Mind Map

Awhile back I the read the book  Mapping Inner Space. It inspired me to use this strategy to assess my students at the end of the year. It was amazing! Since it was successful I incorporated into my science notebooks that I used.

After a few lessons on a specific topic I give my students an informal assessment using this mind mapping strategy. In their notebook I strategically inserted a page (see image below) where the students add big idea in the center of the web and then they branch out ideas from the center.

So for example in the center in my 3rd grade classrooms students wrote the word system. The previous lessons in science have been about the bones, muscles, eyes and ears. Within all of the lessons the underlining idea was systems. I add an example of my own mind map. A mind map however can be done in any form. It could a road with different "stops". I had one student draw a tree with system on the tree trunk and each branch was a sub category. Then on each branch he made a smaller branches with other thoughts. 

In a future blog I'll make reference to websites or programs where you can create your mind map on a computer. 

What defines us?

I read every night before I go to bed. It seems to ease my mind and sometimes puts me to sleep. :)  I've had this pile of books (picture coming soon) on the corner of my night stand for a long time, maybe even all summer break. It keeps growing! The list of books on my nook keeps growing too! Most of these books are books to help improve my pedagogy. Another small percentage of books is child development.

Some would say that I have a fear, Am I doing a good job parenting, teaching? I think the more tricks I have up my sleeve the more likely I reach that one student. That one student that I can't find what causes him to behave that way. That one student that is so disconnected to school. The parent in me thinks that student isn't just a student he/she is child and needs a parent. My heart breaks. I love and hug my own children more.

Parenting: to be or act a mother or father.
Teacher: a person who teaches --( and sometimes acts as a parent. )