Taking Notes

SKETCHNOTING:
new trend?
Most people know that before I became a school librarian, I was a K-12 art teacher. I grew up in a very artistic family and was encouraged to draw and sketch from the time I could hold a pencil. To this day, I am more comfortable showing someone how to do something than trying to explain it verbally. I learn better that way as well.
When I was in middle school, I had a classroom teacher tell me that I was a visual learner after noticing the doodles all over my notes. I didn’t really understand what she meant. To me, the doodles were just a way to pass the time. But after listening to her explain what a visual learner was, I realized that when I looked at my doodles, I could remember what was being said at that time. That my doodles were in fact “notes.” This is a lesson I carried with me from middle school all the way through college. I still doodle to this day.

Imagine my surprise to learn there is a new trend showing up in educational circles called Sketchnoting…. basically doodling in the form of notes. There are now blogs in which people share their sketchnotes, youtube videos explaining why it’s effective, books, and even a Twitter hashtag.

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