1.1. Description: Using the visuals to represent the content being discussed. This mind map is an example of this type of strategy.
1.2. Advantages: Allows students to think through and create visual representations of content and processes. This type of learning gives students imagery and kinesthetic learning experiences that help them retain content.
1.3. Challenges: some students may have a difficult time shifting gears from text information to reading and presenting information visually, therefore teacher support and scaffolding of steps will be very important.
1.4. This strategy could easily be enhanced by utilizing any one of the many resources available to create a mindmap, graph, movie, poster, or other image to represent the content.
2. Identifying Similarities and Differences:
2.1. Description: The ability to compare and contrast ideas or images in order to identify concepts so that a complex topic can be understood and analyzed.
2.2. Advantages: Students are able to visualize the content presented and work through how the content may be used in other areas. This also creates opportunity for great group discussion or collaborations with a partner which creates the necessary skills of a 21st century learner.
2.3. Challenges: facilitating a productive collaboration opportunity. With many small groups working separately, it may get more difficult to manage conversation to keep dialogue focused on the content.
2.4. This strategy could be enhanced by using an online classroom such as Edmodo or Google Classroom to post small group findings as well as give students the opportunity to discuss other groups findings via posts and comments.
