This was my second year at Kid's College at WOSC. This year I taught a different class... Sketchnoting, also known as visual or graphic note-taking. Look it up on Google or Pinterest. I did. It's not bullet notes or Cornell notes, it's a combination of doodles and key words to stimulate memory and interest. It's not just a kiddie trick, either, big businesses use it as a tool for creative thinking and team work. The science behind it is fascinating, too. Sketchnoting uses all four learning modalities (Visual, Hearing, Kinesthetic, and Reading/Writing), whereas only two are needed for basic learning. There's a 29% increase in memory retention, plus improvement in listening skills and interest in the subject at hand. And...it's really fun! As we get older, we're discouraged from being artists and creators, but it's actually better for our brains and our quality of life to increase!
So, I taught five girls, ages 9-12 (one of which was Analiese), or at least attempted to do so. Our first day was about lines, shapes, and connecting them together to make pictures. They each had a sketch book (you can get a little one at Walmart for about $2 - cheap!) and a special black pen that won't bleed through the paper. And the first rule - no color - yet! That's for Thursday. Oh, and they had homework, a poster that they'll be working on this week. For Monday, it was draw four frames on the posterboard and put in the first one pictures that depict them...but only in black!
Tuesday was lettering - how to make topics, titles and important words stand out. The poster homework was frame #2 and their favorite animal. Before we started the day, I had the girls come show their posters. They love bringing their drawings up to the overhead and showing off!
Wednesday was their favorite because we did people. It's amazing how many emotions and actions you can portray with just a stick figure! We also had a fun time making different facial expressions and hair styles. The poster assignment was perfect for today, too - drawing their favorite sport. So we spent time with my Ed Emberley drawing book looking at different sports.
Thursday was our last day and our color day! They were happy to see the colored pencils. We also practiced taking notes by watching Brainpop videos. Though they're not ready for the full video, we had to keep stopping to note key points they should put on their sketches. They loved doing one so much, we had to do another one!
They didn't want it to end! I went to a baby shower on Friday evening and two of my students (who were girls from my ward) had mothers/grandmothers there. One said that her granddaughter kept trying to tell her they needed to go to class on Friday. The other said her daughter was teaching her brothers how to draw some of the things she had learned. I guess you can call it success!
You can imagine that I didn't want to work too hard on Friday. We were supposed to go visit friends and mess around with their rabbits and horses. But it rained in the morning, which made their area a mess, so I got to just stay home and do boring stuff, like laundry and getting ready for a baby shower.
The end of the week? Guinea pig sitting ended this afternoon when the family came to get their piggies. It's been interesting and, yes, I'm allergic to them. They have fur, don't they? Alice the rabbit was a little jealous of the extra attention, but was curious, too, about these furry little things. Plus, she'd eat the hay they spilled out of their cage.
I did get a call this morning about wild cottontail rabbit babies. Like I need more fuzzies to worry about. But I passed the buck to a local wildlife "rehabber" (rehabilitator) to tell her what to do about them. But babies with their eyes still closed, mauled by a cat, and no nest in sight, they really don't have much of a chance. It happens around here all the time; the base is swarming with cottontails. So if you find a nest of wild baby rabbits - leave it alone! Mom isn't far, she only comes once in the early evening or morning to feed them, and they are safe where they are.
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