Sunni Brown: Doodlers, unite!

http://www.ted.com Studies show that sketching and doodling improve our comprehension -- and our creative thinking. So why do we still feel embarrassed when we're caught doodling in a meeting? Sunni Brown says: Doodlers, unite! She makes the case for unlocking your brain via pad and pen.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate.

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• TED
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• Sunni Brown
• Doodles
• doodling
• creativity
• comprehension
• creative thinking
• thinking

[FungusyHam]

"Bill! This is a very important meeting! Why aren't you doodling like everyone else? George here has drawn a duck in a pond! And what have you got? Words? Notes?! Get out."

[theshredator]

I'd totally doodle her.

[livingsk8erpunk]

@theshredator sorry, I've already cross-hatched her.

[SongstressofNight]

I'm actually very glad to say that I have a teacher that does not scorn me for doodling. She is actually for it. It also keeps me from falling asleep in class, so... XD

[catmaniac8x]

YES...100% YES

Especially about that bit with learning and focusing better with doodling..I can vouch for that, I doodled all the time in class, and I still do now! And I found that I could focus much better than if I was not doodling and going stir-crazy while the class went on.

[TheAnderman]

I was punished for doodling by teachers the whole way through school.

Now I make a living doodling – take that, teachers.

[shepherdess5]

For many years I've fought teachers who insisted our daugther MUST stop Doodling while they are teaching or on her work. In fact, one teacher punished her all the time for Doodling on her papers. I challenged this teacher saying: "let her doodle and then quiz her on the material, then have her not doodle and then quiz her...see how she does."

1st Quiz with Doodling...100% correct

2nd Quiz without Doodling... 40% correct.

Thank you Sunni for your research...my daughter is proof of your theory!

[DrShakesBALLIN]

@ikartik90

In soviet Russia doodle doodles you.

[ikartik90]

In India we call it scribbling senselessly, mentally absent in the class!

[ShalomYal]

@cuervotaylor I have been both a high school and middle school teacher for 20 yrs - and there is no doubt that many students learn better if they are allowed to "doodle" while they are listening to a lecture or a discussion. I let students doodle until or unless it does not serve their learning - but in most cases it is a benefit. SO this is not a stupid talk - it is about how people learn AND it is a slam to all those old school - sit up straight eyes up at all times teachers.

[THEoriginaldragontrs]

I love this talk, it is great. I doodle a lot and it doesn't just help you think but, at least for me, it also helps to relax. ^^