I am a sketcher. When I attend teacher PD, I am always drawing in the margin of the page. So, I felt like this would be an excellent talk for me to watch today!
Her talk mentioned how drawing or "graphic recording" what you hear helps build connections. Combining words and images can help you take what you are learning and hook it to existing learning.
She explained how visual notetaking improves focus as you simply listen and try to capture the important points. One caveat is to avoid too much detail and to be quick to draw.
Some tips she shared were:
- Choose the proper tool. It's up to you what that is-- iPad, pen and paper, markers, whatever. But, if using a digital tool, be sure you "know" the tool so you aren't caught up trying to figure out how to work the tool, which would distract from the notes.
- Have a mental library of icons. You have to use "your language" that you can draw quickly.
- Capture key points quickly; add detail later.
As always, after watching, I looked up the presenter online. I found am AMAZING article you simply must read that discusses "The Scientific Case for Doodling While Taking Notes."
She said, "Students who took notes longhand did better when tested on conceptual understanding and recall of what they had learned, even when everyone was allowed to study from their notes before being tested." She also referenced studies where students who typed notes might write more down but remember less. As a computer teacher who still encourages handwritten notes, I loved reading that! And, I believe teaching students how to take meaningful notes is critical. Handing out the PowerPoint slides or copying down bullet points word for word doesn't facilitate connection and learning.
Great talk, Rachel! Thanks for sharing!
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