Graphic Organisersin
Teaching and Learning
Post-Primary Resource
Professional DevelopmentService for Teachers
An tSeirbhís um FhorbairtGhairmiúil do Mhúinteoirí
w w w . p d s t . i e
This resource is available to download from www.pdst.ie/publications and www.pdst.ie/pedagogy
w w w . p d s t . i e 3
Acknowledgements
This resource, first published in 2008, was made possible by the generosity of teachersworking at CPD days facilitated by the Second Level Support Service (SLSS). It is an admirableexample of the generosity of teachers willing to share their experience and ideas withcolleagues across the teaching community. SLSS is part of the Professional DevelopmentService for Teachers (PDST) since 2010.
Due to popular demand this book has been reprinted with the addition of othercomprehension strategies and can be downloaded from www.pdst.ie/publications. Theseadditional templates have been tried and tested by the JCSP team and used by the widerPDST team and teachers to integrate differentiated literacy, numeracy, AfL and active learningstrategies across the post-primary curriculum.
w w w . p d s t . i e 4
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Ranking Ladder 7
Stair Steps 10
Chain of Linked Events 12
Sequence Chart 15
Funnel 18
Fishbone 22
Brain Droplets (Wisdom Pearls) 25
Cross Classification Chart 28
Double Venn Diagram 31
Triple Venn Diagram 34
Four Corner Organiser 37
Tri Pie 40
Starburst 43
Research Grid 46
Graphic Organiser Templates for use by Students 49
Progress Cards 64
Reflecting on My Learning 68
The Six-Step School Self-Evaluation Process 69
w w w . p d s t . i e 5
Introduction
Graphic Organisers provide a visual method of developing, organising and summarisingstudents’ learning. They help to structure disjointed information. They facilitate the learningprocess by providing a scaffold for the development of ideas and the construction ofknowledge. High quality teaching in a mixed ability classroom is also facilitated.
Highest quality results are achieved when one organiser is shared by a small group of (2/3)students with diverse abilities and learning preferences. Leadership is distributed in thegroup with each student having a role to fulfil, eg. Recorder, Timekeeper, Turn-taker,Summariser, Reporter, Clarifier, Checker, Scout, etc.
The resource needs only pen and paper to use.
Some organisers are more applicable to the different aspects of the learning process thanothers, for example : collecting information, comparing and contrasting, developing ideas,sequencing information, summarising and extending thinking and learning. Some are alsomore relevant to different subjects and topics than others. They can all be used at the variousstages of the learning process:
• Pre-teaching• Introducing a topic• Teaching a topic• Independent learning• Study and revision• Preparing answers to examination questions
They scaffold learning and help to build student confidence. They also facilitate formativeassessment as students can clearly see how much they understand.
Detailed explanations on how to use each organiser are provided throughout the book.
Contents of Book:
Section 1
1. Guidelines on how to use each Graphic Organiser2. A list of suggestions for possible uses of each organiser that teachers have shared at
CPD days3. Completed and in some cases adapted organisers shared by practising teachers
Section 2
A set of blank Graphic Organisers (which may be photocopied) for use in the classroom.
w w w . p d s t . i e 32
Prep
arin
g an
ess
ay o
n ho
liday
sVe
rbs a
re c
omm
on to
bot
h ho
liday
s - n
ouns
are
diff
eren
t for
eac
h
w w w . p d s t . i e 69
Step
1Id
entif
yFo
cus
Lear
ner
Out
com
es
Attit
ude
to le
arni
ngUn
ders
tand
ing
of th
emse
lves
and
othe
rsAc
quis
ition
of c
urric
ulum
kno
wled
ge&
skill
s Le
vels
of a
ttain
men
t
THE
SIX-
STEP
SCH
OOL
SELF
-EVA
LUAT
ION
PROC
ESS
FOR
POST
-PRI
MAR
Y SC
HOOL
S 20
16 -
2020
(D
RA
FT)
ww
w.p
ds
t.ie
scho
olse
lf-ev
alua
tion.
