Using Visual Note taking with my middle school students to enhance understanding of video content

1. A classroom lesson by
Janet Ilko
Cajon Valley Middle Schooll
San Diego Area Writing Project
January 2014

2. HOW I SOMETIMES FEEL DURING A
LECTURE OR VIDEO!

3. WHAT IT IS AND ISN’T!
Visual notetaking is a process of representing ideas nonlinguistically. Visual notetaking can include concept mapping,
but also more artistic ways of visually capturing and representing
ideas.

4. TRYING SOMETHING NEW…
Listening, Filtering, Translating, Recording, Revisiting, Refining

5. SOME BASIC SHAPE IDEAS

6. COLOR IN REVISIT

7. LOTS OF OPTIONS, MAKE IT YOUR OWN

8. STEPS TO SUCCESS FOR VIDEO NOTETAKING
Divide Your paper into 3 parts.
1. Watch the video, and the first time jot down just the main ideas you hear.
2. Discuss with your group of 4. What were the main ideas in the text. We will then
have a group discussion.
3. We will watch the video again, this time using the second column of notes,
adding details to the main ideas we shared in step two.
4. Meet again in your group of 4, and finalize your details
5. Colunm three is for your sketches and drawings, what is one thing you could
draw or sketch that solidifies the main idea for you. How will you remember
these key points?
6. Be ready to share your sketches with your team.

9. A MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO
This week we watched this video from Todd Durkin, a motivational speaker and
trainer. It is called “The Top Ten Ways To Be Extraordinary in 2014.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r9KA-44_Ic&feature=youtu.be
The kids loved it. We watched it the first time with the video, the second time just
listening to the audio, the third time back to the video.
Thanks Todd Durkin for allowing us to use this piece in our classrooms.

10. FIRST SET OF NOTES

11. FIRST SET OF NOTES

12. DAY 2 OPENING DISCUSSION
Using just your notes, talk to your partner about what we viewed yesterday. Do you
agree? Do you have additional things to add? How did your illustrations help
you or your partner?
Whole group:
Watch the video clip one more time, noticing how the information flows. What
aspects of the video do you know a lot about, where do you still have some holes?
Finally, meet with your team again, and run through one final clarification. You will
use these notes later to write a summary paragraph about what you learned.

13. POSTER PROJECT
The video we watched was “The Top 10 Ways to be Extraordinary in 2014!” by Todd
Durkin. How could you create a chart that illustrates the main message of this
video.
Each team is going to create a one page graphic using words, colors and pictures
that illustrate the main meaning of each of the 10 ideas. Your page must include
the number and a description with examples from the video. Most importantly
your group must relate this idea to your own life and add words and illustrations
that demonstrate how this idea applies to you.
At the end of the period each group will share their poster aloud to the class. I will
not be telling you in advance who will be presenting. It will be teacher’s choice,
so everyone must be ready to share the poster.

14. SAMPLE TEAM POSTERS

15. SAMPLE TWO

16. SAMPLE THREE

17. DAY 3 A SUMMARY PARAGRAPH
Around the classroom you will see posters we created yesterday about the video.
Using your notes and the visuals from the poster, please write a summary about
what you learned.
Include in your summary:
The title of the video and the speaker
The main idea
One or two of the ideas that resonate with you or your team.
One thing you are going to definitely do this year to make your life extraordinary!
I will share the best paragraphs in class tomorrow.

18. REFERENCES/ RESOURCES
Mapping Media To The Common Core Wesley Fryer Ph.D
http://maps.playingwithmedia.com/visual-notetaking/
Basics of Visual Notetaking Craighton Berman
http://www.core77.com/blog/sketchnotes/sketchnotes_101_the_basics_of_visual_note-taking_19678.asp
Mike Rohde
http://alistapart.com/article/sketching-the-visual-thinking-power-tool
Sunni Brown The Miseducation of the Doodle
http://alistapart.com/article/the-miseducation-of-the-doodle
Paul Hankins
http://paulwhankins.edublogs.org/

19. SUGGESTED BOOKS
Books
The Doodle Revolution Unlock the Power To Think Differently by Sunni Brown
The Sketchnote Handbook Video Edition by Mike Rohde
Mapping Inner Space: Learning and Teaching Visual Mapping by Nancy Marguiles