Cicero Carlos   http://mcdonald-pope.com/categorycategory.jsp   catherine19@hotmail.com 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History 

 Challenge : 

 Usually,​ ​I​ ​teach​ ​multicultural​ ​literature​ ​and​ ​creative​ ​writing.​ ​But​ ​this​ ​year,​ ​the​ ​director​ ​of 

 my​ ​school​ ​asked​ ​that​ ​I​ ​teach​ ​U.S.​ ​History.​ ​Because​ ​my​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​U.S.​ ​History​ ​is 

 shaped​ ​not​ ​by​ ​its​ ​most​ ​often​ ​ ​taught​ ​historical​ ​events​ ​but​ ​largely​ ​by​ ​the​ ​writing​ ​and​ ​art 

 created​ ​by​ ​marginalized​ ​peoples,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​not​ ​sure​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​the​ ​traditionally 

 rendered​ ​U.S.​ ​History​ ​curriculum​ ​and​ ​thus​ ​the​ ​skill - set​ ​to​ ​be​ ​successful.​ ​However,​ ​thinking 

 of​ ​what​ ​I’ve​ ​learned​ ​about​ ​“growth​ ​mindset”,​ ​I​ ​accepted​ ​the​ ​challenge​ ​and​ ​reflected​ ​on​ ​the 

 advantages​ ​I​ ​had​ ​in​ ​teaching​ ​this​ ​course:​ ​the​ ​most​ ​significant​ ​of​ ​which​ ​was​ ​that​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the 

 benefit​ ​of​ ​having​ ​taught​ ​the​ ​students​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​year.​ ​Thus,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​a​ ​critical​ ​understanding 

 of​ ​who​ ​the​ ​fifty - four​ ​students​ ​were​ ​and​ ​the​ ​challenges​ ​each​ ​faced​ ​in​ ​and​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the 

 classroom.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​had​ ​the​ ​benefit​ ​of​ ​teaching​ ​at​ ​a​ ​progressive​ ​school​ ​that​ ​celebrates​ ​teacher 

 creativity​ ​and​ ​divergent​ ​thinking . 

 Selection : 

 I​ ​began​ ​the​ ​course​ ​by​ ​having​ ​the​ ​students​ ​explore​ ​unique​ ​contemporary​ ​Native​ ​voices​ ​via 

 the​ ​work​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​writers​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Sherman​ ​Alexie​ ​and​ ​Natalie​ ​Diaz​ ​and​ ​short​ ​films​ ​that 

 offered​ ​us​ ​a​ ​glimpse​ ​into​ ​the​ ​contemporary​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Americans.​ ​We​ ​then​ ​considered 

 the​ ​representation​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Peoples​ ​via​ ​mass​ ​media,​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​newspaper​ ​articles , 

 television​ ​shows,​ ​and​ ​cinema.​ ​We​ ​sought​ ​to​ ​establish​ ​a​ ​working​ ​definition​ ​of​ ​what​ ​it​ ​means 

 to​ ​be​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​in​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States.​ ​I​ ​considered​ ​this​ ​phase​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​the​ ​work 

 in​ ​the​ ​“What​ ​is”​ ​stage.​ ​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​there​ ​was​ ​the​ ​nagging​ ​question​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head​ ​of​ ​whether​ ​or 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 1 

 not​ ​we​ ​were​ ​effectively​ ​exploring​ ​our​ ​course​ ​focus.​ ​I​ ​suppose​ ​I​ ​could​ ​have​ ​employed​ ​a 

 traditional​ ​test​ ​or​ ​asked​ ​that​ ​the​ ​students​ ​write​ ​an​ ​essay​ ​about​ ​the​ ​information​ ​and 

 perspectives​ ​they​ ​engaged​ ​with.​ ​But​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​the​ ​school​ ​year,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​wanted 

 to​ ​cultivate​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​where​ ​students​ ​are​ ​empathetic​ ​and​ ​self - reflective​ ​in​ ​a​ ​manner​ ​that 

 frees​ ​them​ ​to​ ​make​ ​connections​ ​and​ ​associations​ ​and​ ​raise​ ​critical​ ​questions​ ​about 

 themselves,​ ​each​ ​other,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​world​ ​we​ ​live​ ​in.​ ​Thus,​ ​I​ ​chose​ ​to​ ​employ​ ​“MInd​ ​Mapping ” 

 as​ ​a​ ​tool​ ​for​ ​us​ ​to​ ​document​ ​what​ ​students​ ​took​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​stimulus​ ​related​ ​to​ ​the 

 experiences​ ​of​ ​contemporary​ ​Native​ ​peoples . 

 Application : 

 I​ ​first​ ​spent​ ​about​ ​a​ ​week​ ​using​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​to​ ​address​ ​any​ ​question​ ​and​ ​or​ ​problem​ ​I 

 faced​ ​and​ ​had​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​on -- questions​ ​in​ ​life,​ ​questions​ ​at​ ​work,​ ​and​ ​questions 

 related​ ​to​ ​the​ ​drafting​ ​of​ ​my​ ​third​ ​novel.​ ​I​ ​found​ ​the​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​to​ ​be 

 freeing.​ ​Importantly,​ ​the​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​judgment​ ​and​ ​revision / refinement​ ​was​ ​invigorating,​ ​and 

 the​ ​experience​ ​afforded​ ​me​ ​the​ ​clarity,​ ​concision,​ ​and​ ​courage​ ​to​ ​think​ ​of​ ​and​ ​address 

 questions​ ​and​ ​challenges​ ​in​ ​a​ ​holistic​ ​way . 

