Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities

Kyle Hoffman
10663464
October 2, 2007
Concept Mapping

In my P.E. classroom at the high school level, we will not be using concept mapping as a tool for education for obvious reasons. However, in the health classroom one could easily illustrate ideas utilizing concept maps and various methods discussed on the inspiration.com website. For example, if I was working with students on sexually transmitted diseases, we could create a concept map on how easily and rapidly STD’s spread. Along with that, one could make a concept map on the various types of communicable diseases and categorize each one in a creative and effective way for learning.
Utilizing concept maps in classrooms will increase student skills in planning, organization, research, evaluation, comprehension, and ultimately communication. Lots of students are visual learners; therefore concept maps are a great way to visualize ideas, concepts, and relationships. With the Inspiration software, one has many choices to make from the type of concept map, to the pictures and symbols that may be used for representation. The software seems relatively easy to use, based on the trial version. Concept maps are great tools to use for teaching any kind of lesson. If it is a cause and effect type lesson, a concept map is the perfect choice since one may post the cause of something, then branch off with its effects. It can also be used for categorization, since major themes may be posted; each grouping that branches off from the major theme might be its own cluster of ideas.

Responses:

1) Concept mapping activities will engage learners by giving them visual cues. Lots of students are visual learners, therefore if we show them using concept mapping, they will have a better grasp on the major theme or idea. If we are on the subject of STD's, students will by far retain more information than if I just lectured in class. If students can see the various STD's, and their rate of onset and passage, then they will be much more engaged than just listening to someone talk. We can also do a concept map on HIV/AIDS. This will give us a more linear, cause and effect type map which will outline causes of HIV, and how the virus manifests itself and becomes AIDS.

2) If I am teaching a topic, and a student can create their own concept map on that topic, then they will have an easier time explaining the information as well as understanding it for themselves. If a student can create and explain a concept map on a certain topic, I would be very confident that they could pass any test on that same topic. In essence, concept maps make great study guides!