Graphic Organizers

1.                    How do you know that students understand a concept?

By using graphic organizers, teachers can easily recognize the level of understanding their students have for the content.  Graphic organizers allow the student to reflect on what they have learned and think more critically about the concept.  Proper use of the graphic organizers will lead students to learn more than fact memorization.  These visual aids assist students in mind mapping the content and processing the information on a deeper level.

2.                   How can you depict student misconceptions of key information?

Teachers can identify students’ misconceptions by having students create their own graphic organizers.  Teachers can look at these and see the students’ ideas as well as thought process about certain concepts.  If the student does not quite understand the concept, this tool will aid the teacher in detecting the misinformation and correcting it. 

3.                   How can students capture and transfer brainstorming ideas into written thought?

Students can use graphic organizers to map out their ideas and thoughts, these tools can help other students to understand each others’ ideas.  Students can use organizers to sort through their thoughts and brainstorm.  By visually seeing their ideas, students can generate more ideas from each other and build on their knowledge. 

References

Morrison, G. R., ), G. R. M., & Lowther, D. L. (2010). Integrating computer technology into the classroom, skills for the 21st century. (Fourth ed.). Allyn & Bacon.