As a closet doodler most of my life I was enthralled to learn that note taking through drawing is not only a practice but an evidence-based accepted practice filled with amazing people working in the field.
To take my visual notes I use a first generation iPad, a pogo stylus and AutoDesk Sketchbook Pro.
The art of SketchNoting helps me stay focused and be a better listener.
In Fall 2011, I was a guest lecturer on DS106 and I provided the following video:
In 2011 I submitted the following “essay” to UnPlug’d about Why Doodling Matters.
As Temple Grandin says, “the world needs all kinds of minds.” and some of those minds “think in pictures”.
Doodling is a form of external thought that allows you to visualize the connections you are making while thinking. In the conscious mind, doodling can assist concentration and focus but even in the unconscious mind, while doodling and day dreaming connections are made.
As Steven Johnson says, the “mind’s primordial soup” can lead to “serendipitous collisions of creative insight”.
Doodling has allowed connections to be made between people and ideas, the magical space between.
These aspects can lead to better problem solving. By sharing my thinking through visual means, my most important connections have been to people, by way of sharing my perceptions of their ideas, presentations and words back to them.
Here’s a great how-to sketchnote post.
I just love Sunni Brown, Doodlers Unite! TED Talk on doodling. She’s hilarious and a great champion for doodling.
Some examples, ALL released under Creative Commons on my Flickr stream
Universal Instructional Design- To Aid Note Taking
Documenting Learning
Thinking outside the LMS
So Exactly How do I do my notes?
I use a 1st gen iPad + AutoDesk Sketchbook Pro app + pogo stylus.
I learned pretty much everything from Rachel Smith’s site and a lot of practice!
Visual Recording on the iPad from Flickr Stream by Rachel Smith, DigitalFacilitation.net.
See Rachel’s Flickr Photostream
For more inspirational resources, see: Nancy White, Full Circle Associates and Nancy’s Flickr Stream
Workshops & Presentations
Learning by Design at the University of Mary Washington Faculty Academy, May 2012
Visual Practice at Society for Teaching Learning in Higher Education, June 2012
Visual Practice at Canadian Association University Student Services, June 2012
Visual Note taking on the iPad at MooseCamp Northern Voice, June 2012
Facilitator, small group peer edit UnPlug’d, August 2012
[...] the first 15 minutes on social artists, though the discussion of visual communication and sketchnoting was interesting on a different level) [...]
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This is fascinating work, Giulia. I’m so grateful that Royan shared your work with me and that you have shared all these wonderful resources. Actually, I was in a parent conference today discussing a student’s need for help with note-taking and it occurred to me that he might benefit from sketch-noting. I cannot wait to share this with my students. Thank you!
[...] Giulia Forsythe’s Work on Visual Practice – Giulia, whom I just started following on Twitter, has written about how the art of SketchNoting has helped her “stay focused and be a better listener.” I highly recommend checking out her Visual Practice post (linked above). In that post she shares a video about her own experience, a great SlideShare of her presentation “Drawing Conclusions,” several sample SketchNotes, and some links where you can learn more. Here’s a great example of one of Giulia’s sketches. [...]
ah the magic of ds106 continues. so glad to have been connected to you through ds106 and especially to have seen this. a born doodler, i abandoned it long ago because i thought it indicated lack of focus and rigor in notetaking/thinking. after reading/watching this i’ve got pens, pencils, and paper all spread out before me ready to work on ds106 and other projects. thanks giulia!!
[...] Visual Practice [...]