Overview:

Visual thinking is a type of learning style where the learner learns through images. Many students in the classroom need visual learning to learn information. This learning can easily be integrated into the classroom through graphic organizers, diagramming, mind mapping, and outlining. Visual learning has many benefits, which is why it is used in so many classrooms. It helps students clarify their thoughts, organize and analyze information, integrate new knowledge, and think critically.

Graphic Organizers:

Graphic organizers are one of the most effective forms of visual representation for students that display information on a visual map or diagram. They help students make connections and show relationships among a topic. There are many forms of graphic organizers such as webs, concept maps, mind maps, and plots. All of these forms can help students on a variety of different tasks such as papers, tests, and homework assignments. Students can help fill in a graphic organizer, or one can be provided to them to help them visualize and organize information.

Concept Mapping:

A concept map is a form of graphic organizer which helps students illustrate relationships between ideas. Concept maps can be used for learning and assessment.  Concept mapping can help students brainstorm, discover new concepts, communicate thoughts, and integrate different concepts. It also helps students use their own words to describe a concept. To create a concept map, it is important to start with a main idea, determine the key concepts, and finish with connecting the concepts.

Mind Mapping:

Mind mapping is a way for students to creatively take notes around a central topic and connect that information with associated topics. This helps students brainstorm, understand relationships and connections, communicate ideas, recall information, take notes and plan, and organize information. Mind mapping begins around a concept, branches off into a word that relates to the main topic, and ends with sub-branches to expand on the ideas.  Mind maps allow students to be creative and use a natural way of thinking.

Webbing:

Webbing is a way of brainstorming that gives structure to ideas and facts. Webs show how different categories of information are related. Brainstorming webs help students improve fluency with thinking, discover new ideas and relationships, and generate and organize thoughts. Some common brainstorming webs that are used in the classroom are literary webs, character webs, comparison webs, and pre-writing webs. These are all beneficial for teaching literary analysis, reading comprehension, and writing. 

Outlining:

Outlining is a way to summarize written work before it is written. Outlines help to organize thoughts and clarify ideas related to a paper. This helps students demonstrate what they want to write about. Outlining starts with a main idea or thesis. Then, students gather broad ideas and concepts and then support those ideas with facts and examples.  

Plots and Graphs:

Plots and graphs are a type of visual representation that relates a set of numbers to a set of points in order to show the relationship. Some examples include Venn diagrams, bar graphs, pie graphs, and axis plots. Students can analyze the information and then decide which way would work best to represent that data. Using plots and graphs are a great way to show students how information relates to the real world.  This creates a meaningful experience for students. 

I would use this concept map to introduce different types of landforms to my students. I would use this throughout a whole unit about landforms. As a class, we would create the concept map together. I would start the middle off with the word "landform" and have the students define what a landform is. Once we have found out what a landform is, I would have the students decide what landforms they would like to explore. We would explore each one at a time and the students would add the next arrows explaining the type of landform in their own words. When the unit is complete, I would print this concept map and give one to each student to use as a reference and study guide.

 

Web Sites for Graphic Organizers:

Education Place:

Education Place offers educators a variety of different graphic organizers to download and use in the classroom. The graphic organizers are all blank templates so students can fill them out themselves. I really like this web site and I think it is a great resource to keep for any educators. There are so many different graphic organizers and they are perfect to help children organize and visualize information on their own.

Class Tools: 

Class Tools offers users templates to create games, quizzes, activities, and diagrams. After they are made, they can easily be displayed on your web site or blog. This is another great resource for educators to create graphic organizers for students. Students can also be involved in creating them to involve them in their own learning process.

Bubblus: 

Bubblus is a web site that can be used to brainstorm and create mind maps. The options in Bubblus allow the user to create fun, creative graphic organizers. Once the graphic organizer is created, it can easily be shared to a blog or web site, printed, emailed, or saved. I like this web site because it helps the user be creative and organize their thoughts without any hassle of saving or sharing your map.

Mindmeister:

Mindemeister allows users to work together to brainstorm and create mind maps. Friends are able to work together on the same mind map on this web site. I think this would work great in the classroom or with colleagues.  Students can work together on the same map or create their own. Teachers can also use this web site to collaborate with each and share ideas. 

Simple Diagrams:

Simple Diagrams is a web site that allows users to express ideas through creative sketches. With these sketches, mind maps can easily be created. I like this website because it allows the user to be creative and interpret a concept in a unique way. This would be great for children who enjoy drawing and creating their own mind maps.