Sketchnoting...why have I never thought of something like this?

First off, what kind of world languages teacher doesn't automatically want to check out a blog with the name of "Langwitches?"  Complete with a little black pointed hat in the corner.  This is only the start of Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano's creativity, an EduBlogger to whom I responded.  Throughout her blog, she includes doodles, sometimes in combination with the types of images of something your would find on Google, like this walnut.  In this specific posting, "Sketchnoting FOR Learning," she writes the following about sketchnoting (using sketches as a form of note taking/visual summaries): "it helps me process and digest a talk, wrap my mind around a large amount of information and organize my thoughts better.  I am using sketchnoting as part of my learning process."  If sketchnoting is so helpful to her, then it could be helpful to my students as well...I set out to read more and skim through the PPT slides she had prepared for a Sketchnoting conference.

Admittedly, I love almost anything to do with art...drawing, watercolors, acrylics, pen and ink, you name it.  I was prepared to really like this sketchnoting idea, and I was definitely not disappointed.  With Sketchnote, one can do something as practical as make a shopping list, to posting a blog, organizing a lecture, making a birthday card, brainstorm, or even lecture.  Throughout the slides, she demonstrates many different uses for the Application.  In many ways, it can be used to extend and challenge students in a myriad of ways not typically utilized in the classroom.  Students often doodle when they are bored...but what about learning through doodling?

If you are interested in some sweet examples: http://langwitches.org/blog/2014/11/04/sketchnoting-for-learning/  and http://langwitches.org/blog/2014/09/24/sketchnoting-and-yet-another-dimension/
Oodles of resources are also offered under the prepared slide show.  She even has a Pinterest board with a variety of ways in which to use sketches and doodles in the class to enhance learning.



In case you couldn't tell, this particular posted excited me a little bit.  Especially as a language teacher, visuals can be crucial to facilitating deeper and more meaningful understanding.  I knew this had to be one of the EduBloggers I responded to...I have yet to receive a response, but I did only post today.  In my response, I wanted to thank Silvia for sharing this awesome idea without sounding too pumped...responses to someone else's blog can only contain so many exclamation points.  I thanked her for sharing her thoughts behind sketchnoting, shared a little bit about myself so as not to sound like a complete random person floating around on the Web, and basically said why I thought the concept was so interesting/thoughts as to how I could use doodles as a way to enhance learning in my classrooms.  In the end, I asked her if she would have any suggestions for me.  She seems very experienced, extremely on top of things, and I have no idea who she is, which makes posting to random people a little intimidating to me...but hey, the worst she can do is tell me I sound stupid or just not respond (which I wouldn't really mind...I'm shy when it comes to faceless Internet people)...and I highly doubt any EduBlogger would be actually rude.