{{Short description|Educational template}} A '''knowledge organiser''' is an educational template on a single A4 sheet consisting of grids, each with a term and a short explanation, making it clear to the student as to what is essential to learn. Each grid has an overall theme, and these vary according to the subject being taught. The term became well known throughout social media, and its creation and popularity has been credited to previous Michaela Community School teacher, Joe Kirby.
==Origins and use== In 2015, Michaela Community School teacher, Joe Kirby, wrote a blog detailing the value of listing, on one side of A4 paper, key points to learn.<ref name="Runeckles2018">{{cite book|last=Runeckles|first=Chris |title=Making every history lesson count: Six principles to support great history teaching|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=auF1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT91|date=2018|publisher=Crown House Publishing|isbn=978-1-78583-379-3|chapter=4. Present it differently|page=91}}</ref><ref name=Sharpe2018>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2018/03/11/knowledge-stick/|title=5 Ways To Make Knowledge Stick|last=Sharpe|first=Helen|date=11 March 2018|website=TeacherToolkit|language=en-GB|access-date=14 November 2019}}</ref> He called the template a knowledge organiser.<ref name="Tharby">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUEoDwAAQBAJ&q=joe+kirby+english&pg=PT21|title=Making every English lesson count: Six principles to support great reading and writing|last=Tharby|first=Andy|date=2017|publisher=Crown House Publishing Ltd|isbn=9781785832512|language=en}}</ref><ref name=Miller2018>{{Cite journal|last=Miller|first=Mark|date=September 2018|title=Organising knowledge: The purpose and pedagogy of knowledge organisers|url=https://impact.chartered.college/article/organising-knowledge-purpose-pedagogy-knowledge-organisers/|journal=Impact: Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching|language=en-US|publisher=The Chartered College of Teaching|archive-date=2019-11-15|access-date=2019-11-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115074027/https://impact.chartered.college/article/organising-knowledge-purpose-pedagogy-knowledge-organisers/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
To construct a knowledge organiser, the unit of study and the content requiring to be taught needs to be identified. Subsequently, around five to ten key points based on the key areas are documented on one column and their definition in the opposite column.<ref name=Facer2019>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pcaWDwAAQBAJ&q=Knowledge+organiser&pg=PT75|title=Simplicity Rules: How Simplifying What We Do in the Classroom Can Benefit Children|last=Facer|first=Jo|date=2019|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978113848863-2|language=en}}</ref>
Swindon Academy collates all the knowledge organisers for each year group and set into a termly booklet, allowing parents and student to be informed of future work.<ref>{{cite web |title=Swindon Academy > Secondary > Prep Guidance > Knowledge Organisers |url=https://www.swindon-academy.org/Secondary/Homework/Knowledge-Organisers |website=www.swindon-academy.org |access-date=8 November 2020}} (with video link)</ref>
Individually-tailored knowledge organisers may be more useful in subjects such as history rather than English.<ref name="Runeckles2018"/> The method has increased in use by a number of teachers, who can then clarify what is important to learn.<ref name=Ludgate2016>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNgaDQAAQBAJ&q=Knowledge+organiser+kirby&pg=PA142|title=Bloomsbury CPD Library: Secondary Curriculum and Assessment Design|last1=Turner|first1=Summer|last2=Library|first2=Bloomsbury CPD|date=2016|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|pages=141–145|isbn=9781472928511|language=en}}</ref>
==See also== * Leitner System
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://pragmaticreform.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/knowledge-organisers/ Knowledge organisers]. Kirby, J. (2015)
Category:Educational materials Category:Pedagogy
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