Overview
In this multi-lesson unit students will learn about basic guidelines and develop basic skills for effective sketchnoting: Representing ideas non-linguistically with visual icons / drawings as well as text..
Goals
Invite and inspire students to be responsibly fearless in representing their ideas visually
Help students develop skills for drawing basic icons and shapes
Provide students with resources (like thenounproject.com) to gain further inspiration and assistance in sketchnoting
Encourage safe and responsible sketchnote image sharing
Preparation
Brainstorm with students their existing knowledge / ideas about sketchnoting and what it is.
Show students examples of sketchnotes / visual notes (50+ examples by Dr. Wes Fryer)
Ask students to download a preferred Sketchnoting app to their devices (iPads) in advance of class. (In fall 2020 we're using "Adobe PhotoShop Sketch" (free). Dr. Fryer's preferred app is "ProCreate."
Preferred Sketchnoting Tools
(These are dynamic and subject to change, depending on app / platform updates!)
For iPad users:
Sketchbook (free, in-app purchases NOT required)
FreeForm (free)
ProCreate (paid app)
Adobe Fresco (free)
For Chromebook users:
Canvas for Chrome (Chrome web app)
Infinite Painter (Google Play Store)
Procedures
Day 1 Activity: Introducing Sketchnoting
Today is our introductory lesson for our Sketchnoting unit. We are going to to watch a TEDx talk video by a person who is now a professional sketchnoter, a visual artist. We will learn that sketchnoting can be a powerful, alternative way from "traditional notes" to document your learning in a meaningful way.
As shown in the attached photo and sketchnote, sketchnoting is a process of watching information with your eyes and listening to information with your EARS, processing it in your brain, and then sending out those combined ideas OUT with your hand onto a digital screen, piece of paper, or other medium.
3 Basic Tips for Sketchnoting are:
Remember it's more like PICTIONARY than ART
Use ICONS to get inspiration and ideas (thenounproject.com)
Stay with the Speaker (Don't get bogged down with a detailed drawing so you fall behind)
Watch the first half of the video "Drawing in Class" by Rachel Smith and create a SKETCHNOTE of things you learn from her talk.
Narrrated Sketchnoting
After students learn to create basic sketchnotes, it's great to learn ways to NARRATE those sketchnotes. Check out this tutorial video (3 min) about how to use the built-in features of the iPad (included with iPadOS 14 and later versions) to create an iPad screen recording, like a narrated sketchnote. A narrated sketchnote example is also available.
Day 2 Activity: Adobe Photoshop Sketch Tips
Today we will practice sketchnoting after going over some different tips for using Adobe PhotoShop Sketch. Some of the important procedures you want to know and practice are how to:
Pinch to Zoom
Change the pen size
Change the pen color
UNDO the last action
Use the eraser
Work with Layers
Export to the Photo Roll as an Image
Watch the video "Why You Should Put YOUR MASK On First (My Brain Without Oxygen) - Smarter Every Day 157," and create a Sketchnote about it. Export your sketchnote and share it three ways:
Turn it in in Google Classroom
Post it to your WriteAbout blog with a few sentences to explain what you sketchnoted, and include a LINK to the original video
Upload it to our class Padlet (link in Google Classroom)
Adobe PhotoShop Sketch Tutorials
Watch 1 or both of these video tutorials to learn more about different TECHNIQUES for drawing and creating sketchnotes with the Adobe PhotoShop Sketch app for iPad.