MODULE 2 Whats Up with Graphic Organizers Part

MODULE 2: What’s Up with Graphic Organizers? Part 1: Graphic Organizer Overview 1. 1 Strategic Instruction GO Connection 1. 2 Why GOs are so powerful Part 2: Anatomy of a SMARTvisual Part 3: Samples of Social Studies SMARTvisuals Part 4: Edwin Ellis, Ph. D Research

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com First, we’ll briefly examine principles of Strategic Instruction Strategic instruction Basis of solid content instruction Fundamentally reliable! © 2011 Edwin Ellis

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis 2 nd, we’ll examine WHY graphic organizers are such powerful TM devices Strategic instruction Instruction using GOs TM Basis of solid content instruction Fundamentally reliable! Use of GOs adds a whole new dimension to EFFECTIVE & EFFICIENT teaching

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis later, we’ll examine why SMARTvisuals take social studies instruction to a whole new level Strategic instruction Instruction using GOs Instruction using SMARTvisuals TM Basis of solid content instruction Fundamentally reliable! Use of GOs adds a whole new dimension to EFFECTIVE & EFFICIENT teaching Use of SMARTvisuals makes instruction even MORE ROBUST & POWERFUL

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Main Idea Instruction using GOs Strategic Responsively Scaffolded Meaningfully connected Engaging So what? What is important to understand about this? Main Idea Instruction via SMARTvisuals

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Strategic Responsively Scaffolded Main Idea Instruction “Strategic” using GOs Main Idea Instruction via means… Differentiating SMARTvisuals Curriculum to identify… * Big Ideas * Critical concepts associated with each big idea * Essential vocabulary needed for each critical concept Meaningfully connected Providing explicit instruction Engaging Using responsive assessment * Students know what they are supposed to be learning * Teachers know whether students So what? What is important to understand about this? learned what they should have and adjust subsequent instruction accordingly

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Strategic Responsively Scaffolded Meaningfully connected Main Idea Instruction “Responsively using GOs Main Idea Instruction via scaffolded” means… SMARTvisuals Building on what students already know * Activate & assess background knowledge Scaffolding complexity * Teach complex ideas recursively * Simple-to-complex Engaging Scaffolding assistance * I / We / Y’all / You do it So what? What is important to understand about this?

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Strategic Main Idea Instruction “Meaningfully using GOs Main Idea Instruction via Connected” means… SMARTvisuals Teaching for “relational understanding” * Connections b/w ideas Responsively Scaffolded Meaningfully connected Engaging * How ideas hang together Connecting abstract concepts to known concrete concepts * Use of metaphors & similes Connecting new info to background knowledge & experiences So what? What is important to understand about this? Connecting new info to present realworld phenomena

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Strategic Responsively Scaffolded Meaningfully connected Engaging Main Idea Instruction “Engaging” using GOs Main Idea Instruction via means… SMARTvisuals Instruction is interesting * Ideas are provocative * Focus on how new idea helps understand, solve, or create a problem Students continuously grapple with ideas & extensively elaborate what they are learning Connecting new info to present realworld phenomena Experiential learning is directly connected to specific learning objectives So what? What is important to understand about this?

MODULE 2: What’s Up with Graphic Organizers? Part 1: Graphic Organizer Overview 1. 1 Strategic Instruction GO Connection 1. 2 Why GOs are so powerful Edwin Ellis, Ph. D

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Main Idea Instruction using GOs Strategic Makes info more explicit Responsively Scaffolded Reduces info processing demands Meaningfully connected Promotes elaboration Engaging Teaches learning strategies So what? What is important to understand about this? Main Idea Instruction via SMARTvisuals

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Main Idea Instruction using GOs Strategic Makes info more explicit Responsively Scaffolded Reduces info processing demands Meaningfully connected Promotes elaboration Engaging Teaches learning strategies So what? What is important to understand about this? Main Idea Instruction via SMARTvisuals

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Main Idea Instruction using GOs Strategic Makes info more explicit Responsively Scaffolded Reduces info processing demands Meaningfully connected Promotes elaboration Engaging Teaches learning strategies So what? What is important to understand about this? Main Idea Instruction via SMARTvisuals

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com Graphic organizers usually depict one of the four common ways to structure the information * Hierarchic * Compare / contrast * Cause/Effect * Sequence © 2011 Edwin Ellis

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com Graphic organizers usually depict one of the four common ways to structure the information * Hierarchic * Compare / contrast * Cause/Effect * Sequence © 2011 Edwin Ellis

Graphic organizers usually depict one of the four common ways to structure the information * Hierarchic * Compare / contrast * Cause/Effect * Sequence

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com Graphic organizers usually depict one of the four common ways to structure the information * Hierarchic * Compare / contrast * Cause/Effect * Sequence STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: STEP 4: STEP 5: © 2011 Edwin Ellis

