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Session 8: What a Concept! Using Concept Mapping on Handheld Computers

Session 8:  What a Concept!  Using Concept Mapping on Handheld Computers

In the course of making concept maps, students share new facts to more basic understanding already held and extend fuller understandings of those basic understandings and recognize new associations between concepts.  Students connect these activities by connecting concepts to subconcepts, relating the relationship with proposition and creating crosslinks.  The more a concept is understood, the more valid subconcept, links, and cross links there will be in a students? concept map. (Royer 13)  Well designed concept mapping activities should be open-ended, there should be no wrong answers and every student?s map should be different.  In the reading Jeff (co-author of the reading) scaffolds students? creating their own maps by providing them a list of key concepts and the beginning of a map.  Then Jeff has the students create their own maps, by doing this, Jeff can decide how well his students understand the concept rather than how well they can memorize the teacher?s map.  Jeff was awarded a grant of 30 Palm handhelds and used PiCoMap, a free software application he downloaded from the Internet.  With a few days of instruction of using handhelds and PiCoMap, students were ready to begin their understanding of science content.  Throughout the semester, students created concept maps to illustrate their understanding of mollusks, worms, and simple invertebrates.  Concept mapping became a big part of Jeff?s instruction due to the easy access and always having the classroom ready for use.  Students were very positive in their reactions to using handheld computers.  Most students preferred to use handheld computers rather than desktop or paper and pencil.  Jeff?s students said it was easier to move things around on a handheld.  The students also felt their maps were better when they created them using PiCoMap.  One student replied ?I get tired writing really quick, so my concept map with the PiCoMap was longer.?  Another student explained that the PiCoMap was ?more elaborate and organized.?

We have been creating concept maps in my class at NCSU.  Our instructor did as Jeff did with his class.  We were given key words from at least nine readings and used three major headings to connect the nine. The first concept map was a disaster.  I didn?t think the software was user friendly, we are using CMap Tools.  The second got a little better with help from the instructor.  My last one seemed to be better.  I haven?t received a grade yet.  I will say that concept mapping helps to break down what the author is trying to say in a way that makes it easier for one to identify with.  Next semester when I begin teaching letters to my freshmen, I plan to let my class use concept mapping to better understand the purpose and composition of writing a great letter.  Upon using CMap for the first time, I was totally against it.  I couldn?t see the purpose.  Today I have a different attitude and will continue to experiment with the many advantages of concept mapping.

Posted at 11:59PM Nov 29, 2006 by dwdixon in General  |  Comments[0]