Abstract
This chapter on electronic concept mapping introduces a specific example of a learning technology that has potential for serving and promoting an emerging set of identified literacies in today’s youth. The chapter begins with a discussion of the nature of the modern student and the literacies that are most likely to serve them well as they integrate into an increasingly technological information-based society. A discussion of the historical development of the concept map and its defining characteristics will follow. The range of applications of concept maps in K-12 classrooms will then be discussed with additional comments regarding teacher development both in preservice and inservice settings. The chapter will close with a discussion of the particular literacies served by electronic concept mapping.
TopLiteracies For The 21St Century
Dede (2007) cites Jenkins et al (2006) who has identified literacies associated with student engaging new types of media:
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“play, the capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem solving;
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performance, the ability to adopt alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation and discovery;
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simulation, the ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world processes;
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appropriation, the ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content;
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multitasking, the ability to scan one’s environment and shift focus as needed to salient details;
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distributed cognition, the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities;
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collective intelligence, the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal;
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judgment, the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources;
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transmedia navigation, the ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities;
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networking, the ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information; and
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negotiation, the ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms.” (p. 23)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Externalizing: A process by which the student shares their private meanings or prior knowledge by preparing a picture.
Millenials: A term coined to describe the emerging generation of learners who tend to access a range of technological tools seamlessly.
Digital Literacy: Ability to use the tools of the digital age in order to communicate and problem solve effectively.
Collaborative Learning: A process of students and/or teachers addressing a common task in which they are mutually accountable.
Concept Map: A hierarchal picture of a mental map of knowledge.
Constructing Meaning: Accommodating new knowledge within existing cognitive structures.
Conceptual change: The notion that constructing meaning involves not only assimilation but also accommodation in order to change one’s preexisting ideas.