ie
Chap
ter
3 of
the
SS
E G
uide
lines
20
16-2
020
In th
e ne
xt c
ycle
of s
choo
l sel
f-ev
alua
tion,
teac
hing
and
lear
ning
con
tinue
s to
be
the
focu
s. S
choo
ls s
houl
d co
ntin
ue to
use
the
proc
ess
to im
plem
ent n
atio
nal i
nitia
tives
and
to id
entif
y and
work
on
aspe
cts
of th
eir o
wn te
achi
ng a
nd le
arni
ng p
ract
ices
whi
ch re
quire
dev
elop
men
t and
impr
ovem
ent.
Thes
e as
pect
s of
teac
hing
and
lear
ning
will
var
y acc
ordi
ng to
the
need
s of
sch
ools
.Ty
pica
lly, m
ost s
choo
ls w
ill u
se th
e pr
oces
s to
ass
ist t
hem
in in
trodu
cing
and
em
bedd
ing
rele
vant
asp
ects
of t
he Fr
amew
ork f
or Ju
nior
Cyc
le.I
t is
expe
cted
that
sch
ools
will
als
o us
e th
e pr
oces
sto
mai
ntai
n a
mea
ning
ful f
ocus
on
liter
acy a
nd n
umer
acy.
* Sc
hool
s sho
uld
sele
ct a
min
imum
of tw
o and
a m
axim
um of
four
asp
ects
of te
achi
ng a
nd le
arni
ngas
the f
ocus
for t
heir
self-
eval
uatio
n pr
oces
s fro
m 2
016
to 2
020.
e.g.
ass
essm
ent p
ract
ices
,te
achi
ng a
nd le
arni
ng th
e ke
y ski
lls, e
ngag
emen
t in
lear
ning
. (se
e Ci
rcul
ar 0
040/
2016
).Th
ey s
houl
d us
e th
e te
achi
ng a
nd le
arni
ng s
ectio
n of
Loo
king
at O
ur S
choo
l 201
6: A
Qua
lity F
ram
ewor
kfo
r Pos
t-pr
imar
y Sc
hool
s in
Cha
pter
3 o
f the
revi
sed
Scho
ol S
elf-
Eval
uatio
n Gu
idel
ines
as a
ben
chm
ark
when
refle
ctin
g on
and
eva
luat
ing
thei
r cur
rent
pra
ctic
e an
d to
iden
tify
the
dom
ain
mos
t rel
evan
t to
thei
r sch
ool -
Dom
ains
and
Sta
ndar
ds a
re s
umm
aris
ed b
elow
.
Lear
ner
Expe
rienc
es
Leve
ls o
f eng
agem
ent a
s le
arne
rsGr
owth
as
lear
ners
Self-
refle
ctio
n &
owne
rshi
p as
lear
ners
Deve
lopm
ent a
s lif
e-lo
ng le
arne
rs
Dom
ain
Stan
dard
s
Teac
hers
’ in
divi
dual
prac
tice
Teac
hers
' kno
wled
ge &
ski
llsUs
e of
pra
ctic
e th
at p
rogr
ess
stud
ents
' lea
rnin
gUs
e of
app
ropr
iate
teac
hing
appr
oach
esRe
spon
sive
ness
to in
divi
dual
lear
ning
need
s
Teac
hers
'co
llect
ive/
colla
bora
tive
prac
tice
Teac
hers
' pro
fess
iona
l dev
elop
men
t &co
llabo
ratio
nCo
-ope
ratio
n to
ext
end
stud
ents
'le
arni
ng o
ppor
tuni
ties
Colle
ctiv
e us
e of
dep
enda
ble
asse
ssm
ent p
ract
ices
Shar
ing
of e
xper
tise
to b
uild
cap
acity
Step
2G
athe
rEv
iden
ceCh
apte
rs 4
and
5 o
fth
e SS
E G
uide
lines
2016
-202
0
Alwa
ys c
onsi
der -
rele
vanc
e, s
impl
icity
& c
larit
y, ef
ficie
ncy,
prot
ocol
and
val
idity
of q
ualit
ativ
e an
d qu
antit
ativ
e ev
iden
ce g
athe
red.
