Doodles Anyone?

Are you one of those people who has to doodle to listen well? You're in good company! According to a study by psychologist Jackie Andrade from the University of Plymouth in southern England, doodlers remember more than non-doodlers when presented with tedious information. One reason Andrade offers for this increase in memory is that doodling doesn't allow daydreaming which, in turn, keeps a person from attending to what is going on. Doodling requires less brain function than daydreaming but uses enough energy to keep the brain from making a jump beyond the here and now.

Would you like to put your students' doodling to the test? It's time for Doodle 4 Google.  Here is a place where young artists have an opportunity to have their doodles published.  The theme this year is "If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place . . ." Submissions are due by March 20th, and the winner receives a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 Google for Education technology grant for his/her school.

Find out more about Doodle 4 Google here.

Cloud, John. "Study: Doodling Helps You Pay Attention." Time. CNN, 26 Feb. 2009. Web. 4 Feb. 2014. <http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1882127,00.html>.