Chapter Three: Graphic Organizers and Instructional Intelligence
As illustrated in Chapter One, Instructional Intelligence is the intersection of five areas:
assessment, instructional methods, curriculum, how we learn, change, and systemic
change. Graphic organizers are one part of the instructional methods component of
Instructional Intelligence. Below is one of three forms of Venn Diagram illustrating the
relationship between graphic organizer and instructional intelligence. It implies that
graphic organizers are part of what is known as instructional intelligence, but
instructional intelligence is a much bigger concept than graphic organizers. Put simply,
you can be instructionally intelligent and not use graphic organizers. That said, you will
most likely be more instructionally intelligent if you do.
The critical point in becoming instructionally intelligent with graphic organizers is to
remember that the teacher and the student must continue to extend their thinking and
ability with graphic organizers as they move up through the grades. Just like we have a
spiral curriculum; we also need to have a spiral approach to instruction.
Instructional Intelligence
Graphic Organizers
Overview of the Chapter
• Two illustrations and an explanation of Instructional Intelligence
• How graphic organizers connect with Instructional Intelligence
Instructional Intelligence Illustrated Via a Concept Map
Below is a Concept Map summarizing the key components of Instructional Intelligence.
The parts in green are the focus of this chapter
Insert concept map
On the following page is a more in depth illustration of those components and the
relationship they have with each other illustrated through integrating a Fish Bone
Diagram and a Ranking Ladder – merges analysis with evaluation
The Key Instructional Components of Instructional Intelligence
(Concepts, Skills, Tactics, Strategies, and Organizers) Illustrated with a
Fish Bone and a Ranking Ladder Merged
When we think of utensils, we think of knives, forks and spoons. When we think of
transportation, we think of land, sea, air, and space. What do we think of when we think
of instruction? In this book we think of concepts, skills, tactics, strategies, and
organizers.
The classification of concepts, skills, tactics, strategies, and organizers is paralleled in
sports ( being a good sport would be a concept, passing and shooting are skills, a give and
go a tactic, a one-three-one offence a strategy, and a ‘zone’ defense would be an
organizer. In a similar vein, we have hammering and sawing (skills); squaring
foundations (tactics); and the blueprint (the strategy). Just like those components are
integrated in basketball and building -- the instructional concepts, skills, tactics,
strategies, and organizers are integrated in designing learning environments.
The Fish Bone diagram below illustrates each of those instructional components
classified and ranked from most to least complex – and in most cases, from most to least
powerful in terms of impacting student learning. This implies that although we may be
refined users of the less complex (and highly useful) components, we still may not realize
large impacts on student learning. Academic power resides in the more complex and
difficult to acquire instructional components. The closer the component is to the ‘head of
the fish’ the more complex and potentially powerful the component. Additionally, as the
examples in each component move down from the key component, they also potentially
provide more academic power.
Add in Fish Bone Diagram
On the following page each component is explained in more detail.
An Explanation of Each of the Key Components
Before discussing each of those components, David Perkin’s idea of Knowledge as
Design versus Knowledge as Information will be briefly explored.
When ever we engage students in learning, one of the key components in constructing
knowledge is grasping the key concepts. Below is a simple concept attainment data set to
begin grasping the essence of concepts and the relationship between concepts and facts.
On one side are concepts; on the other side are facts. Compare and contrast them. What
is the relationship between concepts and facts?
Concepts
Plant
Window
Symbolism
Justice
Rotation
Scratch
Respiration
Realism
Beautiful
Steep
Facts
My car is grey.
The earth is a planet in our solar system.
Numbers divisible by two are even numbers.
Shape, form, and space can refer to art.
Photosynthesis is essential for life on earth.
An improper fraction has the larger number on top.
Pulleys provide mechanical advantage.
When bumping the volleyball the ball must hit both arms simultaneously.
The plane will arrive at 5 P.M. on Friday if the weather holds.
Sarcasm and ridicule are often employed to hurt someone’s feelings.
Clearly, from the author’s perspective at least, concepts are the building blocks of facts.
If students do not have a sense of what David Perkins calls, ‘Knowledge as Design’, then
the concept will ‘own’ the student; the student will not own the concept.
Do you know the difference between apartheid and prejudice – prejudice and teasing? At
what point does salesperson ship become propaganda – or does salesperson ship ever
become propaganda? Is bronze synthetic? You can light a match, explain how it works,
but could you make a match? These are all examples of concepts that we ‘throw out’ in
the world of conversation and print. Do we really grasp the design of these concepts?
David Perkins (19 ) in his book, Knowledge as Design argues that if we can respond to
these four questions in the process of learning a concept, then we are more likely to
‘own’ the concept – we can think with it.
• What is the structure or essential attributes of the concept?
• What is the purpose of the concept
• What are model cases of the concept?
• What are the arguments supporting its use?
Applying Perkins’ Four Questions
So, if we take the concept of Apartheid, how would we apply Perkins’ four questions?
What is the structure? Legalized policy that is designed to separate based on race.
What is its purpose? Keep one group from gaining or having influence.
What are model cases? Blacks at the back of the bus in the United States, Japanese in
internment camps in Canada during the Second World War.
What are arguments supporting its use? Consolidated power over another group.
Below is a chart that explains the components of instruction through Perkins’ work.
Instructional concepts, instructional skills, instructional tactics, instructional strategies,
and instructional organizers are all examples of concepts. Each one, however, serves a
difference purpose.
(Add in chart from Beyond Monet – only the five instructional ones.)
Fitting Graphic Organizers into the Components of Instructional
Intelligence: Tactics, Strategies, and Organizers
The graphic organizers listed below from least to most complex are considered tactics.
They are more complex than skills and less complex than strategies. They tend not to
have a lot of research supporting their use, they seldom have books or chapters of books
written about them and they do not evolve from grounded or Level One research.
Tactics:
Time Line
Flow Chart
Word Web
Ranking Ladder
Venn Diagram
Fish Bone
Thematic Map
Cluster Map
The graphic organizers listed below from most to least complex are considered strategies.
Strategies are usually driven by research, are more likely to have evolved from grounded
theory or Level One research. They have chapters and books written related to their
evolution and application.
Strategies:
Mind Map
Concept Map
Organizers:
When we analyze their use in terms of the Instructional Organizers of Bloom’s
Taxonomy and Multiple Intelligence, we sense an additional way to grasp the potential of
graphic organizers.
Bloom’s Taxonomy:
Recall/Comprehension
Time Line
Flow Chart
Word Web
Analysis
Venn Diagram
Fish Bone
Thematic Maps
Cluster Maps
Mind Maps
Concept Maps (can incorporate all levels)
Evaluation
Ranking Ladder
Gardiner’s Multiple Intelligence
Linguistic
All of them – as long as they are using words – written or verbal
Logical Mathematical
Venn Diagram
Fish Bone
Mind Map
Concept Map
Spatial
Thematic Maps
Cluster Maps
Mind Maps
Concept Maps
Interpersonal – whenever the students have to reflect and recall from personal
experience, then this intelligence is being engaged
Intrapersonal – whenever the students work in effectively structured group to
construct or share their thinking, then this intelligence is being
engaged.