Overview:

          One of the main things I learned on this website is that most students in a regular classroom need to see the information in order to learn it. I am actually one of those students, I find it very difficult to learn information if I don’t see it represented in some way. Visual learning strategies are used all over the country and studies have shown that by using these strategies help children of all ages manage what they’re supposed to learn.

 

Graphic Organizers:

            Graphic organizers are useful because they allow students to structure their thoughts in an orderly fashion and to connect their thoughts easier. They also allow the teacher to examine how much knowledge a student has on a specific topic which helps the teacher know what they have to cover more of. There are several different types of graphic organizers available to be used: concept maps, webs, and mind maps. Each of these has its benefits and are completely up to the students on which one they prefer to use. The best thing about graphic organizers is that they make it easier to brainstorm and then organize those thoughts that come through your head.

 

Concept Mapping:

          A concept map helps the student to organize their thoughts on a subject and show their knowledge of said subject. To make a concept map you start with a main idea and then branch out from there to show that your main idea can actually be separated into different topics. Most concept maps are hierarchical in nature, beginning with a general topic at the top and as you continue down the map you find more specific topics. These are also very beneficial for the teacher because as the students fill these out with their own ideas, the teacher is able to see where the flaws in thinking are and correct them

 

Mind Mapping:

          Like concept mapping, mind mapping begins with a central idea and branches out to other ideas. The difference is that while concept maps provide more structured thinking, the mind map represents a stream of consciousness and is more like taking notes in an organized fashion. Mind maps provide students with the ability to show their natural thought process and helps them to build on the theme of the subject.

 

Webbing:   

            Webbing is no different from concept and mind mapping in that you begin with a central topic and branch out to other more specific ideas. There are different types of brainstorming webs: literary, character, comparison, and pre-writing webs. All of these webs are subject specific and permits the student to draw new connections between their ideas that they hadn’t seen before. These brainstorming webs are often used to begin the writing process or research assignments so that the student knows where they want to go with each topic in their paper.

 

Outlining:

          Creating outlines is one of my least favorite things to do when writing a paper, and my sentiments are shared by many students because many are inclined to skip this process. An outline is created often with many headings and sub-headings to “outline” your ideas in a step-by-step process. They allow the student to organize large amounts of information and research and build essays and projects in a structured way. This also allows the student to get rid of any information that they have found that doesn’t fit into their overall theme.

 

Plots & Graphs:

          Plots and graphs permit both the student and teacher organize data in a way that helps them understand it easier and better. Plots and graphs also help students draw conclusions from their data which improves data literacy. There are many types of plots and graphs that can be used to interpret your data, so any one that you choose can be beneficial in one way or another. Students develop deeper concept knowledge and create a richer knowledge of concepts because they’re looking at more than just facts on a page.

Flowchart.com

            I think that flowchart.com is a very good online tool to use because it allows for multi-user collaboration on a flowchart. It works much like Google Docs in that everyone can work on the project at one time and make changes that they see necessary. I would use this website because I like to work in groups and like to have discussions to get everyone involved and I think that this website allows you to do that well.

 

Exploratree.org

            For someone that really hates making graphing organizers like me this website is the best tool for you. This website has tons of ideas and templates for a bunch of different graphic organizers each with their own purpose and function. I like this site because if you’re struggling to figure out which organizer is the best for your given situation, exploratree.com has ideas to help you, and all you have to do is fill in your information.

 

Wridea.com

            Wridea.com is another website that allows for collaborative group work and is less for creating a graphic organizer, but rather for brainstorming purposes. I recommend this site for anyone who likes to jot their notes down so they don’t forget them, I am not one of those people but I still like the idea for the site. Everyone can post their thoughts and ideas and then from there begin to talk to each other about how to proceed on the project.

 

Spicynodes.org

            I think this website is really fun and useful because it provides users with a real-time word map. It allows you to put one central concept in the center and have branching ideas from that central concept. I know this doesn’t sound any different than a regular word map, but I like that this is real-time so it’s always changing and you can see the changes as they happen. This allows the thought process to be more fluid and shows how dynamic the users thought process can be.

 

Classtools.com

            Although at first glance I will admit that I didn’t like this website because it looks kind of childish and unprofessional, but upon looking at it further I realized its usefulness. This website is not helpful in creating graphic organizers but also for anything you do in the classroom. You can create games to help the students learn in a fun and entertaining way, they have a stopwatch and timer for if you were to use those in class, and a bunch of different generators for more fun in the classroom.