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.