sensory experience. This is one of the reasons that Kindle* and other e-readers *make a “whoosh” sound when pages are turned.
- Paper doesn’t emit blue light. It may be better for our brains and eyes.
My Favorite Notebook Things:
- The Classic Composition Notebook*
- Any Color Duct Tape -* This give students a way to customize their notebook and makes it easy for them to find theirs quickly.
- Any colored pencils and glue sticks
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