Conept Mapping

Concept mapping is a great resource for classrooms. One way they would benefit my math classrooms is in note taking. By using a mind map, the structure of how to solve or work through certain problems would be easy to follow. The mind map would allow for a great visual representation of moving through the problem solving stages. It would also provide more detailed information that could be read through for students to gain a better understanding.

Concept mapping is also a quick way to summarize ideas and concepts. They are easy to create and help organize thoughts in a manageable way. In this regard, concept mapping is great for discussions as students can jot down their thoughts in an organized way that would make it easy for them to remember their thoughts, record answers and comments from other students, and allow teachers to see exactly what students were planning on discussing if they did not get a chance to share.

I would personally like to gain more experience with concept mapping. This is because I am a visual learner and believe this would benefit me as well as my future students. I am always interested in finding new ways of documenting notes and information so I can easily look over notes and recall what they were about. It is always a challenge making certain points stand out over others in note taking, and I believe concept mapping is a great way to battle this.

I think concept mapping would be easy to learn the basics of. However, in order to apply it in a really useful way that integrates all of your content, I believe it would take a lot longer to master all the variations that are possible using the software. As of now it seems overwhelming, but I think through some simple exploration it would not be as bad.