Graphic Organizers in the Classroom... Picture This!

What to say about graphic organizers? Apparently Fisher and Frey have lots to say about them.
Until recently, I was unfamiliar with what graphic organizers were. I am not a “graphy” person or a “Chartsey” person so I am not one to really use them. I did, however, find out some new interesting things about graphic organizers that I had never really thought about. Using them in the classroom can be very beneficial to the students though. I never would have thought about them helping students with disabilities but it makes sense after reading what the book said. The book mentions that they help scaffold information for the students by breaking them down or highlighting certain aspects of the lesson being taught, and it also can help them to see how it is all related.   I also realized the using a graphic organizer can help to stay organized with thoughts. I also never thought about using them across the spectrum like in math and social studies until after reading. This chapter really helped me to better understand graphic organizers, as well as, how and when to use them. “Like all good teaching strategies, graphic organizers must be introduced carefully to students. On the surface, they are such a simple tool that there is a temptation to merely distribute them and ask students to fill them.” This is so true! I know that I will be able to use them in my classroom but I will have to make sure to make them user friendly.

I know that I have a different style of learning than some people (as do all people) and I am worried that in my classroom, I will not be able to differentiate for all students. My question I guess is when it comes to differentiation, will graphic organizers benefit auditory learners as well as the visual learners? Also, What good is a graphic organizer (which is mostly visible) for students with visual impairments?

Text Talk

I have all ways been a fan of read alouds in classrooms, not by students but by the teachers. After having Dr. Stacy’s class, I grew to love them even more. She would begin each class with a read aloud which seemed to put us all in a better mood. However, I cannot sit and listen to just anyone read aloud. I enjoy an enthusiastic read, like you Dr. B. This now brings me to the article. It is obvious that language development stems from being exposed. I think it is very important for teachers to use read alouds in their classroom but not only read but allow for that discussion time. In the article, it mentioned about when teachers asked questions about the story, they would say something that was not even in the story, which would lead to a completely different discussion. This is a good thing. It is allowing the students to make a personal connection to the story and that means that they are listening. It will help them to better comprehend the story if they can have a text to self connection.  This does bring a question to mind though… When is it too far off topic? Should we allow them to go on or stop?

With young children, I truly feel that more exposure to vocabulary will only help the student. We need to read to students and we need to allow them time to think about what is being read. We need to give them time to reflect on it and occasionally, if they are unable to reflect by writing, then allow them to speak out about. They need that share time.

Writing to Learn.....

I have never really thought about writing to learn before. It is an interesting concept after you begin thinking about it. I have all ways enjoyed writing but I enjoy writing what I like to write or want to write. I especially have never really thought about incorporating writing into math lesson. I find it fairly easy to incorporate writing into all other subject areas but math is a tricky one. I think that including writing into all areas is very important though. If we give students the opportunity to write things down that they know, like what chapter eight mentions, then it may help open their minds up. It may help them to realize they actually know more than they think. As you write, you may learn more things about yourself as a person. Writing is helpful in teaching in so many different ways and it needs to be utilized more in classrooms. I remember that when I was in school, the only writing I really did was in my English class.

I think that the article we read also brought out some great tips on incorporating writing into the curriculum as far as note taking is concerned.   I am not a structure type note taker and I do not like someone telling me how I should take my notes because they are mine. I do however feel that it is important to show students different ways of taking notes because some students would learn better that way.

Questions:

What would be a good way to help students unwilling to write, begin writing?

Is it better to have creative writing or a topic for students to  write about?

Response to Barbara Moss’s Making a Case and a Place for Effective Content Area Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Grades

I really liked the points that the article made about incorporating literacy into lower grades. Comprehension is so important and I feel that if we start out earlier in teaching students how to comprehend, it will help them in later years. Comprehension is needed in all elements of education, if students do not comprehend what is being taught they will continuously have trouble in the future. We need to get students to reading more advanced things. Teachers seem to push AR a little much at students though. If teachers or administrators would back away from making students read book after book to get more and more points and actually allow the student’s time to take in what they are reading, it could help them tremendously.

                The reason why I bought up AR was because I was forced to read so many books in school and I stopped reading for enjoyment purposes. I remembered the things in the books that I thought would be on the test and hurried to take the test, not worrying about what I actually comprehended. The teachers pretty well forced me to do that. I remember taking home three books a night and reading them so that I could take a test on them the next day. When children are reading that quickly, they do not actually comprehend what the book is talking about and as the students get older and AR is not as forced, students do not know how to read literature for comprehension.  Teachers need to focus on putting more advanced literature materials in front of the students and giving them time to actually comprehend what they are reading.

1)      How will teachers know what is important literature for the students to read that will benefit them most if the Core Curriculum continuously changes?

2)      With technology continuously changing, how can teachers continuously keep up?