Three techniques to use concept mapping in is through description, research and connecting topics. In descriptive concept mapping a student can take a main idea and connect it to relating thoughts and details about it. This can allow a student to learn more about a broad concept and break it down into pieces to see all aspects of it. A research concept map can be used by first starting with a question in the central link. This allows them to go out and find answers to them and connect to the question. This also can help a student realize that there is more than one answer to a question and really broaden the research they do. The final concept map that a teacher can use for their students is having them connect the topics with one another. This allows students to see how different subjects connect with one another. This is especially can be used at the end of a chapter or lesson to show how everything you have just taught connects and how it does connect.
One idea of a concept map I could use for my future pre-calculus class is a Pythagorean Theorem map. They could use this as a main idea and break it apart. This could include what the formula is, what it is used for and how we would use it in the real world. Another concept map I could use as a teacher is taking a whole chapter from the student’s math book, once we have completed this part of the book have them, as a class, show how all that we have learned connects with one another. You could also take a story problem and create a concept map to visualize all the information that is coming out of the problem and help you solve it to get the final answer.
There are many benefits to having your classroom create a concept map. One is their ability to break down a topic and see all aspects of it. Not only will it show them all the details of the subject but help them organize the information in a logical way. A concept map can also help them memorize all the information. By seeing where all the information is placed they can understand the material better especially for visual learners. Many students cannot learn from auditory or kinesthetic styles so this can be a great way for the visual learners to truly see what the information is and where it is placed based on all the information that is presented in class. Concept mapping can help students in many ways to help them understand all the information taught in class.
One subject within my classroom I would use concept mapping in is geometry. There are a lot of formulas for the area, circumferences, radius, volume and perimeter of shapes so a student can use a concept map to organize all the information. Through a concept map they can see the different shapes and the formulas that go with it. Not only will this help visualize the information but can help them memorize it better. One subject I probably would not use a concept map in is calculus. There is too much information and details about the subject that if I made the students make a concept map it would be too busy and hard to read. It also has way too many formulas that it would be hard to read and could make things more confusing for the students than make it easier for the students.
