How did anyone ever learn anything without a graphic organizer?
Teachers love graphic organizers and tout them as a “research-based practice”. I’m not buying it. But then again, I didn’t go to Teacher School (but please don’t tell anyone, it could be bad for my career). I am amazed when searching for graphic organizers how many of these box, circle, triangle combos have been named for people. Who is this misunderstood genius Venn anyway?
He wasn’t a graphic artist, that’s for sure. What I can’t seem to call up in my search is the actual cognitive research that says my brain can’t write an essay introduction without an inverted triangle. I understand that teaching writing is a complicated task, but have we fabricated yet another natural process?
In Latin, ‘fabrica’ means manufacture, craft or trick. I chose that word not from a graphic organizer next to me as I type, but to carry all the connotation of everything that is outmoded in the factory model of education we continue to perpetuate.
So what is the graphic organizer for blogging? I’ll try anything to get my readership up.