“Mapping student minds.” By Ariel Owen
This article describes the use of a casual mapping tool, in a classroom, to describe a local creek the class had been researching. The class took a field trip to the creek and recorded data they would later use to create a casual map and find information about the creek. The mapping process helps the students illustrate the scientific relationships of the creek in an easy to read and visual way. The more factors involved in a students map though makes the map more complex. One thing the students must be aware of is making it too complex because the process can become simply daunting. The process also allows the gifted children an opportunity to go further into the map and the other process of the river than what is typically possible in a course.
Could I use this idea of concept mapping my class?
I think I could, I don’t see this idea of mapping being a science specific technology. I think it could be used to diagram almost anything. I thought from the description of the article the program was a lot like the Inspiration program we used in class. I think the possible uses for it are limitless and are more dependant upon the imagination of the instructor.
What benefit would mapping on the computer have over pen and paper?
The computer makes the whole process a lot more dynamic. The user is able to make adjustments on the fly and change their map fluidly. This kind of flexibility was impossible in the past. The map can also be easily be printed out or emailed and so transfer and making copies is a very quick and easy.
A critique to share with you:
ReplyDeleteDr. Chet Bowers (e.g., 2000) would say that the ideas in this article are typical Western mindset that data is the source of human reasoning and that logic is the only legitimate way of thinking. He said that neither one is true.