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| Picture credit: itninkonline.org.my |
Thinking skills need to be taught to our pupils. Take it as a way to exercise the mind. Exercise makes the mind fit and healthy thus producing a human who is reliable to perform well in daily activities.
In developing thinking skills in our pupils, teachers need to reflect on their readiness on the subject. A teacher must possess the following qualities to be effective:
- Learning Advocator
- Facilitator
- Effective Communicator
- Innovator
- Creator
Fuh! The list is ideal, YES. At least we should try to be all that.
Not to worry much, other than understanding the BLOOM's taxonomy, one can seek the aid of using thinking maps in cultivating thinking skills. There are 8 thinking maps for different thinking process. Details can be read here.
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| Picture credit: itninkonline.org.my |
So what can we do with these maps? How can we incorporate BLOOM's?
The first is the CIRCLE MAP. This map can be used in the first level of Bloom's which is remembering/knowledge. Pupils can brainstorm the vocabulary they have learned in the class based on the topics. For example:
- Things at the market, hardware shop, fishing boats etc
- Listing the names of vegetables, drinks, fruits etc
- List difficult words from a text
Next is BUBBLE MAP. It can be used in the second level of Bloom's. The keywords are to explain more, to give a clear picture about something. For example:
- What do you describe Mowgli?
- How do you feel when you do not have money?
- Describe Alice's feeling when she feel down the hole?
The third is DOUBLE BUBBLE MAP. The keywords are compare, contrast, finding similarity. If we refer to Bloom's, the 4th level of thinking can be applied here. Analyzing requires pupils to distinguish, differentiate therefore the map can be used for this purpose. For example:
That's my interpretation of the map and how to use it in different levels of Blooms. Give it a try and Insyaallah you will see changes in the way your pupils think. Towards i+1!
- Compare about the household appliances in the past and at present.
- Find similarities on transportation in the past and at present.
The TREE MAP is an excellent way of cultivating understanding. Which lies in the second level of Bloom's. The map allows for classification of the information received. For example:
My favourite would be the FLOW MAP. Like its name, we can use it to chart progress, flow, stories and such. For this map, it can be used in any of the Bloom's level depending on the task at hand.
For example, if we ask pupils to write the flow of a story, it can be the highest level because they are creating a new story. But if we ask the pupils to identify the parts of the stories from a text, it can be level one or two.
- Based on the text read, classify the words into these categories, nouns and verbs.
- Based on the text read, classify fierce monsters into three categories, furry, gigantic and magical.
- Classify sea turtles found in Malaysia.
The BRACE MAP is used to analyze physical objects. We can use it to encourage the fourth level of thinking in Bloom. Some of the activities we can try in the classroom would be:
- Parts of rose plant
- Parts of body
- Part of computer
My favourite would be the FLOW MAP. Like its name, we can use it to chart progress, flow, stories and such. For this map, it can be used in any of the Bloom's level depending on the task at hand.
For example, if we ask pupils to write the flow of a story, it can be the highest level because they are creating a new story. But if we ask the pupils to identify the parts of the stories from a text, it can be level one or two.
MULTI-FLOW MAP is a map that is used to illustrate cause and effect. We can incorporate Bloom level 4 and 5 for that matter.
In analyzing a situation,
While in the level of evaluation,
By using the map. it will assist pupils in identifying the cause and effect easily.
In analyzing a situation,
- the cause and effect of doing something or effect of a situation.
While in the level of evaluation,
- presentation of a new situation of activity to the pupils for evaluation.
By using the map. it will assist pupils in identifying the cause and effect easily.
That's my interpretation of the map and how to use it in different levels of Blooms. Give it a try and Insyaallah you will see changes in the way your pupils think. Towards i+1!
