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The Learning-Focused Connections Newsletter is a weekly link to exemplary practice and ideas that will help you as an educator to increase achievement in your classroom and school. Some weeks there will be a mix of articles in the mailer; other weeks we will follow a theme. We are all working with the same goal in mind, continuous improvement in student achievement.
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The Power of Graphic Organizers
by Jennifer Partrick
Some teachers think that graphic organizers take too much time, are not worth the time, are of no value to students, or are frustrating/boring for students. Contrary to this belief, there is evidence that graphic organizers support learning and assist with understanding the content being learned.
There are quite a few evidence-based reasons why graphic organizers should be a standard practice in all classrooms. To illustrate this, you need to ask yourself if any of the following phenomena happen in your classroom. First, do you have students who appear to understand information when it is being presented but have totally forgotten that information the following day? Second, do you have students who, after reading a passage, appear to have forgotten what was read? Third, do you have students who mix up information as they read? If any of these scenarios play out in your classroom, the answer could be a graphic organizer away.
The human brain is capable of assisting us with performing many tasks, but it does have certain limits. First, the brain can only hold so much information at any given time; for adults that is about seven chunks of information; for elementary age children it is about five chunks; for older students about six chunks; and for very young children it is about three chunks. When the brain's workplace, or cognitive workplace, becomes full, the information is either sent to long term memory where it may be filed so that it can be recalled, sent to long term memory where it is not filed properly and thus is difficult to recall, or the information is tossed out. When the information is tossed out, we see this displayed in classrooms when we notice that students appear confused when asked to recall information that was presented recently. They appear to have no recollection about the information to which you are referring. This information is important to know because graphic organizers can change this behavior.
For the students who have sent information to long term memory, but it was not filed properly, they have the information one day and not the next day. There are teachers who refer to this behavior as the 'light bulb being on one day and off the next'.
As information is being read, students need to stop periodically, summarize what was read, and place that information on a graphic organizer. In so doing, the brain's cognitive workplace has room again for new information to be manipulated and added to past information. Students then summarize information on the graphic organizer, further condensing that information into manageable chunks. Another reason for using graphic organizers is to help students take information that is displayed in a linear fashion and organize it into specific topics, thus organizing information to aid comprehension. For students who have weak short term memory, summarizing periodically and placing that information on a graphic organizer allows them to have a place where they can consolidate what has been read thus far, aiding retention and comprehension.
Graphic organizers are tools that support comprehension, organization, and retention of information so that students are better able to understand what they are learning.
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Notes on Taking Notes
by Debbie Willingham, ED.D
There is more to the skill of note-taking from a lecture than just copying notes from the overhead or screen. Students need to understand that they are writing down important information for themselves that they need to know. Their handwriting, abbreviations, etc. are not at issue here! Teachers need to understand that while they are the experts in their subject and know their topic inside out, students do not necessarily have any prior knowledge, so they must determine for their students what is most important and how to get it across. Several easy tips can help ensure that teachers are most efficiently and effectively teaching new content to their students.
You probably have to do some "lecturing" and should, because listening and note-taking skills are important not only in school, but in college and the workplace. Consider how you give students new information.
- First, always start with an overview of the essential question - what the focus and importance of this lesson is all about.
- Second, keep in mind the concentration span of your students and break up a lecture into memorable and logical parts. Stop along the way to pose questions and have students reflect on what you have just said and they have just written, to be certain they understand what it says and why it is important. Keep students engaged with the explanation you are giving them on a topic by frequently getting their thoughts and input and by making it relevant to them.
- Third, establish a "no slacker zone" for students; walk around as you talk, regain attention with your looks or gentle touches, and do not overlook passive or aggressive behavior. Your expectations have to be set at the beginning of the school year, and students need to know that you are not wasting their time but are actually saving them time by making complex information more concise for them.
- Fourth, knowing how to deliver a good lecture is important; your subject is your specialty and your passion, and you need to show that. You are on stage when you lecture, so trust your enthusiasm. It is okay to look silly or the students to think you are crazy to be so passionate!
- Fifth, use anecdotes; these are the things that help students remember what you have taught them. You can often "tell a story" as they copy the basics.
- Sixth, have students organize the information you are giving them. The use of graphic organizers has a proven track record in helping students make sense of and remember content for future use.
- Finally, if the lecture is a continuation from the day before, be sure to do a short review to "reactivate" students' thinking about the topic before you continue. The short time it takes to do this is well worth the effort.
Lecturing does not have to be a bad thing; it has gotten a bad reputation because sometimes teachers have unintentionally made it boring or overwhelming and turned their students off to the realization that it can actually be the most efficient way to learn new content. Using the above strategies will help ensure that teachers keep students engaged and involved in learning the massive amount of content the standards require.
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Leaders Exceeding Expectations
by Barbara McSwain
After recently reading an article by Lynda Schermerhorn, Wyndham Mills International Partners, I concluded that education leaders have a lot to learn from the world of business. Today more than ever, leaders are at risk for undue criticism. It is important to know one's academic content and to have managerial skills, but it is also imperative that leaders possess interpersonal skills. In today's school districts, complaints can be made almost daily. Unfortunately, even when there is no foundation for the complaint, people find themselves to in complex situations. Even though one may not be guilty of misconduct, there is the hint of potential liability. The "not guilty" factor is often thought of as an irrelevant issue because an allegation has been made. Leaders can find themselves in the uncomfortable situation of having to defend themselves against unfounded criticism. As Schermerhorn pointed out in her article on Exceptional Leaders, this situation is often the result of someone's feelings being hurt. Therefore, since feelings are involved, a career may be in jeopardy by having unintentionally hurt the feelings of an employee, parent, community leader or even a board member.
Since criticism can come from any corner, it is more important than ever that school leaders begin to take a page from the business community and begin to develop interpersonal skills. It is extremely important for leaders, who exceed expectations, to become masterful at interpersonal relationships. This can be accomplished by respecting the dignity of everyone they meet or with whom they engage in conversation.
Schermerhorn gave these thought provoking questions in an article on Exceptional Leaders:
- How sensitive are you to how you impact others in your communications?
- Do you know and use the components of emotional intelligence?
- Do you respect the dignity of all those with whom you work?
- Do you know how to manage stress by avoiding getting your buttons pushed and communicating inappropriately?
- Are you able to respond rather than react?
"Exceptional Leaders learn to treat everyone with dignity while effectively leading and coordinating action," stated Schermerhorn. It is a lofty, but attainable goal in which the change process can move forward.
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Past Connections Articles
Past Connections articles are available through the archive tool of this newsletter. Please click here to view the resources.
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