Teachers continuously give effort to facilitate learning of students on a particular topic.  One way or strategy that is very helpful for both students and teachers is the use of Graphic Organizers.  Many teachers have used these and many are trying their best to use at least one for every lesson.A graphic organizer is a visual and graphic display that depicts the relationship between facts, terms and or ideas within a learning task.  Graphic Organizers.are also sometimes referred to as knowledge maps, concept maps, cognitive organizers, allowance organizers or concept diagrams.

            The main goal of graphic representation is to assist students in comprehending difficult texts.  By using graphic organizers students are able to see the key information in a text, the organization of text information, the ways that information is structure, and relationship among ideas presented in a text or a portion of a text.

            Graphic Organizers come in many shapes and sizes , but not all graphics work with all texts.  Therefore, the teacher needs to read over the assigned text carefully and determine what types of graphic representations will assist students and what kind of graphic –related activities will enhance learning and comprehension.

            According to Celce-Murcia (2006) there are many options for teaching with graph representations, including

1.  Using a circle with arrows flowing in a circular direction to show an interactive process described in a text.
2. Using a Venn Diagram in highlight differences and similarities between characters, places,events, or issues in a text.
3. Using a flow Chart to trace events or events or steps in a process highlighted in a text.

       Strategies such as these are effective means to help students improve their comprehension of the lesson.

References:.

      Marianne Celce- Murcia, Teaching English As A Second in Foreign Language, A Division of Thompson Learning (2006)

      Tracy Hall & Nicole Strongman, Graphic Organizers

      http://www.graphic.org/index.htm/

           

            

By: Jackielou B. Guinto | Teacher III | SAMAL NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL | Samal, Bataan