Visual Tools for Transforming Information Into Knowledge

"Helps teachers think about what they are doing in the classroom with graphic organizers and how they can use them more effectively." —Mark Johnson, Principal Glenwood Elementary School, Kearney, NE "With an emphasis on transforming information into knowledge, everyone who considers themselves a learner or a facilitator of someone else's learning would benefit from the author's message and ideas." —Judith A. Rogers, Professional Learning Specialist Tucson Unified School District, AZ Develop students' thinking, note-taking, and study skills with powerful visual tools! Visual tools have the unique capacity to communicate rich patterns of thinking and help students take control of their own learning. This second edition of A Field Guide to Using Visual Tools shows teachers of all grades and disciplines how to use these tools to improve instruction and generate significant positive changes in students' cognitive development and classroom performance. Expert David Hyerle describes three basic types of visual tools: brainstorming webs that nurture creativity, graphic organizers that build analytical skills and help process specific content, and concept maps that promote cognitive development and critical thinking. Updated with new research and applications for three kinds of Thinking Maps®, this essential resource: Expands teacher skills with practical guides for using each type of tool Presents recent research on effective instructional strategies, reading comprehension, and how the brain works Includes templates, examples, and more than 70 figures that show classroom applications By utilizing these powerful, brain-compatible learning aids, teachers can help students strengthen higher-order thinking skills, master content and conceptual knowledge, and become independent learners!

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Robert J. Marzano Prologue by Arthur L. Costa Acknowledgments About the Author Summary Definition of Visual Tools Introduction:Transforming Static Information Into Active Knowledge Blind Insights Right Now: Jumping the Achievement Gap for All Children Overview of the Book 1. The Mapping Metaphor Cognitive Dissonance in Representation Systems The Elephant in the Room The Mapping Metaphor: Terra Incognita Mapping the Brain Visual Tools for Mapmaking The Foundation of the Mapping Metaphor: Seeing 2. Facilitating the Networking Brain and the Patterning Mind Nonlinguistic and Linguistic Representations Research Studies on Graphic Organizers Reading Comprehension and Reading First Research Mapping Living Systems The Brain Is a Pattern Detector The Visual Brain The Mind Organizes Into Schematic Patterns Multiple Intelligences as Active Patterns Habits of Mind 3. Using Visual Tools Clarifying a Confusion of Terms and Tools Content-Specific Visual Tools Defining Visual Tools Theory-Embedded Tools Types of Visual Tools Reviewing Your Toolkit Choosing Appropriate Visual Tools The Importance of Student Ownership of Visual Tools Saving Time Constructing Knowledge in Cooperative Groups Beyond Blueprints, Templates, and Blackline Masters 4. Brainstorming Webs for Facilitating the Creative Mind Flow of Information and Knowledge Thinking in Pictures The Brain and Brainstorming The Misconceptions About Brainstorming Webs Webs for Facilitating Habits of Mind Software for Brainstorming Webs Brainstorming Webs for Collaborative Reflection, by David Schumaker Mind Mapping Viewing Book Reviews Mindscapes From Metaphors Seeking Personal Growth 5. Graphic Organizers for Analytical Tasks An Overview of Graphic Organizers, by Greg Freeman Comparing Graphic Organizers and Brainstorming Webs Organizers for Habits of Mind Chunking, Memory, and the Organizing Brain Content-Specific Graphics as an Advanced Organizer Process-Specific Maps The Big-Picture Organizers Mapping Lesson Plans Design and Understanding 6. Conceptual Mapping for Integrating Creative and Analytical Thinking Thinking About the Box Habits of Mind and Conceptual Maps When Thinking Became Popular Novak and Gowin's Concept Mapping Techniques The Inductive Tower Argument Maps and Rationale, by Tim Van Gelder Feedbacks and Flows in the System Connection Circles, by Rob Quaden and Alan Ticotsky Systems Thinking Leaving Tracks An Integration of Visual Representations: Teaching With Unit Visual Frameworks 7. Thinking Maps: A Synthesis Language of Visual Tools A Short History of Thinking Maps Defining Thinking Maps as a Language Five Levels of Thinking Maps Implementation Differentiated Thinking Patterns for English-Language Learners, by Stefanie Holzman Essential Cognitive Questions Based in Standards Using Thinking Maps Software to Map the Standards, by Sarah Curtis From Students and Teachers to Leadership Development and Whole-Schools Transformations The Role of Thinking Maps in the Process of Becoming a Professional learning Community, by Larry Alper Whole System Change 8. Thinking Maps for Special Needs, by Cynthia Manning Thinking Maps Give Me a Chance to Learn: Learning Prep Student Background on Learning Prep School Developing the Fundamental Psychological Processes Through Thinking Maps Thinking Maps and High-Stakes Testing Teachers and Students See the Success Thinking Maps and "the Real World" In Conclusion References and Further Reading Index