Daily Organizational Learning Portfolio and Handbook of Important Notes
What is a DOLPHIN Binder?
In order to help our students with the responsibility and organization of various classroom handouts and learning resources, each student in our fourth grade class will keep a half-inch 3-ring binder called our DOLPHIN Binder. Students will use this binder everyday in class. The binder contains a binder zipper pouch and various sheet protectors filled with important handouts and learning resources. Since the binder will be mainly used during class time, students will keep their DOLPHIN Binders in the classroom at all times. If any information from the binder needs to be taken home, students will simply pull out the pages needed for home learning and place those in their Home Learning Folder (which is separate from the DOLPHIN Binder). The pages will then be returned to the DOLPHIN Binder once students finish using them for home learning. The overall purpose of these binders is to provide students with useful resources and reference sheets that will allow them to stay organized and enable their learning process.
Why is it called a DOLPHIN Binder?
The word DOLPHIN is an acronym that stands for Daily Organizational Learning Portfolio and Handbook of Important Notes. The reason I chose the dolphin as the name of our binder is because our school's mascot is the dolphin and I thought it would be a neat way of incorporating it into this neat resource.
How do you get a DOLPHIN Binder?
Students in Ms. Sanchez' class will obtain a DOLPHIN Binder by getting several items on their own and obtaining some of the items from Ms. Sanchez. Once students bring all necessary materials to class, Ms. Sanchez will provide instructions on how to put the binder together. Students should make sure they obtain all of the required school supplies from the list Ms. Sanchez provides at the beginning of the school year. The following is a list of supplies students need to bring to school in order to make their DOLPHIN Binder (please be mindful that this list is not the complete list of required school supplies for the year):
Wide-ruled writing paper
6 sheet protectors
2 sharpened pencils
1 yellow highlighter
1 white eraser
The following supplies will be provided by Ms. Sanchez:
Half-inch white view binder
Zipper Pouch
What will I find inside the DOLPHIN Binder?
The DOLPHIN Binder will have several items and
components that will help keep students organized. Here's what you will find in
the binder:
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Inside Binder Pockets
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FRONT POCKET We will temporarily keep any assignments we are currently working on. Once the assignments are completed, they will be collected by the teacher. BACK POCKET We will keep any miscellaneous handouts, papers, and our small supply of writing paper (about 25-30 sheets) see below. |
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Zipper Pouch
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As soon as you open up your DOLPHIN Binder, you will find a zipper pouch. This zipper pouch will be provided by Ms. Sanchez. The zipper pouch will be where you will keep two sharpened pencils, a yellow highlighter, a white eraser at all times, and your "Fin" Dollars. |
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Writing Paper
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There will be a small supply of writing paper (about 25-30 sheets). This supply will be replenished throughout the year. It's great to keep extra writing paper here in case you need some for your assignments. |
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Sheet Protectors
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Six clear sheet protectors will be
used in our binder. Here's what we will keep in these sheet protectors:
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DOLPHIN Binder Rules
Responsibility and care are essential towards maintaining your DOLPHIN Binders. It is very important to keep it safe, organized, and up-to-date. Here are some rules to keep in mind:
DO NOT draw or
doodle in your DOLPHIN Binder.
Keep your
binder CLEAN and NEAT. Remember you will be keeping it for the
entire year!
DO NOT let any
of your friends borrow, use, or have anything from your DOLPHIN
Binder.
DO NOT place
any other supplies or heavy items inside of your zipper pouch.
Be sure to USE
your DOLPHIN Binder! It is a great resource and a useful
organizational tool.
Keep your
binder CLEAN! Try not to eat or drink near your binder.
DO NOT sit on
your binder.
Keep your
binder safely stored near your desks. Remember that since we
mainly use our binders for reference in class, we are to keep the binders
in the classroom at all times.
Any pages that are removed from your binder to use for Home Learning MUST be returned to the proper section in your DOLPHIN Binder when you are done with them.
Create Your Own DOLPHIN Binder
If you would like to create your own DOLPHIN Binder make sure you have the following materials ready for use:
A one and a half inch view binder
A cover for your binder to place inside the view pocket on the front cover of the binder. I use a school theme stationary and write the title of the binder along with the current year and a line to write the student's name.
A binder zipper pouch
Spare wide-ruled writing paper
Sheet protectors
Optional pocket folders (NO PRONGS) for each subject. These folders will need to be hole-punched in order to place them inside the binder
Address labels to label each folder and section
Anything else you would like to add to enhance your binder!
If you would like to learn more about how other teachers use these types of binders, please visit the following sites:
To find various acronyms to use for these types of binders you can be creative and come up with your own or you can visit the following site to see if you find one you like:
Download the D.O.L.P.H.I.N. Binder Information on this Page!
If you would like to download the information on this page, please click on the Adobe PDF icon below. Along with all the information presented on this page, you will also find an Appendix of Reference section with handouts to use in the binder. Enjoy!
D.O.L.P.H.I.N. Binder Information
*Revised on 7-26-08*
