| |
Graphic Organizers
Purpose:
 "A picture is worth a thousand words". A graphic organizer is a powerful visual learning tool that enables students to gather and construct ideas, organize thinking, and share information. It is a visual/spatial display of information explicitly connected in an organized manner. Graphic organizers allow students to see patterns and relationships that might otherwise be difficult for them to identify. The graphics can show students at a glance the key parts of the whole and their relations, helping them to comprehend and solve problems. The graphic organizer is a tool that provides students with a way to process information in a nonlinear, visually organized manner.
Graphic organizers can be used before a lesson to activate prior knowledge, guide thinking, and to develop vocabulary. During a lesson, the graphic organizer can help students organize information and stay focused on the content material. After a lesson, the graphic organizer allows the students to confirm or rethink prior knowledge and to relate the new concepts to the old. A graphic organizer can also be used for guided notes or as a pre-writing activity. Graphic organizers do not always have to be created by the teacher. Students can create them individually or cooperatively.
In this learning object, you will be presented with several different types of graphic organizers and some guidelines for their use. Like any other instructional tool, it is important to assess the effectiveness of the tool relative to the content that you are trying to teach. When used effectively, the graphic organizer is an invaluable tool which "makes visible the invisible process of thought".
[Beginning of Graphic Organizers]
[Return to Online Training]
|
