Comments on: How To Get Organized http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/ Challenge The Status Quo Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:48:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Sarah Johnson http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/comment-page-1/#comment-8398 Sarah Johnson Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:59:09 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/#comment-8398 I beleive in order to complete the thought process for young student, we as teachers must use more of our five senses. One idea I thought about is using the sense of smell to organize thoughts. I have a very strong relation to smell and certain thoughts. My idea is this, use a lotion that students can put on their hands and smell and always use the lotion with teaching organization of thoughts. Have the students always do creative writing during this time or flow chart their ideas. If the connection in the brain is made in accosiation with the smell and the thought process it might make it click. Just a thought. I only use it with my son. I beleive in order to complete the thought process for young student, we as teachers must use more of our five senses. One idea I thought about is using the sense of smell to organize thoughts. I have a very strong relation to smell and certain thoughts.
My idea is this, use a lotion that students can put on their hands and smell and always use the lotion with teaching organization of thoughts. Have the students always do creative writing during this time or flow chart their ideas. If the connection in the brain is made in accosiation with the smell and the thought process it might make it click.
Just a thought. I only use it with my son.

]]> By: Debbie http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Debbie Mon, 03 Apr 2006 21:53:07 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/#comment-172 http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/lit-elements I also have an entire book of graphic organizers that came with the Read 180 program. You're welcome to come look. http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/lit-elements

I also have an entire book of graphic organizers that came with the Read 180 program. You’re welcome to come look.

]]> By: Ben http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Ben Sun, 02 Apr 2006 13:26:20 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/#comment-167 I'd be happy to share what I know about them. Unfortunately I didn't take one of manuals with me when I left my old school (although I'm sure that would have been a no-no so I guess it's alright I didn't). The charts themselves are exactly what you described; the usual graphic organizers, but the company has added an additional twist. Like Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences their school of thought is that there are several different ways of organizing information, each way unique and specific to the current task as hand. While I agree that there are different needs for different forms of information or at least the connections you're trying to make between them, the maps are nothing spectacularily new in design. I used the double bubble map extensively as the students seemed to very easily understand the concept of compare and contrast by sharing bubbles in the middle or putting bubbles out to the side with only once connection. That and they're drilled on comparison/contrast since day one of Kindergarten so it was a nice reinforcement. I had a chance to use a brace map with a Webquest I did on healthy eating. We used the brace map to take the Food Pyramid and break it up into the food groups, then broke those food groups into the individual foods. IT was nice to see the food groups in a different format than the often misread pyramid, and the 3rd graders I used it with enjoyed coming up with the different examples. As for older students, the bridge map worked nicely as it uses the bridge as an analogy. The bridge forms the connection (whatever that happens to be) between the two terms. An example would be cat is to noun. Once the first bridge is created and the connection understood (in this case what part of speech is it) then the student can continue to work. It's a bit hokey, as I've never found analogies to be difficult, but you never know. I know other teachers in the building used the flow chart for process writing, making sure that the students could flesh out their papers as an outline on the flow chart, then check to see if they needed to re-arrange any of them boxes before doing a rough draft. I can post some more ideas and examples on the Tech Savvy site if you'd like. I'm trying to find some software similar to the Thinking Maps software we had, but it looks like there's a demo you can try (can't save or print) from the website. All of the maps can be easily re-created with any word processing and/or concept mapping software like Inspiration. I’d be happy to share what I know about them. Unfortunately I didn’t take one of manuals with me when I left my old school (although I’m sure that would have been a no-no so I guess it’s alright I didn’t).

The charts themselves are exactly what you described; the usual graphic organizers, but the company has added an additional twist. Like Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences their school of thought is that there are several different ways of organizing information, each way unique and specific to the current task as hand. While I agree that there are different needs for different forms of information or at least the connections you’re trying to make between them, the maps are nothing spectacularily new in design.

