Visual Note-Taking for Educators: A Teacher's Guide to Student Creativity

by Wendi Pillars

Overview

A step-by-step guide for teachers to the benefits of visual note-taking and how to incorporate it in their classrooms.

We've come a long way from teachers admonishing students to put away their drawings and take traditional long-form notes. Let's be honest: note-taking is boring and it isn't always the most effective way to retain information. This book is a guide for teachers about getting your students drawing and sketching to learn visually. Whether in elementary school or high school, neuroscience has shown that visual learning is a very effective way to retain information. The techniques in this book will help you work with your students in novel ways to retain information. Visual note-taking can be used with diverse learners; all ages; and those who have no drawing experience. Teachers are provided with a library of images and concepts to steal, tweak, and use in any way in their classrooms. The book is liberally illustrated with student examples from elementary and high school students alike. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393708455
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	11/30/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	546,334
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Wendi Pillars is a National Board Certified teacher who has been teaching students with English as a second/foreign language needs in grades K-12, both stateside and overseas, for 19 years. She has also taught Algebra, History, vocational classes, and Health and PE. She has published several articles, most related to best practices for ELLs, educational neuroscience, and teacher leadership. A lifelong learner, she loves using creativity to empower her learners.

Editorial Reviews

"[A] useful resource to help students think in new ways and synthesize thoughts."

PsychCentral

"Every educator should read this book! Visual Note-Taking for Educators is a fantastic resource—packed with solid rationale, backed up by research, and made actionable with loads of fun, real-world ideas and activities. Wendi Pillars' insights on visual thinking will improve your teaching and positively impact the lives of your students."

Mike Rohde

"Wendi Pillars has done a masterful job of showing how and why we teachers and our students can benefit from applying a learning and note-taking strategy many of us don't know much about. And, happily, it's a strategy that involves drawing, which our students are happy to do!"

Larry Ferlazzo

"If you’re the least bit intrigued about what visual note-taking is, or you’re interested in how to apply this strategy in class, Wendi Pillars has your answers. . . . You’ll enjoy the push to your thinking, and walk away with ideas to implement in your very next class. I’ve seen this strategy work for language learners in the classroom who need to develop the ability to build connections as well as students learning in their native language."

The North Carolina Science Teachers Association Newsletter

"Visual literacy is an absolute game changer for learning. Educators and students who edu-sketch will find that their thinking becomes broader and deeper. A whole new mind emerges. Pillars' book belongs on every teacher's desk, right next to that proverbial apple."

Sunni Brown