5 DOODLE APPS TO SHARE WITH STUDENTS

PUT THESE ON STUDENT DEVICES (AND YOUR OWN!)

It’s no secret that in the Doodle Note Club we love doodling. It may seem to some like our students (or selves!) are scribbling absent mindedly, but there is much more going on in our brains when we doodle. Our brains may be otherwise occupied as the pen in our hand draws shapes and figures on the paper in front of us, but that doesn’t mean it’s a wasted effort.

Jackie Andrade, a Plymouth University professor in the U.K. along with others hypothesized that doodling and listening are uniquely suited to each other. “Doodling engages the brain’s “executive resources” — processes that help us plan, multi-task and concentrate. Engaging our executive resources with doodles while we’re listening to a lecture or phone call makes sure that those resources don’t wander off on their own to think about the grocery list or our plans for the weekend” (source).

When you doodle you will see an improvement in:

• Memory – Studies have shown that doodlers recall facts 30% better than non-doodlers (source).
• Concentration – The simple act of doodling isn’t mindless at all, it actually helps the brain pay attention instead of drifting off.
• Creativity & Ideas – By adding visual, kinesthetic and auditory modalities of learning, your creativity is enhanced.
• Problem Solving – When your brain is in a creative mind set, you can find new solutions to problems which makes solving them easier.

However, now, we often have our phones and tablets in our hands instead of pen and paper. But that doesn’t mean we have to stop doodling. You and your students can still doodle to your heart’s content on your technology. The act of doodling is still the same and so you’ll still reap the benefits.

Some of these apps are just for fun, but some allow for more serious note-taking.  Choose the right blend of apps for your needs or your students’ level.

Encourage your students to take sketched notes with these 5 awesome doodling apps (or use some of them yourself to create hand-drawn graphics for your pages!):

1. Penultimate – Probably one of the best apps available is Penultimate for iPad. It is natural and easy to use, plus it connects to Evernotes and is perfect for drawing as well as for the notes you take in the classroom.

1. Bamboo Paper – Good for Apple and Androids, this app is great for turning your tech into a paper notebook. There are six pens, tons of colors and markings to choose from to help you express yourself.

1. Doodle Paper – This app is just like it sounds. It’s paper on your tablet. And it is perfect for a realistic drawing experience. Easy tools and lots of options perfect for an avid doodler.

1. Hand Paint – Doodle on a blank canvas or on pictures you have already taken with this fun app. Then you can share via e-mail or social media with your friends and family. You can dress up your cat, or take notes during a phone call, either way it is fun!

1. Doodle Buddy – You don’t need a stylus to get doodling with this fun fingering painting app. You can even connect with friends and draw together over the internet.

In 2017, doodling doesn’t mean pen and paper any more. It can be tablet and stylus or finger and phone. Either way, students are still harnessing their executive resources while scribbling.

And that’s GREAT for this generation.  These are apps that can harness cognition, help facilitate memory and get creative juices flowing.

Do you have a favorite doodle app? Let us know in the comments below!