Organization Skills

Organization Skills

Organization is very difficult for some students to master.  The term ‘organization’ refers to so much more than just keeping papers in order or even keeping your room clean.  It also refers to the organization of thoughts to create a sentence, a paragraph, an essay or even a math problem.  There are many tools that can be used to organize thoughts.  From the low-tech versions of a handwritten graphic organizer to the higher tech computer or web based graphic organizers. 

For low technology users, a list of words categorized and organized into columns can provide a way to develop sentences.  Students can choose a word from each column to create a sentence.  For higher technology uses, a simple spread sheet from Excel from Microsoft to free on-line resources, such as OpenOffice. Org and Google Docs, can be used to list and categorize words to be used into sentences.  For more sophisticated and creative technology users, a web or computer-based graphic organizer can be used at school or home to move the words into sentences.  My favorites are bubbl.us (free) and Inspiration 9 or Kidspiration.  These applications can be used at school on a SmartBoard.  If you’re into even more tech savvy applications, there are text-to-speech applications that will actually read what you have created. 

So how can I use a graphic organizer to develop math skills?  For Pre-Algebra and Algebra problems, think in terms of the order of operations (PEMDAS).  Each operation can be placed in a new bubble.  The student/teacher can place and link the bubbles in order then refer to the bubbles while completing the problem. 

Text-to-speech applications and other uses for a graphic organizer will be topics in other blog postings.  Just keep thinking and expanding ways to use graphic organizers to keep students involved and becoming independent.  After all, isn’t that the purpose of assistive technology?