By Cynthia Manning, High School Principal
Thinking Maps, a set of visual tools which increase comprehension and organize information, have been a part of Learning Prep’s curriculum since September 2002. Staff and students completed the introductory training in November and now are working on developing greater fluency with the maps. Teachers are able to utilize them in the classroom for:

• teaching content and concepts
• completing assignments, classwork, and homework
• developing written expressive tasks
• preparing for MCAS open response questions
• processing information presented in class
• assessing student comprehension of presented material, both formally and informally

After fluency with the maps has been achieved, students will progress to the next level of map usage – multiple mapping – which is using two or more maps in conjunction to analyze information at a higher inferential level. A teacher can tell that students are ready to multi-map when they initiate thoughtful questions such as, “Can I draw two maps together?” This self-reflection about learning demonstrates that students finally understand the cognitive functions associated with the maps and have internalized the thought processes needed for independent map completion.

One of our goals at Learning Prep is to increase cognitive development in students using Thinking Maps. Multiple mapping is particularly effective at facilitating these higher level thinking skills. Because the maps draw on the integration and application of multiple thinking processes, the concepts presented are elevated from the concrete level to abstract and inferential patterns of thinking, thus developing cognitive skills.

Rarely do we use one thinking process to relay information; why should academic assignments be any different? To promote learning that is relevant to real life, we will be planning lessons that will teach students how to think in dimensions using multiple processes (see underlined examples that follow). For example, if you were to describe your February vacation to a close friend, you wouldn’t limit your conversation to only one thinking process, such as sequencing your activities, or describing where you went. Instead, you would probably start with defining your vacation – where you went. Then you would describe what you did. You might compare two places you visited, and categorize activities you enjoyed, such as various sports, restaurants, and areas where you shopped. Then you might talk about the different parts of the resort, and explain the sequence of events throughout the week. Your conversation could conclude with the causes and effects of your trip – why you decided to go away, and how relaxed you now feel. Lastly, you might use an analogy or metaphor to sum up your vacation. If a simple conversation we have with a friend can contain so many different thinking processes, imagine how much more beneficial lessons could be when teaching a novel, a war, or a scientific experiment using multiple thought processes. Teaching multi-mapping helps develop and increase students’ cognition in order that they may function at a level equal to that of their peers.

After December vacation, teachers will receive a refresher training for drawing multi-maps and will begin using them in the classroom for content instruction. If you have any questions about Thinking Maps, multi-maps, or software for your computer, please contact Cynthia Manning at (617) 965-0764, extension 300, or by email at cmanning@learningprep.org.