Thursday, September 29, 2011

Chapter 6: Picture This Response

"When the purpose of a graphic organizer becomes filling it out correctly, it is nothing more than a worksheet."
I chose this quote from the text because I find so much truth behind it. The role of a graphic organizer is to represent abstract ideas in a concrete and organized manner. When this goal is reached, students are better able to make sense of new ideas, in a more effective way than just jotting notes down on paper the old fashioned way. This is only the case if a student understands the purpose of the organizer. So many teachers get lazy and hand out worksheet after worksheet, so any time a white sheet of paper is passed around, students often subconsciously dismiss it as being potentially interesting or beneficial. If a student simply fills in a graphic organizer for the sole purpose of filling blank spaces, the goal has been completely lost. 

I found graphic organizers helpful all throughout school, but I am a visual learner. What about students who are not visual learners and can't help but to see a graphic organizer as, simply, a worksheet that needs to be filled in? What are some creative ways graphic organizers can be implemented so that they reach all learning types? 

I personally found a connection to the text because I am interested in providing as many methods of learning as possible for my future students. I am interested in thinking creatively when it comes to varying instructional methods and I think that graphic organizers have the potential to spice up the learning process a bit. Also, I hope to use graphic organizers in more than just one subject. I think they can be incorporated in a way that benefits all subjects.





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