Week 3 Discussion

I am currently teaching a grade 6 Science unit called “Animal Diversity”. It involves a lot of taxonomy, (separating the animals into their different groupings). I have had the students taking notes in traditional ways of copying off of the white board. I have provided visual webs for the students to follow and add to. I also tried this week to use www.spinscape.com, a web based concept mapping tool. I used it for one lesson and the students were quickly able to log on and use it effectively in an 80 minute lesson. They were very focused, in the classroom with the same material, I had a difficult time keeping their attention. According to Dr. Orey the brain works best when it has a picture to help make connections. Using this web based mind mapping tool provides opportunity to visually see the direction one is going (it also allows actual pictures to be linked). By having the students producing the web, instead of me handing the pre-organized web to them, they have been forced to make connections themselves (with the help of their partners). Though this experience might not have been as exciting as going to the moon; it was something different which they will be able to make connections to later on when they want to retrieve this information. According to Dr. Orey, these tangible artifacts are important in making connections later on. One positive thing about a web based application is there is potential for the artifact to be there for years to come. My son had created a power point in grade 7 on global warming. He hosted it on the internet and recently went back to it. He is in grade 10 now, not only has his powerpoint have over 500 hits now, but he is able to make connections to things he learned in grade 7. How many other students keep and use their notes from 4 years ago? I am hoping my grade 6 students will log into their online cognitive maps when they are in grade 10 too to make new connections.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.