Taking Graphic Organizers to the Next Level

Taking Graphic Organizers to the Next Level

John Hattie and Robert Marzano agree that graphic organizers yield increased learning results. One of the most effective uses of graphic organizers I’ve seen is to introduce an essential question at the beginning of the unit and having students add to the organizer (often a concept web) throughout the unit with periodic opportunities for students to compare their work to that of peers.

  1. Teacher poses a topic or an essential question.
  2. Students create their own graphic organizers or concept maps.
  3. In groups of two or three, students compare their organizers or maps. For beginning students, it may be beneficial to provide them with a structured prompts to discuss:
  • What do they have in common?
  • What is missing from one or more?
  • What information needs clarification?
  • What improvements do I need to make?
  • What suggestions do I have for my partners?
  1. The teacher shares an exemplar (teacher or student-created) for students to compare their work to.
  2. Working in groups, students compare the exemplar with theirs. They use the same question stems from step 3 to make improvements.

This strategy can be used throughout a unit of study in whole or part. It is recommended by Wiggins and McTighe in Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Learning and similarly supported by researchers Dylan Wiliam and PJ Black.

 

Why it works:

  • By providing an essential question/topic and an appropriate graphic organizer, it helps teachers explain and provide focus to what is important.
  • It helps students organize their learning and thinking.
  • Working together, students generate ideas, questions, and answers, an approach that produces significant improvements in student learning.
  • It structures learning to move from surface to deeper understanding and helps students memorize important information.

Tasks and Information

Tuesday or Wednesday: Please have your 2nd block students complete the Speak Up Survey. This is a county requirement. The survey, which also should be completed by staff, will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. https://speakup.tomorrow.org/LookupBuilding 

 

Parent-teacher conferences 3/30 (5-8pm)

 

Spirit Week Calendar

 

Links

 

https://bit.ly/WAHSannounce to request an announcement, publication in newsletter, etc

 

https://bit.ly/TWCStuRec TWC student recognition

 

http://bit.ly/MeetStudentWA  Meeting with student

 

bit.ly/WAlunch Lunch order

Birthdays

March 31: Melissa Techman

 

April 1: Joel Hartshorn

 

April 5: Fred Anderson

Worth Your Time

The power of collaboration


A California teacher sings to her students to build their confidence

 

Hybrid Learning

Tips for social distanced classrooms/hybrid learning

Blended learning: strategies for engagement

Effective instructional models for a hybrid schedule

Hybrid/blended teaching strategies

Flip flop design for hybrid learning 

More teachers are asked to double up, instructing kids at school and at home simultaneously 

Simple hacks to improve online assessment

Guidelines for increasing air ventilation in classrooms 

 

Stage 4 Checklist and Information

Staff Daily Bulletin


Monday - Thursday checklist

 

Stage 4 Instruction

Suggestions rom Stage 4 Roundtable

Stage 4 Instructional Models/Frameworks

Tips for stage 4 learning

Stage 4 Document : Logistics

 

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