Graphic organizers can help teachers, students, and parents. They help teachers know exactly what needs to be covered in class; the provide students with scaffolding as they expand their schemas and link new information; and parents can understand when their children are learning in class with a quick glance. In my own experience, everything I give my students a graphic organizer to augment their notes or assignments, the quality of their work improves.
Here are the steps Dye enumerates to create graphic organizers:
1. Select the information you intend to present to the students. This may be a chapter, or a story, or a certain concept.
2. Decide what key components are necessary for the students to learn.
3. Create a graphic representation of that information. Your graphic chart should identify the key concepts or components and help illustrate the linkages among the key elements of the concept.
4. Help the students see the connections by examining the information in the graphic organizer.
So why do so many of our English Teaching majors dislike these types of organizers? I really wonder if there is a beter way to teach them. I have used picture books, group activities and more, but still some students remain unconvinced that these help other students to learn better. :)
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