“By using graphic organizers, [students] are more apt to see connections between what they have learned and what they are currently learning” (Fisher & Frey, 114).
This quote mainly pertains to schema, or background knowledge, but can be related to a student’s retainable information on a daily basis. Students, whether they realize it or not, are constantly gathering data to further educate themselves and build rapidly evolving understanding and knowledge. Graphic organizers help students to integrate things that they are learning throughout various aspects of their lives. Organizing the information using a graphic organizer provides students with the most efficiency possible. They are able to refer back to prior information quickly and can easily view summative data of a given topic. Graphic organizers can literally be used in any learning area or in real life connections. They can be easily adjusted to fit any subject area or type of curriculum. When students are able to use this important tool, they are not only engaged in what they are breaking down but also connecting different aspects of a particular content.
While some students respond well to graphic organizers, there are other students that do not. It is incredibly important to address all needs of students and equip them with as many tools as possible. I am all about helping students make connections in order to help them grasp a better understanding. Graphic organizers have helped me personally in the classroom and I use them outside of school as well. In a soap box, they are basically there to help organize information in order to increase learning. They help break down information that would normally be too much for the average student to handle. Organizing the data in this manner teaches students to organize in life events as well. They are constantly relating information across the board and retaining it by fully understanding what they are learning.
Stating this, my question would be:
Do students benefit more from creating their own graphic organizer or from ones that are specifically designated by the teacher? Why?
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