What is sketchnoting
6 mins read

What is sketchnoting

What is sketchnoting – the school year is coming to an end and holidays are approaching. It is a time of rest and, most importantly, entering the next school year with new energy and a fresh mind. However, who said that during the holidays we can’t learn new skills that will help us do better in the classroom? We were given two more months of lab time, which we could use in many ways. Some spend all their time in front of the computer, others play sports, and a small percentage decide to focus on personal development.

Each of these forms has its advantages, but acquiring new skills (like the last of the above groups) is primarily an investment in the future and can bear fruit in many ways. More free time during the school year, faster absorption of information or developing creative thinking – these are just some of the benefits that we gain when we learn to use technology. What are we talking about? The answer is later in the article.

Drawing notes

Many of us have a habit of taking notes in class to consolidate knowledge later. However, such notes tend to be very routine, sketchy, and therefore boring. As a result, our brain does not absorb information effectively and only wastes time. How many times has it happened to us that while reading a note we suddenly turn off and move our thoughts to a completely different place than the sheet of paper we are observing? Fortunately, there is a way to prevent this type of accident from happening again. The solution is draft notes, which create notes in the form of drawings. This supports the memorization process by converting the information received by hearing into a visual form of graphics. Sketchnoting is especially useful for visual and kinesthetic learners who absorb information faster and in greater quantity by actively scribbling on paper. A string of words is very unattractive to the human brain, so boredom sets in earlier and prevents us from concentrating on the task at hand. Drawing, on the other hand, diversifies all notes, which makes us more willing to reach for such notes. Why is it worth trying to learn sketchnoting?

 

Perfect for teenagers

Sketchnoting is a great way to take notes for kids. Thanks to this, they develop creative thinking and manual skills from an early age. We have many options for designing our notes so that they fulfill their function in the best possible way, and at the same time look attractive and aesthetic. Let’s take biology as an example. It consists of several sections, each with a different theme. For example, information from the structure of the human body can be illustrated with diagrams of individual limbs, organs, or other structures that are part of our body. Thanks to this, using such notes, we can immediately imagine what it would be like in real life, what they tell us to cram. Our brains are more likely to remember things we see than pure abstractions. This is just one example of using sketch annotations. It gives us thousands of opportunities to gain knowledge, so it’s worth spending time on vacation learning from the beginning how to do it right. How to do it?

Practice works wonders

First, we should use sketch notes as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if you watched an interesting lecture on YouTube or just finished reading a fascinating book. In both cases, to remember new information as best as possible, we can create drawing notes and then place them somewhere at the top so that we can access them at any time. In just a few days, we will certainly see the first effects of our efforts. Therefore, the more varied notes we create, the more effectively we can use the sketch-note method. Since everyone is different, we need to see for ourselves what style or amount of drawings is best for our situation. Therefore, the second step is to experiment. Experimenting with different lines changing the ratio of text to drawing or the size of individual fragments of our notes are just some of the elements that we can constantly modify to find the best solution for us. However, it is important not to get discouraged. Not everyone has an instant talent for drawing, so creating great notes ready to share on social media won’t happen. However, it is quite possible to acquire the right skills over time. Let’s go back to social media for a moment, where you can find inspiration and tips for sketching notes. There are many profiles that openly share new ideas. At first, learning any skill can be difficult. But how are we supposed to learn anything if we don’t try?

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