November 20, 2010

By: Nick B. from Miami, FL
Comments: 5

Posted By: Nick Britton
On: 10/29/2010 11:10:01 PM

Sticky Notes are great. We used them a lot this summer at SDI 2010 in NYC with presenters from IDEO. They're accessible to pretty much anybody in any office or school. And they're far less intimidating than those giant sheets of presentation paper. I especially like the look of a group of them in different colors scattered on a wall. That visual has become synonymous to my eyes with the very concept of brainstorming. It's fun to move them around and actually really helpful to re-arrange/edit according to the parameters of the problem at hand.

Posted By: Nick Britton
On: 10/29/2010 11:14:23 PM

I neglected to mention that we were trained to use them to capture ideas in the form of doodles, words, questions (how might we... ?), symbols, or brief summaries of the start of a solution. These have become a must-have for my students. I added sticky notes to the list of required class materials at the beginning of the school year. Then I went out and bought a bunch in bulk on sale when school supplies got marked down.

Posted By: Nick Britton
On: 10/29/2010 11:23:44 PM

Have you ever seen the documentary "Objectified" ? It's soooo good. All about product design with great information on companies like Apple and even IDEO. I was thrilled when I recently found it available as an instant steam through NetFlix on the Wii. And I was even more thrilled when I watched Bill Moggridge (IDEO Co-founder and current CHNDM Director) discuss one of the first personal computers he designed in one part of the documentary. He speaks about how much significance was placed on the physical design (things like a mechanism to eject objects that fall into the crack where the screen bends), only to realize that the real design challenge was the virtual environment of the software. But the part that made me start jumping up and down was the shots of IDEO research teams using the very same sticky note activities we practiced this summer. I yelled to everyone in the room, "I do that! I know how to do that! I know what they're doing and it works!!"

Posted By: Nick Britton
On: 10/29/2010 11:37:27 PM

They also work really well for critiquing. I teach a creative writing class and have students move around the room quietly with their sticky note pads, reading the work of four other writers. They are required to leave comments on a sticky note including a quality compliment that references something specific from the writing and a useful recommendation. Because different people read at different rates, they are to wait at the front of the room until a piece they have not yet read becomes available. This whole process is quiet and can be anonymous if you choose. It gets students moving around the room, reading the work of their peers uninterrupted, and even reading multiple comments by various writers for a variety of other writers. I tell them to use the larger, lined sticky note pads such as the bright 3x5 style. This gives them room to write several sentences without feeling like they need to write paragraphs. I've received overwhelming positive feedback for this process. They love coming back to their desks and finding all the different boxes attached to their compositions. They say it's kind of like opening up your Facebook account and finding a bunch of new posts on your wall. I love it too because while they critique, I'm able to grade their binders or the quiz they just took or put the notes for the second half of class up on the board. Everybody wins.

Posted By: Shannon Lewis
On: 11/1/2010 11:01:07 PM

I used to use sticky notes quite frequently in my classroom. Students would use them in math to make bar graphs, jot down answers to questions and display their ideas. They also used them when reading to keep track of their thinking and ideas and share them with other students. I have almost forgotten all the great ways sticky notes can be used in the classroom . They are so versatile and useful. I think the younger students get a kick out of writing on something besides regular paper. Plus they stick!

Posted By: Lauren Plotkin
On: 11/20/2010 6:58:50 AM

Using sticky notes is particularly helpful when brainstorming and writing with my students who have various learning disabilities. The sticky notes alleviate the pressures of writing and allow them to get their ideas down on paper in a fun way. The notes help my students who are visually learners to organize their ideas. When writing essays, they can get their thoughts out and worry about formating their writing later. Physically moving their ideas around on the wall has helped them become more organized writers.