Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities

Triangle Congruence and Similarity
I. Congruence
A. SAS
B. ASA
C. SSS
II. Similarity
A. AAA

One way that I can use concept mapping in my future classroom is to create a unit outline out of a concept map. I can give the outline to my students to help global thinkers see how the lessons they will learn will fit into the overall topic. At the end of the unit, I will have students create a concept map of the unit as a class, without refering to the outline I gave them. This will help sequential learners see how all of the lessons fit together. This will also create a list of the topics to study for the unit exam.

Another way that I can use a concept map in my future class is to help my students see the method, pros, and cons of different methods for addressing a problem. For example, there are many different ways to solve a system of linear equations. The concept map would show the type of problem the methods work for and how to use the method. Additionally, as a class, we could discuss the pros and cons of the methods and include those on the diagram. This will create an easy reference for my students to access this information, and will create a clearer understanding for visual learners.
One last way that I could use concept mapping in my future classroom is to demonstrate hierarchy and sets. Often times, students have a pretty decent understanding of Set theory based on their experiences, but do not know how to convey it. By using a concept map that includes hierarchical structures as a lead in to discussing Set theory will allow students to concrete the concepts they are probably already familiar with in a visual way, instead of having to jump straight to abstract descriptions.
I think that learning a program like inspiration would not take very much time. In fact, I feel fairly comfortable with the basics of the program after working with it in class for a half hour or so. I think I would feel comfortable enough to integrate the program into my classroom with only a few more hours of practice with the specific types of maps that I would like my students to create. The program is very straight forward, and it offers a great visual alternative to other note taking techniques.

Teacher Web Reflection

One way that a website could be used is to check for accuracy of student grades. By posting the grades, students can check their grades and let you know if there was a clerical error. The second use is to give students links to websites you would like them to view outside of class. The third way a web site could be used in a classroom is as an electronic resource of all class handouts so that students can find their own handouts if they have lost them. Students can use the website as a means to find information about assignments because the handout and rubric will be posted. Another way that students can use the website is to become more familiar with their teacher. By becoming more acquainted with me, they will become more comfortable in my classroom which will making learning easier.

My favorite page style is the response page. It allows students to self-test which is an excellent study aid. The other feature that I really like is that students can send an email to me directly from the website.