Inspiration in the Classroom

Inspiration

What are Graphic Organizers?

(taken from How to Assess Authentic Learning by Kay Burke 1993, 154-162)

Graphic organizers serve as effective tools for helping teachers and students graphically display their thinking processes. They also help:

1. Represent abstract or implicit information in a more concrete form,
2. Depict relationships between facts and concepts,
3. Generate and organize ideas for writing
4. Relate new information to prior knowledge,
5. Store and retrieve information, and
6. Assess student thinking and learning.

Introducing Graphic Organizers

1. Teachers can do the following when introducing new graphic organizers:
2. Introduce the new organizer and model how to use it with the whole class by selecting a topic that is easily understood by all of the students (web attributes of school lunches).
3. Allow students to practice using the graphic organizer in small groups. Let them select a topic of their choice.
4. Ask individual students to complete a graphic organizer on their own in class or for homework.
5. Encourage students or groups to create an original organizer to share subject content with their class.

Why should we use graphic organizers?

Students who are visual learners need graphic organizers to help them organize information and remember key concepts.

• Graphic organizers help students connect and relate new information to prior knowledge.
• Graphics organizers are key to teaching, learning, and assessment because students are faced with an overwelming and ever-changing quantity of data they are attempting to synthesize into a quality representation.
• They are also trying to construct knowledge for themselves and engage in simulation and interactive learning experiences.

How should we use graphic organizers?

• Teachers use them to introduce topics.
• Students use them to study.
• Students present important information to other group members.
• Teachers use them for assessment.
  • Include graphic organizers on quizzes and tests
  • Require groups to complete an assigned graphic organizer and topic on newsprint. Give a group a grade for the final graphic organizer and oral presentation.
  • Assign students to select one graphic organizer to use to analyze a lecture, video, book, piece of nonfiction, speech, news story, or textbook reading. Grade the assignment on accuracy, originality, and creativity.
  • Allow the students to select one or two graphic organizer assignments from their work to include in their portfolios.
  • Assign students work that requires a graphic organizer to be completed by cooperative groups. Ask each student in each group to complete an individual writing or speaking assingment based on the ideas included in the graphic organizer. Give a group grade and an individual grade.
  • Ask the students or the cooperative group to invent an original graphic organizer. Grade the assignment on the basis of originality, creativity, usefulness, and logic.
  • Require students to utilize a graphic organizer in a project or oral presentation. Grade on the quality and effectiveness of the graphic organizer to enhance the presentation.
  • Create a picture graphic organizer (such as a Venn diagram) that includes outlines of objects rather than circles or lines.

Hands-on Activities

Modeling

Inspiration Quick Tour

Ozone - used to show how Inspiration is used to understand concepts.

Science Fair - Inspiration is a great planning tool for students, teachers, administrators, and web site developers.

Ancient Greece - to organize information for writing projects.

Coaching

Inspiration Quick Start Tutorial

Application

Individual Brainstorming Activity --

1. Write down one application where you already use a graphic organizer in your class.
2. Write down one new idea of how you might be able to use a graphic organizer in your class.

Reflection

1. Exchange your ideas with another person or group.
2. Read and add a new idea or twist for each idea written.
3. Share out with whole group.

Evaluation

1. Review one template
2. Share what you liked, didn't like, and would change with the group.

Resources

Thinking Classroom