Chapter 9 Tech in English and Language Arts
I liked several of the strategies presented in chapter 9, blogging (we can all see the value in that right here) digital storytelling (see my chapter 12 post) but the one I want talk about is concept mapping. It's basically a visual diagram of an outline. See page 288 of text for an example.
Inspiration see their website.
We all know about different learning styles, so I think you can follow me when I say that this visual layout of what a student wants to write could be very beneficial to all the visual learners who have trouble with writing assignments. This let's them 'layout' their thoughts and plans in a manner that is more meaningful to them. Even kinesthetic learners could benefit from the ability to see their ideas and 'move' them around.
Traditional outlining is by its nature linear, concept mapping on the other hand is very non-linear in its format. This non-linear approach means that ideas can flow freely without the constraint of not 'fitting' at a given time. Once all ideas are listed the student can craft the final writing.
In the class room I see a couple possibilities... Obviously straight up 'outline' for a paper or creative writing. Also, could be used to check understanding of a literature reading without requiring a formal quiz or written assignment. The visual map would be quick to evaluate for a teacher.
As a student I've always loved the old fashioned "outline" before writing a paper because it made me feel like my ideas are being organized and structured. I realize there are other ways to write a paper but I always go back to old faithful. I liked this site because it showed how visual learners can free flow their ideas. It gave lots of different example of different ways to map. I also love the idea of checking to see if a student has read the literature by having them give a visual map. Formal quizzes and writing assignments can get tedious and boring if you are doing the same testing time and time again.
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