This presentation was given at the 2013 FCSS Conference in Daytona, FL. This provides a number of examples of ways digital concept-maps can be integrated into the classroom, reasons why concept-maps are a powerful tool to enhance and deepen student learning, and what to consider when choosing which apps to use.

1. Created in Popplet

2. Created in Grafio

3. Context – My Background
 AP World History, AP
European History, World
History, Holocaust Studies
 Melbourne Central Catholic
High School
 University of Florida M.Ed.
 Curriculum and Instruction
 Educational Technology

4. Context – My Classroom
 Sophomore World History
 1:1 iPad classroom
 Limitations?

The class set challenge.
 Course infrastructure?
 Communication

Edmodo
 Course Content
 Class Wiki
 Student Submission
 Student Blogs

5. Poll – Your Context
 My students have access to…
 A communal computer/laptop lab
 A communal tablet lab
 A voluntary BYOD program
 A compulsory BYOD program
 Provided 1:1 laptop access
 Provided 1:1 tablet access

6. My website
 http://halsedtech.wikispaces.com
 Presentation and handouts
 Other lesson plan ideas
 Course websites

7. How I Used Digital Concept-Mapping Tools
 Constructivist Tools
 For a unit I would provide students
with:
 Instructions and essential questions
 Content Resources
 Teacher recommended websites
 A teacher-created Voicethread on the
topic
 Class set of textbooks
 Supplemental videos
 Rubric
 Instructional
support, feedback, critiques, etc
 Students would Create, Reflect, Self-
Evaluate, and Submit

8. Sample 1 – Independence Movements in Latin America
 Your goal is to create a concept map in Inspiration
that answers the following questions:
 1. What factors catalyze the independence movements in
Latin America? (consider social conditions, the colonial
system, global events, previous revolts, etc)
 2. What role does Simon Bolivar play in the Latin American
independence movements?
 3. How did Jose de San Martin, Father Miguel
Hidalgo, Toussaint L'Ouverture, Dom Pedro, and Father Jose
Morelos each affect the Latin American independence
movements?

10. Sample 1 –
Independence Movements in Latin America
 Submission and Concluding Questions:
 Submit your work to your blog by sending the image
from Inspiration. (do not send it as an Inspiration
document). On your blog entry please answer the
following two questions:
 a) In your opinion, what was THE greatest factor that
caused the Independence movements to occur?
 b) Aside from Bolivar, who do you think was the most
important revolutionary figure in Latin America and
why?

11. Student Response to A
 “A. The greatest factor is the lack of attention from the
government. When people aren't pleased they will
always come together and do what they need to do to
stand by themselves and become independent. The
government always thought about themselves instead
of the people that they are trying to lead. Weak
government is the key factor to independence
movements.”

12. Student Response to B
 B. “In my opinion, besides Bolivar, Toussaint L'Ouverture
was one of the most important revolutionary figure in
Latin America. Even though he was only known for leading
the slave revolt, his accomplishment had inspired many
other revolts against slavery. Latin American revolutions in
my definition not only worked to create liberty, but also the
nature of one’s freedom. Toussaint L'Ouverture might not
have freed any of the South American territory out of the
Spanish rule, yet he had ended slavery in Haiti, freeing the
lives of so many innocent people that were exploited for
their labor and well-being.”

13. Sample 2 – Russian Revolution Timeline
 Constructing a Timeline:
You will be constructing a timeline on Inspiration that
 a) places the following events in order and concisely explain the
significance of each event and how it contributes to the Russian
Revolution:

Russo-Japanese War, Bloody Sunday, Russia enters World War I, Lenin
returns from exile, Protests prompt Nicholas to abdicate, Duma sets
up a temporary government, Bolsheviks seize control, Treaty of BrestLitovsk, Romanov family is murdered, Russian Civil War, War
Communism, New Economic Policy, Constitution establishes the
Soviet Union, Lenin Dies, Stalin take power, Stalin's Five Year
Plans, Collectivization of the Ukraine, the Great Purge
 b) arranges the events in a way that shows how they are connected
 c) incorporates images to represent some or all of these events (for
extra points)
 d) notes which events correspond with which stage of revolution
(you can either add this to your timeline in Inspiration or you can
write a paragraph that you post on your blog)

16. Russian Revolution Timeline
 Concluding Question:
 Of the events you explained in your timeline which three would
you consider to be the "turning points" in the progression of the
revolution and why? Please thoroughly explain your answer in
complete sentences.

Top answers tended to include
 Lenin’s return from exile
 Bolsheviks successfully seizing power
 Stalin emerging as the new leader after Lenin’s death

17. Sample 3 – Scientific Revolution
 Smaller scale activity
 Create a graphic organizer that identifies the
contributions of the following intellectuals:
Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, Vesalius, Descartes
, Pascal, and
Newton, Shakespeare, Dante, Erasmus, More, and
Gutenberg
 Encouraged students to find some way to group
them, and they had to label them as
scientists, philosophers, writers, etc.

18. Sample 4 – Byzantine Empire and the Rise of Russia
 You will be creating a graphic organizer that addresses the
following questions and includes the following topics:
 a) What are the differences between the Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox Church?
 b) How does Moscow become the head of the Eastern
Orthodox Church?
 c) How are Ivan the Great and Ivan the Terrible important
figures in Russian History?
 d) To answer a, b, and c, you must incorporate these
terms/people/dates: the Great Schism of 1054, 1453, Kiev, the
Golden Horde, Moscow, Ivan III, and Ivan IV

19. Why Use Digital Concept Maps?
 You are asking students to…
 Decide how things are/are not
connected
 Actively connect content
 Have ownership and autonomy
 Have an outlet for self expression
 Not be afraid to rearrange

Digital concept maps are malleable!
 Construct their own understanding
 Disseminate which information
is/is not important
 Communicate in an organized way

20. What did I learn?
 Level of engagement?
 The “hush of concentration!”
 Quality of student work?
 Self-evaluative rubrics
 Monitoring work as it occurs
 Occurrence of higher level thinking?
 Check!
 Student perception of learning?
 Additional observations
 More time to interact with my
students
 Which students “thrived”

21. Student Perception of Knowledge Before and
After the Russian Revolution Inspiration Activity

22. Tips and Tricks
 Be familiar with the app if possible
 Be able to model basic mechanics at the start of a project
 If you have an honors and regular class blended together…
 Have the honors assignment at the ready
 Encourage students to help each other
 Discuss the problems with just copying and pasting from
the internet
 Self-evaluative rubrics – it’s a learning process
 Lower-level students may need help breaking down the
task, be ready to give them a more concrete to-do list

23. Digital Concept-Mapping Tools
 Factors to consider
 Accessibility of tool for students
 Ease of use – try it yourself

Are you frustrated immediately?
 How easy is it to export/share a map?
 What format is it in? Jpeg? PDF?
 Do your students need to be able to…
 Incorporate images? Hyperlinks?
 Juggling an open BYOD policy with laptops, iPads, and
android tablets?
 Recommend several apps or websites and let the kids choose!

24. Created in
Inspiration