Gorgeous Maps at Park

Visiting a handful of classrooms at Park School gave me a glimpse at some dazzling maps.  I visited the classrooms of Ms. Botros, Ms. Juarez, Ms. Lew, and Ms. Tang.  Ms. Tang's students are using the maps to set Smart Goals for themselves.  I will display more maps.  I just need to see why adding new pictures causes old ones to disappear.

MS Word Thinking Maps Templates

Visit this link to download templates for making Thinking Maps with Microsoft Word:

https://sites.google.com/site/ausdthink/

Mrs. Paola Juarez and Literature Circles

When I visited Mrs. Juarez's class, I was pleased to learn that she started using Thinking Maps for literature circles.  She and I must have some kind of psychic energy because I had just presented the idea to Ramona School last Saturday.  She approached me and said, "I've been using Thinking Maps for literature circles."  I nearly flipped.  It was great see innovation with Thinking Maps.

My version involves assigning a different map to each member of the group.  For example, one student can focus on setting with a brace map.  This student will break the setting apart on a brace map.  When it's time to share their work, each student will have engaged in a different thinking skill for the passage.

I hope Mrs. Juarez will send me some scanned samples of what students created.  

Ms. Mariani's Students Using Maps for Math

During a serendipitous excursion to Park School, I happened to intrude upon a third grade classroom where students were using Thinking Maps in the middle of a lesson.  My initial goal was to capture some photographs for this blog.  It was my great fortune to overhear Ms. Mariani say, "Refer to your Circle Maps."  This was my lucky day.  I experienced map-making LIVE.  Wow!  Students made mini Circle Maps for various geometric terms and defined them in context.  EVERY student had a Thinking Map.  I left with a big smile.

Skitch and Thinking Maps

On a rainy Saturday in January (the 21st), I struggled through presenting how to make Thinking Maps with an ap called Skitch on an iPad 2.  It's a great program, but presenting on the iPad is impossible; the audience does not see what your hands touch and move so it's pretty hard for them to follow, unless you explicitly explain what you do step by step. 

The best thing about the presentation was that there were some savvy Android users in the audience who figured out some amazing tricks and told everyone else about them  The most important trick we learned involved the ability to shrink text.  All you do is tap on it with the finger tool and pinch to a desired size.  I had tremendous fun, and I am hoping the teachers will use it.  Check it out...

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skitch/id425955336?mt=12


 

Son - Mark Keppel Presentation

I used TMs for my Mark Keppel presentation recently.  The whole school has been trained so I think we spoke a common language, a language for learning (cheesy huh?).  The four maps show the following:  (1) Reason we give CELDT; (2) Causes and Effects of Preparing Students for CELDT; (3) Breaking down CELDT into parts; and (4) Redesignation Process for high school.

Florence's Reading Group