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis Graphic Organizers make information more explicit Carefully weigh & evaluate info to note on GO Limited space for communicating ideas Requires precision Very concise Eliminates verbiage Essential info Kid friendly language Priority info

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Main Idea Instruction using GOs Strategic Makes info more explicit Responsively Scaffolded Reduces info processing demands Meaningfully connected Promotes elaboration Engaging Teaches learning strategies So what? What is important to understand about this? Main Idea Instruction via SMARTvisuals

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com Here’s how the information about this point is organized… © 2011 Edwin Ellis

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis Information-processing ALWAYS involves… Integrating new Locating in memory information with seemingly related background knowledge which involves… Elaborating the new information Monitoring to ensure comprehension Determining how the information is organized This part is the hardest The more complex & unfamiliar the new information, the harder it is to determine its organization

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis Thus, revealing how the new information is organized BEFORE the new information is presented makes it much easier to process and understand… …because the brain doesn’t have to work as hard to make sense of it

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis Implications are HUGE! You can teach at MORE sophisticated levels (as opposed to having to dumb-down the curriculum) If the organization Then students Because the info is revealed at the lesson beginning don’t have to work as hard to understand it processing demands have been reduced

I. A. a. b. c. B. a. b. c. II. A. a. b. c. B. a. b. c. What about outlines? Aren’t they just as a good as graphic organizers? Hierarchic Cause/effect Comparison Sequence The key is whether the ORGANIZATION of the information is self-evident to the learner

Is the Organization of Information Visually Apparent? Type of information Outline Hierarchic Graphic Organizer YES I. A. B. Can you look at an outline and see the hierarchic structure? Hierarchic a. b. c. Can you look at an a. graphic organizer and b. c. see the hierarchic B. a. b. structure? c. II. A.

Is the Organization of Information Visually Apparent? Type of information Outline Hierarchic Cause / Effect Graphic Organizer YES NO YES I. A. B. This… Can you look at an outline and Caused see the cause / effect this… structure? a. b. c. Can you look at an a. graphic organizer and b. c. see the cause / effect B. a. b. structure? c. II. A.

Is the Organization of Information Visually Apparent? Type of information Outline Hierarchic Cause / Effect Compare / Contrast Graphic Organizer YES NO YES I. A. B. Can you look at an outline and see the compare /contrast structure? a. b. c. Can you look at an graphic a. organizer and see the b. c. compare /contrast B. a. b. structure? c. II. A.

Is the Organization of Information Visually Apparent? Type of information Outline Hierarchic Cause / Effect Compare / Contrast Linear sequence Graphic Organizer YES NO YES MAYBE I. A. B. Can you look at an outline and see the linear sequence structure? a. b. c. YES Can you look at an a. graphic organizer and b. c. see the linear B. a. b. c. sequence structure? II. A.

Is the Organization of Information Visually Apparent? Type of information Outline Hierarchic Cause / Effect Compare / Contrast Linear sequence Cycle Graphic Organizer YES NO YES MAYBEI. A. a. YES NO YES Can you look at an outline and see the cycle structure? B. II. A. B. Sequence b. c. a. b. c. Can you look at an graphic organizer and see a cycle structure?

IMPLICATIONS? Type of information Outline Graphic Organizer Outlines have a LOT of merit – - They are a whole LOT better than nothing! So DO use them Just be selective about WHEN to use them Effectiveness is limited to hierarchic information

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Main Idea Instruction using GOs Strategic Makes info more explicit Responsively Scaffolded Reduces info processing demands Meaningfully connected Promotes elaboration Engaging Teaches learning strategies So what? What is important to understand about this? Main Idea Instruction via SMARTvisuals

2 kinds of memory… Episodic memory MUCH more powerful & lasting Semantic memory MUCH more reflective of kinds of info kids learn in school Memories gained from experiences or episodes NOT dependent on language or ability to process language Memories gained from language-based information Highly dependent on language or ability to process language So how do we teach semantic-based knowledge in a manner that maximizes the power of episodic memory?

Students engage in all of these information processing skills when constructing graphic organizers Elaboration is THE most powerful memoryenhancer of semantic info Deciding which info is relevant & how to organize it Realizing there are other ways to organize the info Weighing info to decide which is more important Recognizing the “depends on” factors Spontaneous exploration interrelated topics Grappling with ideas in unusual & varied ways Making connections to existing beliefs, knowledge, & experiences Summarizing info to identify its gist Analyzing info to separate main ideas from details

Powerful Teaching Tools & Tactics Is about … Techniques that provide the biggest bang-for-the-buck Main Idea Strategic instruction Main Idea Instruction using GOs Main Idea Extensivevia Instruction Research shows… SMARTvisuals Teaching students to construct graphic organizers is one of THE most powerful ways to increase…. Strategic Makes info more explicit Responsively Scaffolded Reduces info processing demands Meaningfully connected Promotes elaboration * Reading comprehension Teaches learning strategies * Written expression Engaging So what? What is important to understand about this? * History & science concept learning * Vocabulary learning