Scho
ols
may
dec
ide
to a
nalys
e as
sess
men
t dat
a an
d re
cord
s of
stu
dent
pro
gres
s as
a s
tarti
ng p
oint
. Te
ache
rs' v
iews
and
thei
r rec
ords
(ass
essm
ent,
upta
ke a
t fou
ndat
ion,
ord
inar
y and
hig
her l
evel
in s
peci
fic s
ubje
cts
and
atta
inm
ent i
n st
ate
exam
inat
ions
) are
use
ful e
xam
ples
of e
vide
nce.
Sc
hool
s sh
ould
gat
her i
nfor
mat
ion
from
stu
dent
s an
d pa
rent
s to
ens
ure
that
they
hav
e su
ffici
ent k
nowl
edge
to m
ake
accu
rate
judg
emen
ts.
Prof
essi
onal
refle
ctio
n an
d di
alog
ue b
etwe
en te
ache
rs, f
ocus
ing
on s
peci
fic a
spec
ts o
f tea
chin
g an
d le
arni
ng, a
re v
ery i
mpo
rtant
whe
n ga
ther
ing
evid
ence
. As
col
labo
rativ
e pr
actic
es a
re fu
rther
dev
elop
ed a
mon
g th
e te
achi
ng s
taff,
team
teac
hing
and
pro
fess
iona
l col
labo
rativ
e re
view
will
bec
ome
an e
ffect
ive
mea
ns o
f gat
herin
g ev
iden
ce.
Sam
ple
tool
s to
sup
port
the
effe
ctiv
e ga
ther
ing
of e
vide
nce
may
be
acce
ssed
at w
ww.s
choo
lsel
feva
luat
ion.
ie a
nd s
houl
d be
ada
pted
to s
uit t
he p
artic
ular
con
text
of e
ach
scho
ol.
Step
3An
alys
e an
dM
ake
Judg
emen
tsCh
apte
r 4
of t
he S
SEG
uide
lines
201
6-20
20
Eval
uate
the
effe
ctiv
enes
s of
your
cur
rent
pra
ctic
e us
ing
stat
emen
ts o
f pra
ctic
eon
pag
es 1
5 to
21
of th
e SS
E Gu
idel
ines
201
6-20
20.
Usin
g th
e st
atem
ents
as
a be
nchm
ark,
sch
ools
can
eva
luat
e th
eir o
wn p
ract
ice
and
mak
e so
und
judg
emen
ts b
ased
on
the
evid
ence
they
hav
e ga
ther
ed. S
choo
ls w
ill n
atur
ally
aspi
re to
ver
yef
fect
ive
prac
tice,
but
sho
uld
in th
e fir
st in
stan
ce c
ompa
re th
eir f
indi
ngs
to th
e st
atem
ents
of e
ffect
ive
prac
tice.
In th
is w
ay, t
hey c
an id
entif
y exis
ting
stre
ngth
s as
wel
l as
poss
ible
gap
s or
weak
ness
es. T
hen,
by c
onsi
derin
g th
e st
atem
ents
of h
ighl
y effe
ctiv
e pr
actic
e, s
choo
ls c
an b
uild
on
exis
ting
stre
ngth
s an
d wo
rk to
ward
s ex
celle
nce.
