Tech Talk: How are we conceptual thinking?

How does the construction of the U.S. Constitution relate to documents like the Treaty of Paris, or The Mayflower Compact?  How do you classify the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell or the American Eagle?  Why is St. Louis where it is?  These are questions that 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders are answering this week through conceptual thinking.  Conceptual thinking involves the visualization of ideas using clearly defined connections to help students critical think complex systems and the evolution of events.  Episcopal Collegiate enhances this process by using software like Inspiration which can also convert a concept map into a detailed outline for a report.  Conceptual thinking doesn't have to happen just in school.  Encourage your children to map out their thoughts and ideas at home using online resources to map ideas and systems like bubbl.us, popplet, and Inkflow for the iPad.

by Christian Rogers