A new twist on something old.

This week, I was asked to make a sketch note video while we sorted our quick-fire question. Being someone who feels they thrive with creative tasks, I was excited about this one. While I often do large sketch note one-pagers with my students, this was my first sketch note video. It was more challenging than I thought but also a lot of fun. So, let's get into the technical side.

Image 1: Sketch notes revision for IGCSE Chemistry. Created by Elicia Bullock

The first problem I ran into was the fact that I tried out a new program, Figma, last week to do my quick-fire brainstorm and realized that it was difficult to move my questions around. I used the write function, so each character and line needed to be cut to be able to move it around. So, if you are going to try this out, I recommend using the post-it notes so they are easier to move around.

Second, make sure you practice. Just like I tell my students with any presentation, practice is key. Think through and script out what you're going to draw and say. Narrating while writing is a challenge so the more practice the better. I even made a quick sketch so I knew where I wanted things to go. This also includes practicing with the equipment you are going to use. 

Finally, have fun! This incorporates many different skills into one task and would be great for students who have had practice with general sketch noting. I think it would be a great way for students to summarize topics. I think it would also be a great way to keep meeting minutes at department meetings, ones people might really enjoy going back to or read if they were absent.

References:

Berger, W. (2016). Chapter 3A more beautiful question: The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas. Bloomsbury.

Bullock, Elicia. (2025, February 6). "Quick fire ? Sort” [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bWdsiJUepr4