Jeffrey,
Good resource to provide your students. This method helps them to be able to check on the acronyms they need to learn at any time and keep the learning process going whether in or out of class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Carmen,
The use of visual learning enhances the cognitive processing that needs to occur as the students learn the essentials of their field and prepare to become work ready.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think that most students are visual learners and the use of graphics can be useful in relating such information to students. These graphical aids in the students' learning efforts.
Lisa,
Thank you for sharing the use of graphic organizers with us. They work in so many different settings and ways and we instructors are always on the lookout for ways we can use them in our content areas.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I use Graphic Organizers to show specific sequences of events and cycles that occur in business and accounting. Graphic Organizers seem to help certain students and confuse others. I often have to work through them myself because it is not one of my preferred methods.
Deborah,
Thank you for sharing this example with us. I use graphic organizers a lot in my classes as well for the reason you state in terms of helping students to understand flow, integration and sequence. Visualization really helps move the learning process along.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Graphic organizers provide a framework for the student to integrate the knowledge and skills. As a nurse (and instructor), an example of a graphic organizer that works well in many areas of my life begins with (1) assess (2)diagnose (3)plan (4)intervention (5)evaluate then repeat.
Chandra,
These are fun for the students to use and I am sure they are fun for them to react to since you are using some unusual ones they catch the attention of the students and get them engaged.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I liked using a lot of off the wall graphic organizers to help students learn a subject or a process. Even as simple as using chalk to draw with and learn the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary systems. It seemed to work quite well.
Brian,
Thank you for sharing your use of these devices. I know these are good ides for other instructors to use in their classes. The words, THUS and THEREFORE both require thinking on the part of students to answer and this is critical to the learning process. We need to encourage our students to become problem solvers as this is what employers are looking for.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I use this graphic organizer and a scaffolding both. I have a diagram that says key points underneath there is a line that says "THUS" and underneath that there is a line that says "THEREFORE" once they grasp a key point they write it down and then the graphic helps them understand how it is now a cause of other information.
As a pastry instructor, I have my students do a project where we practice drawing entremets (cake) as we talk about the components that make them up. The students are then required to keep a journal of the entremets that they will be producing. They are required to draw them out before they can start production.
George,
The more use of the senses the better. Your delivery method lets them see the content from a number of different perspectives and that reinforces it in their memory banks for use later on.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
the old adage seeing is believing, The materials I use have visuals and interactive features. This helps the student relate to the material being covered. In my experience many people learn faster through the use of visual aids
Fernanda,
Visualization is a powerful way to see connections and graphic organizers greatly facilitate that just as you say. It helps students to see and make the needed connections between course content and application.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The use of Graphic Organizers can help the student organize and understand key concepts on a topic discussed in class. By using the Network Tree, similar to a Flow Chart, students in our Office Procedures class can understand and have a graphic display of the organizational structure in a the Dental Office.
James,
This is a good way to use graphic organizers and keep the focus of students. Thanks for sharing this strategy with us as I know it will be of benefit to other instructors that are wondering how to keep their doodlers engaged.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When I see doodlers in class I introduce graphic organizing as a way for them to use their gifts in a more productive way. Students who like to draw or are visual in other ways really enjoy learning how to take notes this way and find it easy to expand on the basic visuals presented.
Andrea,
You make a number of good points about how different learning tools can be used by students. I find that many students are coming to college without good note taking and sequencing skills in relation to their study skills. They need to use these types of tools in order to grasp the key concepts and be successful in capturing the essential elements of what has been covered that day.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Students need a way to manage the information they receive, determine what is most important and find ways to work with that information in projects that they are assigned. Graphic organizers provide structure to allow students to manage abstract information in a simpler way so they don't get lost, overwhelmed and become unable to process and implement the information. The format is something that they are familiar with from their middle-school years and this provides a comfort level in dealing with increasingly complex information. Having an understanding of these types of tools will help the student efficiently complete assignments instead of losing focus.
