TQ 5: The benefits of concept mapping

When teaching, I feel it is important to try new things, to make changes to the curriculum, and to see what works. With concept mapping, I would definitely give collaborative concept mapping a try to see how it works. However I am sceptical that it would take a lot of work to help students to understand the benefits of the tools and I don't see myself applying this new tool too soon. The reasons I would give it a try are that it helps to fill the state standards and it promotes constructivism. However, I think the time that it would take the students, who have trouble organizing what's laid out for them, to learn this new idea would outweigh the benefit it would make unless it was used from year to year. All in all, I think schools could benefit from this idea if all grades would support using the same/ similar resources so that the students get used the similar process.

As mentioned before, I don't know if this idea of a collaborative concept map would be too practical for the setting that I am working with. The students who are going to pick up quick to an idea like this are those who can organize their thoughts and pull out key words. I have learned, through the years, how to keep myself organized- I feel that making a concept map was easy. However, I fear that the students who have trouble organizing their notebook in a class who teaches you how to organize your notebooks, will also have trouble organizing the concept map. I'm not sure if they would be able to make the connections to make the map fit. (On the other hand, this could be the missing link- and therefore, proving me wrong but showing that the tool is useful to someone new- which is my goal in teaching.) With all of that being said, I would definitely try this tool in my class and I really like the idea of collaborating to learn "working together" skills. My only hope that this tool would not become a unit itself- learning how to use the tool that after some explanations the students would be able to work with it on their own.

As far as teacher skill goes, as with any technology, I believe that a teacher needs to know and understand how the program/ tool/ skill works before they are truly able to teach another person about it. Here with this tool, teachers need to both understand concept maps and how they function along with how to work with the program that runs the mapping process. Simplicity would be key here as the simpler the teachers keeps the project the more they are able to help out and the more that the students can be differentiated. As stated before, all teachers should be exposed to tools like this because then the tools can be used cross- grade levels and therefore their knowledge can continue to grow throughout the years.

According to the standards, there are three separate PA state standards that fulfill the idea of learning how to organize one's own thoughts for writing, for discussions, and for research. I feel that concept maps can easily be used to support the organization for discussions that are held as to a single topic, along with finding ease in creating a map to support research that has been found. When students are able to take the appropriate amount of time to have their understand build, they will be able to easily utilize tools like concept mapping to organize their thoughts.

All in all, I believe that this tool can be helpful in schools, if the schools are able to encourage different grade levels to be on board with similar concept mapping tools. In this way, the student's learning can continue to grow in understanding throughout the years. I believe that this tool supports the constructivist model of learning in that it puts the knowledge that the student is gaining through their discoveries in a way that they can organize their findings to then make more connections. Therefore, it keeps their understanding in a state of "constant development"(North Central Regional Educational Laboratory). Once again, I am interested to have students, who have learned, or have knowledge of, a new topic organize their learning to help them make connections through using a concept mapping tool like Cmap.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/sc5model.htm