I've been fortunate in using my own experiences as a student to be open to student's different ways of opening their mental channels to information. I have often drawn or doodled while listening intently to an instructor. There was a time when I thought this was 'wrong', that I was being frivolous, but I have come to realize that it worked well for me and so now, when I see students drawing in class as I lecture I don't comment on it or ask them to 'pay attention'. I accept that this is just a way for a student to focus that traditional educators might consider as disrespectful or apathetic.