Graphic Organizers: What They Are and How to Use Them
As a society, we have become increasingly committed to the belief that all students deserve to receive the best possible education.
As a result, a whole host of new and innovative learning tools and strategies have been developed to engage the many different types of learners that teachers encounter in their classrooms. One of those tools, the graphic organizer, has proven to be an effective way to engage students with various learning disabilities, gifted students, and even many adults handling a large amount of reading material.
What are Graphic Organizers?
Graphic organizers are one of the most effective learning tools available to educators and students in today’s educational settings. A typical graphic organizer uses visual displays to help both teachers and students better understand how facts, ideas, and concepts relate to one another. Research has demonstrated that this approach helps the learner to internalize information in ways that non-visual teaching tools cannot.
These organizers come in different forms, including:
Concept maps that diagram different concepts and show how they relate to one another
Mind maps that demonstrate how central ideas and associated topics relate to one another within a hierarchy of concepts
Brainstorming webs that can help students better understand the relationships between different types of information
How Do Graphic Organizers Work?
Researchers have known for some time that the human mind is designed to organize, catalogue, and store information. New information is identified and catalogued based on how it connects to other information stored within the brain. When learners are unable to identify those connections, it can disrupt learning. Graphic organizers provide the visual aids many students need to help them properly process and store information for later retrieval. That enhances their understanding of complex concepts, improves memory, and prepares them for more advanced critical thinking.
How to Use Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers have many applications in learning. Visual representations capture attention and interest, which can improve the mind’s ability to learn new concepts and retain new information. As a result of this, these tools are now commonly used by instructors and even in the business world by corporate entities.
Organizers can be used to aid in the decision-making process, brainstorming, communicate new ideas, and more effectively examine concept relationships. They are also an excellent tool for representing cause and effect and comparing or contrasting everything from products to ideas.
Most importantly, however, graphic organizers are a vital teaching tool that engages the whole brain in the learning process. Research shows that many people achieve better results with visual aids than with text. So, while these tools offer the most benefits for students with different types of learning disabilities – especially those who have trouble connecting newly learned information to what they previously knew, struggle to identify themes and supporting facts, or draw logical inferences – studies have shown that they can provide powerfully positive results under many circumstances.