Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Sketchnotes

I have always been one to doodle while taking notes.  As a kid, I was sometimes reprimanded for drawing during class. Admittedly, sometimes my mind was a million miles away. However, at some point, I started using it as a way to stay engaged.  Over the years, I would ask myself, "If I were an illustrator, how would I represent the concepts being discussed?"  It helps me to stay focused and remember what I was listening to while drawing.

I've since learned that there are other who take notes in similar ways -- a whole army of Sketchnoters!  There's a great book and video by designer Mike Rohde who teaches it as a method of taking notes.  For most, the desire for quality of artwork is not as important as thinking of symbols that will help you remember the concept being discussed. 

Whenever I attend a workshop or training, I take the opportunity to practice.  Here are some pages from a workshop I attended today where I learned a lot about the Collins Writing Program, a great new program that helps teachers of all subjects integrate writing across the curriculum.





Tuesday, April 1, 2014

This is the cover for the next issue of L.I.F.E.W.I.N. or Life is Funny...Except when it's Not!