NO
T E
FFE
CTI
VEH
IGH
LY E
FFE
CTI
VE
I N V E S T I G A T I V E P H A S E
w w w . p d s t . i e
The
first
sec
tion
of th
e do
cum
ent i
s th
e re
port
and
shou
ld o
utlin
e:
•An
acc
ount
of
prog
ress
tha
t ha
s be
en m
ade
on im
plem
entin
g im
prov
emen
t in
are
as t
hat
wer
e th
e su
bjec
t of
eva
luat
ion
and
impr
ovem
ent
plan
s in
the
pre
viou
s ye
ar
•Th
e ne
w a
spec
t of
tea
chin
g an
d le
arni
ng
chos
en f
or s
elf-
eval
uatio
n, w
here
rel
evan
t •
The
area
s th
at t
he s
choo
l has
prio
ritis
ed f
or
impr
ovem
ent.
The
seco
nd s
ectio
n of
the
doc
umen
t is
the
impr
ovem
ent p
lan
and
shou
ld c
onta
in:
•Ta
rget
s fo
r im
prov
emen
t w
ith a
foc
us o
n le
arne
r ou
tcom
es (T
he s
ettin
g of
spe
cific
ta
rget
s is
the
star
ting
poin
t. Ha
ving
form
ed a
judg
emen
t bas
ed o
n th
e re
leva
nt
info
rmat
ion
or e
vide
nce,
a s
choo
l will
be
in a
pos
ition
to d
ecid
e on
spe
cific
, mea
sura
ble,
atta
inab
le, r
ealis
tic a
nd ti
me
boun
d (S
MAR
T) ta
rget
s to
brin
g ab
out i
mpr
ovem
ent.
This
isan
impo
rtan
t ste
p in
det
erm
inin
g th
e ac
tions
that
nee
d to
be
take
n).
•Th
e ac
tions
tha
t ar
e re
quire
d to
ach
ieve
the
tar
gets
ove
r th
ree
year
s •
Refe
renc
e to
who
will
und
erta
ke t
he a
ctio
ns o
utlin
ed
•Re
fere
nce
to w
ho w
ill m
onito
r an
d re
view
the
impl
emen
tatio
n an
d pr
ogre
ss
•Re
fere
nce
to h
ow p
aren
ts c
an h
elp
•A
timef
ram
e fo
r th
e ac
hiev
emen
t of
the
tar
gets
Ste
p 4
Wri
te a
nd s
hare
repo
rt a
ndim
prov
emen
tpl
an
Cha
pter
6 o
f th
e S
SE
Gui
delin
es 2
01
6-2
02
0
Typi
cally
, the
sch
ool s
elf-
eval
uatio
n re
port
and
impr
ovem
ent p
lan
shou
ld b
e a
sing
le d
ocum
ento
f no
mor
e th
an th
ree
page
s in
leng
th. N
orm
ally,
it s
houl
d be
com
plet
ed o
nce
annu
ally.
A
tem
plat
e fo
r thi
s do
cum
ent i
s av
aila
ble
on w
ww.s
choo
lsel
f-ev
alua
tion.
ie.
The
final
par
t of
thi
sst
ep a
sks
scho
ols
tosh
are
a su
mm
ary
ofth
e se
lf-ev
alua
tion
repo
rt a
ndim
prov
emen
t pl
anw
ith t
he w
hole
sc
hool
com
mun
ity.
Note
re: D
EIS
scho
ols:
The
scho
ol's
DEI
S ac
tion
plan
is it
s sc
hool
impr
ovem
ent p
lan
for t
he p
urpo
ses
of s
choo
l sel
f-ev
alua
tion,
and
no
addi
tiona
l or s
epar
ate
impr
ovem
ent p
lan
is re
quire
d.
Ste
p 5
Put
Im
prov
emen
tP
lan
into
act
ion
This
is th
e ke
y st
ep in
the
proc
ess.
It is
onl
y whe
n th
e ac
tions
in th
e im
prov
emen
t pla
n ar
e im
plem
ente
d th
at th
e wo
rk o
f the
sch
ool c
an im
prov
e. A
ll re
leva
nt s
choo
l per
sonn
el s
houl
d sh
are
owne
rshi
p of
the
actio
ns to
be
impl
emen
ted
at in
divi
dual
teac
her,
subj
ect d
epar
tmen
t, or
who
le-s
choo
l lev
el. T
hese
act
ions
sho
uld
beco
me
part
of th
e no
rmal
teac
hing
and
lear
ning
pro
cess
.
