Session+10

=Session 10=

=10.1 Opener= I am thinking mind mapping may be graphic organizers such as KWL's and Venn Diagrams. If this is the case, I do use Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast, people, places, holidays, customs, or certain events in history. I also use KWL's to guide us through a subject such as a country, famous person, or a special event in history. I am interested in the definition and use of mind maps. The potential benefits of mind mapping could be that they are a systematic and organized way of seeing the information. I am a visual learner and lists, graphs, and outlines are a lot more beneficial to me than paragraphs of information. Seeing the relationship among various pieces of information is an easier way for me to organize my thoughts and make informed decisions about a topic.

=10.2 Bubbl.us=

media type="custom" key="10197615"

What went well with bubble.us was the ease of the tool. With a quick, ten minute lesson, I do think this could be taught to sixth graders and beyond. I like how the bubble colors change automatically and systematically as they go down the chain. I do like how neat and clean it looks. I don't really see how it is that much more beneficial than inspiration and the ease may not be as great as the ease of inspiration. Anyone below sixth grade may have a hard time because the hovering options versus the clicking options can be challenging to differentiate between. Too much information can get too difficult to read and it the font is made smaller, it's too tiny.

I may choose to use it in my classroom with my older students as a note taking tool and a during reading strategy. It would be worth a try.

=10.3 Mindomo=

media type="custom" key="10205953"

All of these tools that are literally just a keystroke away, and at the same time, are so far away. I think if I were to have these tools, and at the same time, a knowledgeable teacher able to model them for me, how much more brilliant-minded I would be today! There is just so much out there and this course has definitely shed light on this. I think a realistic approach for us would be to choose two or three tools and present them to the students over the course of a year. This way we become more familiar with them and we can also learn from the students as they are asked to use them and hone in their skills regarding usage. It's so overwhelming!!!