Something to Think About

It is always useful for me as a secondary teacher to learn how elementary teachers use techniques that I might not have been exposed to when taking methods courses in college. One such tech... See More

It is always useful for me as a secondary teacher to learn how elementary teachers use techniques that I might not have been exposed to when taking methods courses in college. One such technique is called the discussion map. The author describes what they are, how they are constructed and even provides an example of one. More importantly he provides a way to use these maps to further student understanding and help them reflect on what they learned.

Incorporating Discussion Maps into Your Repetoire

This simple article gives a concrete example of a teacher creating a discussion map of a conversation with students about seeds. As the students share, the teacher jots notes about what is s... See More

This simple article gives a concrete example of a teacher creating a discussion map of a conversation with students about seeds. As the students share, the teacher jots notes about what is said and by whom. Later, the teacher transcribes the notes into a flow chart of sorts, connecting ideas with arrows. This analysis of the conversation can reveal gaps in understanding, cues for future lessons, synthesis the students are already making on their own, and connections the students are making between their own lives and the concepts in science. The article explains clearly how to implement this tool as part of your regular teaching self-reflection, with concrete ideas to overcome possible obstacles and ways to adapt to specific situations. After reading this, I feel confident that this could become a formative assessment tool for all of us in our classroom. I am glad I read this.