Growing All Learners – Creating Graphic Organizers

At ERG we are always on the lookout for tools that support and enhance the growth of all learners.  Well designed graphic organizers are just such tools.  These organizers can help students visualize and systematically arrange information and can benefit a wide array of students – from those who need enrichment to those in need of support.  Graphic organizers can be constructed to meet diverse teaching styles and address a wide variety of topics.  When constructed with purpose to meet the developmental needs of the students using them, organizers guide the learners’ thinking and provide effective visual learning strategies that can be applied across curricula.

The design is the key to creating an effective graphic organizer that meets the needs of the learner and learning opportunity.  One of our favorite spots where teachers can design such a well crafted tool is Creately for Graphic Organizers.  Creately is a web-based software that allows teachers to create interactive graphic organizers – Venn Diagrams, Storyboards, Mind Maps, KWL Charts, and much more.  It offers colorful graphic organizer templates for K-12 and the tools to design a match for your teaching goals.  Creately is easy to use and offers a public plan that is free.

Check it out at http://creately.com/Free-K12-Education-Templates

These tools are open ended and can be used in a variety of ways:

• The teacher can construct the organizer and share with the students.
• The teacher and students can construct the organizer together and discuss the process.
• Cooperative learning teams can create organizers. (Teacher’s role is supportive)
• Individual students can create organizers independently. (Teacher’s role is supportive)

Graphic organizers help students show what they know in meaningful ways as they make connections and organize facts and ideas graphically.  Fountas and Pinnell found that when content is illustrated with diagrams, the information can be maintained by students over time.  Learning to think and organize information are essential skills.  Graphic organizers can help engage the learner with words and diagrams and provide a systematic way to understand the task at hand.

Have fun organizing!