Thinking Maps #1

 About ten years ago I had a slight change in my career from general education to resource to gifted and this change brought about a change of focus. I have never been the package program kind of girl and I tend base my approach what my students need. With this approach in mind, I utilize a mixture of strategies and frameworks from a variety of places. Many of these things overlap or are used in conjunction with one another to help build a richer learning environment. The latest introduction has been Thinking Maps, which are the eight common visual maps based on research on how the brain actually learns. 

 I work at four schools all with their individual set of strengths and weaknesses. Lucky for me, all four schools are in various stages of implementation of Thinking Maps. At Abel, they are in year three of implementation and it is very obvious upon entering the school that they are all about Thinking Maps. Their walls are lined with examples from every grade level and subject.  When I am there I love wondering the hallways with my cellphone snapping all the shots I can.  Students are taught to utilize these maps to organize their thinking and ultimately to select the Thinking Maps based on the task at hand.  During the second half of the year, I observed that students were using different maps to complete the same task. This to me means that students are being taught and allowed to organize information into the Thinking Map that works best for them. For students to truly own their learning process that whole process will need to be put into their hands, which includes selecting what tools will work best for them.  

As I continue to explore and learn about Thinking Maps  I am looking forward to incorporating them many of the others strategies we use frequently in our Gifted Laboratory. Thinking Maps are tools to help students organize their thinking and by being intentional about the task students are given to complete within each map can only serve to deepen their thinking. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing what these tools will aid my students to producing this year.