MODULE 2: What’s Up with Graphic Organizers? Part 1: Graphic Organizer Overview Part 2: Anatomy of a SMARTvisual What makes SMARTvisuals so “smart”? What’s the difference between SMARTvisuals & traditional graphic organizers? Part 3: Samples of Social Studies SMARTvisuals Edwin Ellis, Ph. D Part 4: Research

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com SMARTvisuals are visual devices designed to… * Facilitate communication of complex ideas * Reduce information-processing demands * Teach information-processing skills * Illustrate relationships between ideas “These sound like graphic organizers. ” “What’s the difference between graphic organizers and SMARTvisuals? ” © 2011 Edwin Ellis

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis “What’s the difference between graphic organizers and SMARTvisuals? ” SMARTvisuals are a form of graphic organizer …and a WHOLE lot more Teachers have characterized SMARTvisuals as…. “…graphic organizers on STERIODS!” Here’s why…

TM Makes. Sense. Strategies. com © 2011 Edwin Ellis SMARTvisuals take social studies instruction to a whole new level Strategic instruction Instruction using GOs Instruction using SMARTvisuals TM Basis of solid content instruction Fundamentally reliable! Use of GOs adds a whole new dimension to EFFECTIVE & EFFICIENT teaching Use of SMARTvisuals makes instruction even MORE ROBUST & POWERFUL

While there are substantial reasons for using GOs when teaching some social studies concepts in secondary schools. . . …they do have a serious limitations Many of the abstract concepts and their inter-relationships in secondary social studies are far too complex to depict in simplistic GO formats In other words, traditional GOs are inadequate tools when addressing many secondary SS standards

While traditional GOs sometimes DO help students structure some types of SS information… They do not teach students how to apply discipline-specific (SS) content literacy skills e. g. , how to apply thinking processes and skills unique to understanding social studies concepts

So does this mean we should not be using traditional GOs when teaching secondary social studies? NO! It does NOT mean this!!! They can be POWERFUL tools so DO use them …but they have limitations SMARTvisuals are designed to address many of these limitations

Tim Shanahan’s Literacy Pyramid Level 1 Basic Literacy fundamental reading skills phonemic awareness, decoding, knowledge of high-frequency words Level 2: Intermediate Literacy generic literacy skills various comprehension strategies (summarizing, questioning, visualizing, etc. ) Level 3: Disciplinary Literacy literacy skills specialized to specific disciplines such as history

Traditional GOs target this level of literacy Level 1 Basic Literacy fundamental reading skills phonemic awareness, decoding, knowledge of high-frequency words Level 2: Intermediate Literacy generic literacy skills various comprehension strategies (summarizing, questioning, visualizing, etc. ) Level 3: Disciplinary Literacy literacy skills specialized to specific disciplines such as history

Level 1 Basic Literacy SMARTvisuals target this level of literacy fundamental reading skills phonemic awareness, decoding, knowledge of high-frequency words Level 2: Intermediate Literacy generic literacy skills various comprehension strategies (summarizing, questioning, visualizing, etc. ) Level 3: Disciplinary Literacy literacy skills specialized to specific disciplines such as history

Here’s a graphic organizer…

Here’s the exact same info on a Smart Visual…

Which would you rather have? Thus, one of the characteristics of Smart Visuals is that they are designed for maximum visual effectiveness Smart Visuals make it easier (not harder) to process information

Here’s a graphic organizer… Bald Eagle Red-Tailed Hawk DIFFERENT SIMILAR They eat fish and use their talons or claws to catch them. Carnivores They live near lakes, rivers, marshes, and seacoasts. Temperate Deciduous Forest They live in the open country of various kinds, including farmlands. The Bald Eagle has a white head and tail and a blackish body. Both have white somewhere on their body The Red-tailed Hawk usually has a white chest with a rust-colored tail. They create their nests using sticks. . The eggs are white. The females lay two to three eggs at a time. Make nests of sticks in tall trees. DIFFERENT They prey on small rodents and rarely will eat poultry. Their eggs are white with brown spots. The nest is also made of bark and bits of fresh green vegetation.

Bald Eagle Red-Tailed Hawk DIFFERENT SIMILAR Food They eat fish and use their talons or claws to catch them. Carnivores Habitat They live near lakes, rivers, marshes, and seacoasts. Temperate Deciduous Forest They live in the open country of various kinds, including farmlands. The Bald Eagle has a white head and tail and a blackish body. Both have white somewhere on their body The Red-tailed Hawk usually has a white chest with a rust-colored tail. Color Nests They create their nests using sticks. . The eggs are white. The females lay two to three eggs at a time. Make nests of sticks in tall trees. DIFFERENT They prey on small rodents and rarely will eat poultry. Their eggs are white with brown spots. The nest is also made of bark and bits of fresh green vegetation. Note the clarity that adding subtopics adds to the visual