Science Notebooks

What are some commonalities in the three articles you read and the presentation?  
One commonality within the three articles is the improvement of literacy skills through the use of science notebooks. Another was how it was a place for students to draw diagrams or reference sheets. A final commonality was that it was a place to record discoveries.
 
Are you currently using science notebooks in your classroom?  If so, how are you using them?  If not, how might you use them? I currently use science notebooks in my classroom. Students use them for a number of reasons. We record journal entries, experiments, drawings, notes, diagrams. We use them daily.
What are two new things that you learned from the readings and/or PowerPoint or something that reinforces what you are already doing with science notebooks in your classroom? One thing I learned was a new way I could set up student notebooks by having students put their input on the left side of the notebook and to use the left side for teacher input/content. A second thing I learned was that I can have students add in a page of open response questions they can refer to in the future to help them generate ideas.
What are some advantages and disadvantages you see of using science notebooks? The first advantage is that it is a document that shows student growth over time. A second advantage is that it helps enhance students' literary skills. A third and final advantage is the notebooks support differentiated learning. One disadvantage is the time it takes to go through and read all the entries from students. A second disadvantage is if a student loses the notebook or leaves it at home it is difficult to keep them on track.
 
In what way, if any, do science notebooks help support what we have explored this week with regards to "How Students Learn Science"? It is a tool for them to think about and process what they already knew and compare that to the new concepts or ideas they have come across (metacognition).