The first day went well!
Each student was given a one inch three-ring binder, a stack of lined paper (hole punched) and four plain pieces of paper (hole punched) to serve as dividers.
Students were given an instruction sheet for assembling the notebook into four sections (In this order: class notes, class handouts, homework assignments, returned work, ) that also contains tips on note-taking. The instruction sheet was the first addition to the handouts section.
We gave the students time to assemble and personalize the notebooks. They were not at all upset to put their devices away, and several (3-4 students) said they were glad to be doing this.
We then walked them through how they should format their notes (using an outline method), start a new page for each new day, with the date on the top right corner of each page.
Lastly, we handed back their most recent test (which was not good), and walked them through how to structure their answers to identification questions. This was their first written note for the notebook.
We are having them keep their notebooks in the classroom at first, and after a few days of use, we will allow them to take them home so that they may review notes, make corrections, identify questions, and prepare for assessments.