My sketchnotes video using an Elmo classroom recorder

In this video, I share a recording of me drawing and explaining a sketchnote. Then, I’ll explain how I used the ELMO classroom camera to record the video.

I learned about sketchnotes from the @ONE Reflective Writing Club, which you can learn more about on the Online Network of Educators site for the California Community Colleges. This week’s prompt is to “share strategies for unplugging” because the more connected we get online, the more important it is to unplug to keep balance our lives. The creative challenge this week is to present our ideas in the form of a sketchnote, a method that combines traditional handwritten notes with drawings and symbols to create a map of ideas.

My strategies for unplugging aren’t hard for me to recall because, like most people, I need to remind myself every day to unplug at home—especially with young children.

First, I set aside a specific TIME to plug in at home. I check news, email, and Facebook in the hour after the kids go to bed and sometimes watch a little Netflix or Prime video, too.

I also set aside a PLACE for my phone (which is my primary mobile device) when I’m not using it. It’s in a central location where I can hear the phone ring and where I can charge it.

I’ve also included my FAMILY in my plan. The kids have designated days and times for using their tablet (mostly for playing Minecraft), and we stress that the tablet is be left in its resting place at all other times.

I’ve also organized lots of ALTERNATIVE activities – books, games, puzzles, and craft materials – that are easy to get to.

In my video, I show you how make a sketchnote video of your own. Many classrooms have an Elmo camera to project documents, and you can use it to create video! My colleague Andrea Chase demonstrates how to use it in the video (no transcript for this part).

For more instructional videos for the Elmo, go to YouTube and search for “ELMO Document Camera training video” to find the company’s playlist.

To learn more about sketchnotes, check out this sketchnote guide on the Jetpens.com website. It details the sketchnote process, basic elements of sketchingnoting, supplies, examples, and an interview with a pioneer of the sketchnote method.

Also go to Twitter and search for #SketchCUE challenge for more sketchnote examples. To follow the Reflective Writing Club, search for #CCCWrite.

Thanks for watching!

Liz du Plessis, Instructional Designer in Distance Education at Santa Rosa Junior College. This post is for #CCCWrite prompt 5.