How Do You Learn From Others?

As you may have read in my last post, I’m currently enrolled in a program called Apple Learning Coach. It is for teachers/tech leaders to learn about Apple’s apps while also learning the art of coaching.

One of my favorite parts about the program is that we learn by doing. In order to get our certification as an #AppleLearningCoach, we must demonstrate our skill competency through projects and submitting a portfolio.

One of the projects include creating a SKETCHNOTE. This was my jam. As you’ve seen in other blog posts, I’ve been sketchnoting for years, and continue to explore ways to improve my visual thinking and note taking skills both analog (pen/paper) and digitally.

For my sketchnote of “How I Learn From Others” I took a non-traditional approach… not really looking at “what” others have taught me, but more HOW mentors and leaders have supported me in different ways. Some have planted the seeds in my mind, others provided space to grow, or helped remove barriers/“weeds” that might get in the way. Others provided stability and guidance. Some were the “marigolds” who nurtured and made me better, just by being in their proximity (see Cult of Pedagogy’s blog post: Find your Marigold- the One Essential Rule for New Teachers)

I like to think of my mentors who have coached directly (staff members, administrators, etc) as well as the indirect coaching/inspiration (authors, instructors, peers, many of whom I’ve never met) and how my growth is all due to the many supports I’ve had to get me to where I am today.

That is a big reason why I coach, why I lead trainings, why I design materials and resources, to mentor and give back by serving others. A pay it forward so to speak, helping others unlock their unique, buried gifts.

Sketchnote Breakdown

While my go to digital sketchnoting apps tend to be Procreate or Notability, I opted to try out the recommended Tayusui Sketches School app for this project.

I was pleased to see some familiar features from the other digital sketching apps I’m used to:

++ Brushes were easy to use and the visual nature of them felt natural, like grabbing a new brush from a physical art set. While I love Procreate app for it’s wealth of digital brush options, essentially a digital art store at your fingertips, it can also be quite overwhelming and lead to choice paralysis. The brushes on Tayusui allowed for variety yet still some constraint. In this sketchnote I explored the watercolor brush for background, pen/marker for details, and some light pencil for initial sketch/layout.

++ Layers are a paid feature (just $5.99 for pro version) but worth it if you’re used to this style of art process. I like to use layers because it helps me break down each component I add, testing it out for style, size, layout, and if I don’t like it… simply delete that layer, without having to erase all the hard work below.

+ Color options. There is a built in standard range of colors, option for building color palettes, as well as the opportunity to set the brush to a specific color hex code if you’re looking to match specific colors to theme/websites. I loved all these options but with the color picker in the bottom right corner of the screen, I found myself accidentally bumping the color section with my palm, switching colors unexpectedly mid-stroke. I imagine like most apps that I might be able to move the tool bars around, but for a first time use, I’d like to check out this feature more in depth.

Have you used Tayasui Sketches app before? What do you like about it?

I’m looking forward to exploring this app more and learning the different features and brush options.

Want to build your sketchnote skills and find your support group?

Come join me on Doug Neill’s Verbal To Visual Sketchnote Community on Mighty Networks. In this global community of over 1,000 members we learn the art of sketchnoting, share our progress, give each other feedback, and mentor/inspire as we build our visual thinking skills as related to our various fields of expertise! Find YOUR people who support your learning.