I’m still gauging this out myself. I just started this past week. The students have responded favorably, but I know that I definitely need to add some other activities (whether in the same class period or the next day) to break up note-taking. I’ve been trying to get students to get up and move around afterwards using the “carousel” strategy, additionally, I have used puzzles (can be student created). My plan at the moment is to do doodle notes one day (if I get through before class is over, have a quick formative activity), the next day a hands-on activity—perhaps learning stations (or begin a lab—I teach science), and then do doodle notes again. So twice a week with doodle notes, and the rest of the week filled with activities that apply what we are learning.

I will say that I was surprised by how my students (self-contained, SPED) have responded. Some just want to do the doodle notes all the time. I have noticed however, that at times when they are supposed to be working on an activity within the doddle notes, they are just still coloring and doodling. I have to directly tell them to start the activity, which has made at least one of my students a little upset—they prefer to keep doodling.

Has anyone else run into the same problem? Are students still wanting to doodle, when they are supposed to be applying concepts within the doodle notes by completing some sort of activity within the doodle notes?

Also, I am using videos and PPTs (lots of visuals) to implement doodle notes. Does anyone do this differently? How do you teach with doodle notes?