Ste
p 6
Mon
itor
Act
ions
and
Eva
luat
eIm
pact
In o
rder
to
eval
uate
the
impa
ct o
f th
eac
tions
, th
ey m
ust
be m
onito
red.
Anu
mbe
r of
que
stio
ns a
re u
sefu
l wh
enco
nsid
erin
g th
is:
•Ha
s pr
actic
e ch
ange
d in
cl
assr
oom
s?
•W
hat a
re te
ache
rs' e
xper
ienc
es o
f th
e ag
reed
cha
nges
? •
Wha
t ar
e st
uden
ts' e
xper
ienc
es o
fth
e ag
reed
cha
nges
? •
Wha
t is
the
impa
ct o
n st
uden
t le
arni
ng?
Scho
ols
will
need
to d
ecid
e:
•Ho
w m
onito
ring
will
occu
r •
Who
will
be
resp
onsi
ble
for
mon
itorin
g •
How
prog
ress
will
be
dete
rmin
ed a
nd
repo
rted
•W
hen
and
to w
hom
pro
gres
s wi
ll be
re
porte
d (fo
r exa
mpl
e, a
t sta
ff m
eetin
gs, p
lann
ing
mee
tings
, boa
rd
mee
tings
) •
If ta
rget
s an
d ac
tions
are
real
istic
or
need
to b
e ch
ange
d.
The
grap
hic
belo
w(ta
ken
from
pag
e 3
of C
ircul
ar 0
040/
2016
)se
ts o
ut h
ow th
e pr
oces
s wo
uld
work
over
a f
our-y
ear
perio
d in
whi
ch a
sch
ool
sele
cts
thre
e as
pect
s of
tea
chin
g an
d le
arni
ng.
For
illus
trat
ive
purp
oses
onl
y,it
prov
ides
exa
mpl
es o
f how
asp
ects
of t
he F
ram
ewor
k fo
r Jun
ior C
ycle
can
be im
plem
ente
d th
roug
h th
e se
lf-ev
alua
tion
proc
ess.
Sch
ools
sho
uld
refe
r to
Circ
ular
002
4/20
16,
Arra
ngem
ents
for t
he Im
plem
enta
tion
of th
e Fr
amew
ork
for J
unio
r Cyc
le, f
or s
peci
fic re
quire
men
ts.
The
four
year
per
iod a
llows
for a
n in
vest
igat
ion ye
ar fo
r sco
ping
out
and
dev
elopi
ng th
e im
prov
emen
t pla
n, a
nd p
repa
ring
for i
tsim
plem
enta
tion.
How
ever
som
e sc
hools
may
feel
conf
iden
t tha
t the
y ca
n im
plem
ent a
n im
prov
emen
t pla
n wi
thou
t a p
relim
inar
yin
vest
igat
ion ye
ar, f
or e.
g. w
here
bas
eline
dat
a is
alre
ady a
vaila
ble a
nd th
e act
ions r
equi
red
are c
lear.
The r
ole of
thos
e lea
ding
the p
roce
ss, a
nd th
e role
of a
ll te
ache
rs, i
n th
e ong
oing
and
syst
emat
ic m
onito
ring
of th
e im
plem
enta
tion
of t
he p
lan
is im
porta
nt. I
n th
is re
gard
, the
gat
herin
g an
d us
e of
info
rmat
ion a
t sp
ecifi
ed in
terv
als
to c
heck
if t
he r
equi
red
impr
ovem
ents
are
bein
g m
ade i
s nec
essa
ry. Th
e im
plem
enta
tion
of th
e sch
ool i
mpr
ovem
ent p
lan
ultim
ately
lead
s to a
new
cycle
ofsc
hool
self-
eval
uatio
n.
70