I used the double bubble map extensively as the students seemed to very easily understand the concept of compare and contrast by sharing bubbles in the middle or putting bubbles out to the side with only once connection. That and they’re drilled on comparison/contrast since day one of Kindergarten so it was a nice reinforcement. I had a chance to use a brace map with a Webquest I did on healthy eating. We used the brace map to take the Food Pyramid and break it up into the food groups, then broke those food groups into the individual foods. IT was nice to see the food groups in a different format than the often misread pyramid, and the 3rd graders I used it with enjoyed coming up with the different examples. As for older students, the bridge map worked nicely as it uses the bridge as an analogy. The bridge forms the connection (whatever that happens to be) between the two terms. An example would be cat is to noun. Once the first bridge is created and the connection understood (in this case what part of speech is it) then the student can continue to work. It’s a bit hokey, as I’ve never found analogies to be difficult, but you never know. I know other teachers in the building used the flow chart for process writing, making sure that the students could flesh out their papers as an outline on the flow chart, then check to see if they needed to re-arrange any of them boxes before doing a rough draft.

I can post some more ideas and examples on the Tech Savvy site if you’d like. I’m trying to find some software similar to the Thinking Maps software we had, but it looks like there’s a demo you can try (can’t save or print) from the website. All of the maps can be easily re-created with any word processing and/or concept mapping software like Inspiration.

]]> By: Todd http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Todd Sat, 01 Apr 2006 17:21:58 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/#comment-166 The idea of "general organization of thought across subject areas" is exactly what we're after and we'll use any graphic organizers we decide on for that purpose. I've only glanced at it, but those Thinking Maps seem to be graphic organizers like any other. I really like their page of examples, showing how students have used them for different subjects. They look like they're trying to sell themselves as a different solution, but I don't quite get it. How are they any different than just working on multiple ways to apply things like cluster diagrams or flow charts to different assignments? And, by the way, that's what we want to do. Can you tell me a little more about your experience with them? The idea of “general organization of thought across subject areas” is exactly what we’re after and we’ll use any graphic organizers we decide on for that purpose. I’ve only glanced at it, but those Thinking Maps seem to be graphic organizers like any other. I really like their page of examples, showing how students have used them for different subjects.

They look like they’re trying to sell themselves as a different solution, but I don’t quite get it. How are they any different than just working on multiple ways to apply things like cluster diagrams or flow charts to different assignments? And, by the way, that’s what we want to do.

Can you tell me a little more about your experience with them?

]]> By: Ben http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/comment-page-1/#comment-165 Ben Sat, 01 Apr 2006 16:42:38 +0000 http://www.toddseal.com/rodin/2006/03/how-to-get-organized/#comment-165 I like the effort your school is putting forth (or at least your committee?) about using tools with students not only cross-curricularly, but across grade levels as well. The old elementary I worked at used Thinking Maps through K-5, focusing on just a few maps at each grade level and reinforcing maps that had been used in previous grade levels. They aren't graphic organizers directed towards a particular subject with all the bells and whistles like those Tom created, but they are really good for general organization of thought across subject areas The kids really enjoyed the bubble and double bubble map for simple description and compare & contrast respectively, but I really enjoyed the brace map for breaking an essay or project down into its parts and then further breaking those parts down into smaller steps. http://www.thinkingmaps.com/ In case you're interested. I like the effort your school is putting forth (or at least your committee?) about using tools with students not only cross-curricularly, but across grade levels as well. The old elementary I worked at used Thinking Maps through K-5, focusing on just a few maps at each grade level and reinforcing maps that had been used in previous grade levels. They aren’t graphic organizers directed towards a particular subject with all the bells and whistles like those Tom created, but they are really good for general organization of thought across subject areas

The kids really enjoyed the bubble and double bubble map for simple description and compare & contrast respectively, but I really enjoyed the brace map for breaking an essay or project down into its parts and then further breaking those parts down into smaller steps.

http://www.thinkingmaps.com/

In case you’re interested.

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