Graphic organizers are great tools for students to use in all subjects and for all grades. Using pictures in Kid Pix or Kidspiration to writing out ideas, formulas, thoughts, data, or information from textbooks, there’s one ready made to fit the need. I especially like to use the Graphic Organizers available through two of SSPP’s curriculum publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Education Place (our Reading and Social Studies K-5 curriculum) and ScottForesman’s PearsonSuccessNet (our K-5 Science curriculum). Step Up To Writing has some available on line, and teachers use hard copy printouts provided with the SUTW curriculum in the classroom.
The NY Times ran an article (01/21/2011) commenting on a Science journal (01/20/2011) published study from Purdue University challenging the value of graphic organizers, specifically concept maps,
Educators rely heavily on learning activities that encourage elaborative studying, while activities that require students to practice retrieving and reconstructing knowledge are used less frequently.
The research concluded that, “Retrieval practice is an effective tool to promote conceptual learning about science.” It got some reaction, pro and con. One notable reaction came from Howard Gardner, the father of multiple intelligences.
Educators who embrace seemingly more active approaches, like concept mapping are challenged to devise outcome measures that can demonstrate the superiority of such constructivist approaches.
So, we’ll see if those outcome measures will be developed, but, in the meantime, the graphic organizers do help break down the information to give students a fighting chance to learn the material and integrate it into their thinking and understanding of content. Perhaps the assessments can be better designed to determine if the students actually remember what is being taught.
Graphic from Boise State.
