To Doodle is to Remember!

When I was a student my notebook pages were full of doodles. Usually just boxes, flowers, and various animals. None of them could be called artistic but it helped me to focus on what was being said and not stare out the window. If any of my teachers ever saw my notes they just shook their heads and told me I needed to clean those up, stop doodling and start paying attention. It wasn't until just recently that I started seeing posts on Twitter of these wonderfully artist notes that conference attendees were posting called Sketchnotes. I was intrigued but slightly intimidated because there was no way that I could draw something like that. Then I attended a MACUL conference session on Sketchnoting by Karen Bosch (@karlyb) and I'm hooked. I purchased The Sketchnote Handbook by Mike Rohde and started practicing. No artistic ability is needed. If you can draw a stick figure, lines and arrows, you too can sketchnote! I sketchnote using my iPad and also using paper and gel pens. On the iPad, I like using the Pencil stylus and the Paper app both by 53. I also use the Noteshelf app which gives me a more notebook style of note. There are many apps, most free or free to try, that work for sketchnoting and you can use a stylus or just your finger on the touch screen. I switch back and forth depending on the situation and what I have with me. Now I can doodle away but the difference is that no longer are the images disconnected from the content. Not only does this help me focus better but since the images relate to the content, my brain now has two paths for memory, visual and auditory. Plus... these are notes I actually don't mind reviewing, something that rarely happens with my text only notes. So... download a free app or grab that paper and pencil and give it a try with your students!

Sketchnote from ATK 2015 conference

Examples of one of my Sketchnotes 

ISTE session need two pages!