Teaching with Technology

Making Meaning Visually

        Concept mapping is a great way for students to identify and explain relationships among main ideas and topics.  They can be implemented in a variety of ways.  The basic idea is that a list of topics are either supplied by the teacher or generated by the students.  The topics are then organized in a web with directional arrows indicated the nature of the relationships between various topics.  The arrows are then labeled with propositions that further explain the nature of the relationship between the two topics.  This activity taps into a higher level of knowledge and understanding typical at the synthesis level of Bloom?s Taxonomy.

        In Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking by David H. Jonassen the role of technology in semantic mapping is explored further. Concept mapping is one way for learners to construct knowledge using technology.  The use of a semantic network, like concept mapping, requires students to have an in depth understanding of course content and actually construct knowledge, not just reproduce it.  Students, in essence, teach the information to the computer instead of the other way around.

        Many elementary schools in Wake County use the software program, Kidspiration.  This is a concept mapping program.  This is an excellent first step for developing concept mapping abilities in your students.  This program can be used as a traditional concept mapping program, where topics can be generated and links established from a wide range of content areas.  Kidspiration also has the unique ability to transfer the concept maps into a writing format.  The map generated by the student is transformed into an outline type format.  In this view students can add more details to transform their map into a written document.  This written outline can then be sent to a word processor for final publishing.  The possibilities are endless.  The program is flexible allowing for a wide range of scaffolding opportunities.

        The maps in Kidspiration are also great for prewriting activities.  A traditional concept map would be beneficial to narrative formats.  The map format encourages students to stay on topic, while fully developing each component of the narrative.  Then program capabilities make it easy to transform the maps into an outline.  There is also tool called SuperGrouping, which allows for mapping in a classification type format.  This would be great for prewriting an expository piece. 

Teachers can design and store mapping activities that can later be accessed by students.  Students can access the activities, perform the tasks, and save their data to later be assessed by the teacher.  As Jonassen points out, concept mapping is a very effective means of assessing students, since it requires the students to interact with information in a way that mandates a deep level of understanding.  Most schools already have this program, even though some teachers are not aware.  Check with your technology person. 

Site of interest?

Kidspiration software  www.inspiration.com

Cmap Tools free download  http://cmap.ihmc.us/

The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct Them

        By the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition

http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryCmaps/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.htm