 In​ ​class,​ ​I​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​students​ ​a​ ​write​ ​up​ ​and​ ​a​ ​few​ ​examples​ ​of​ ​what​ ​a​ ​mind​ ​map​ ​was,​ ​and 

 I​ ​also​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​them​ ​mind​ ​maps​ ​that​ ​I​ ​had​ ​done​ ​for​ ​a​ ​novel​ ​I​ ​am​ ​currently​ ​working​ ​on . 

 We​ ​then​ ​had​ ​a​ ​discussion​ ​about​ ​Mind - mapping,​ ​and​ ​when​ ​the​ ​students​ ​felt​ ​comfortable 

 with​ ​the​ ​parameters​ ​(ie​ ​freedom)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​task,​ ​they​ ​moved​ ​forward​ ​on​ ​mapping​ ​their​ ​minds . 

 Insight : 

 Employing​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​in​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​afforded​ ​me​ ​a​ ​few​ ​distinct​ ​privileges.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​is 

 that​ ​it​ ​energized​ ​students​ ​and​ ​gave​ ​them​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​purpose​ ​that​ ​emphasized​ ​and​ ​celebrated 

 their​ ​perspective​ ​and​ ​the​ ​manner​ ​in​ ​which​ ​their​ ​thoughts​ ​diverge​ ​and​ ​converge.​ ​Second 

 students​ ​were​ ​liberated​ ​from​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​baggage​ ​related​ ​to​ ​writing,​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​self - confidence , 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 2 

 challenges​ ​as​ ​English​ ​Language​ ​Learners,​ ​the​ ​tedious​ ​and​ ​arbitrary​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​grammar 

 rules,​ ​the​ ​redundancy​ ​that​ ​began​ ​in​ ​first​ ​grade​ ​when​ ​writing​ ​is​ ​the​ ​measurement​ ​of 

 creative​ ​and​ ​critical​ ​thinking​ ​capacity,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​static​ ​and​ ​sterile​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​a​ ​cursor​ ​blinking 

 on​ ​the​ ​white​ ​page​ ​on​ ​a​ ​computer​ ​screen​ ​to​ ​name​ ​a​ ​few .. ​ ​Finally,​ ​employing​ ​mind​ ​mapping 

 in​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​afforded​ ​me,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​teacher,​ ​the​ ​privilege​ ​of​ ​getting​ ​a​ ​deeper​ ​understanding 

 of​ ​what​ ​students​ ​retained,​ ​what​ ​was​ ​important​ ​to​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​what​ ​they​ ​were​ ​feeling​ ​and 

 associating.​ ​The​ ​mind​ ​maps​ ​had​ ​so​ ​many​ ​simultaneous​ ​modes​ ​of​ ​communication -- words , 

 color​ ​choice,​ ​sketches,​ ​lines,​ ​arrows,​ ​circles,​ ​etc . ,​ ​and​ ​there​ ​was​ ​so​ ​much​ ​information​ ​that​ ​I 

 could​ ​take​ ​away​ ​and​ ​utilize​ ​to​ ​address​ ​students’​ ​learning​ ​interests​ ​and​ ​questions,​ ​that​ ​I​ ​was 

 reminded​ ​of​ ​Pablo​ ​Neruda’s​ ​famous​ ​poem,​ ​“We​ ​Are​ ​Many”​ ​by​ ​Pablo​ ​Neruda,​ ​that​ ​concludes : 

 “ One​ ​day​ ​I​ ​will​ ​see​ ​if​ ​these​ ​things 

 also​ ​happen​ ​to​ ​other​ ​people , 

 if​ ​they​ ​are​ ​as​ ​many​ ​as​ ​I​ ​am , 

 if​ ​they​ ​resemble​ ​themselves , 

 and​ ​when​ ​I​ ​find​ ​out 

 I​ ​will​ ​know​ ​all​ ​things​ ​so​ ​well 

 that​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​all​ ​my​ ​problems 

 I​ ​will​ ​speak​ ​about​ ​geography . ”    1 

 Approach : 

 If​ ​I​ ​were​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​a​ ​course​ ​on​ ​learning​ ​about​ ​the​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Americans​ ​in​ ​the 

 United​ ​States​ ​again,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​begin​ ​the​ ​course​ ​with​ ​a​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​exercise​ ​on​ ​the​ ​first​ ​day , 

 and​ ​then​ ​end​ ​the​ ​course​ ​with​ ​a​ ​final​ ​mind​ ​map.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​afford​ ​the​ ​students​ ​and​ ​I​ ​the 

 opportunity​ ​to​ ​see​ ​and​ ​reflect​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​our​ ​learning,​ ​and​ ​its​ ​trajectory​ ​and 

 associations.​ ​ ​I​ ​also​ ​think​ ​I​ ​would​ ​provide​ ​the​ ​students​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​space​ ​to​ ​mind​ ​map.​ ​The 

 paper​ ​I​ ​gave​ ​them​ ​was​ ​11x14,​ ​and​ ​although​ ​it​ ​provided​ ​the​ ​students​ ​to​ ​get​ ​their​ ​ideas 

 1​ ​https://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2007/10/24 / pablo - neruda - we - are - many/ 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 3 

 down,​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​as​ ​if​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​surface​ ​area,​ ​perhaps​ ​one​ ​that​ ​they​ ​could​ ​even​ ​stand​ ​on,​ ​would 

 give​ ​them​ ​a​ ​visceral​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​the​ ​largesse​ ​and​ ​sweeping​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​topics​ ​at​ ​hand​ ​and 

 their​ ​thinking . 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 4 


EMAIL: catherine19@hotmail.com
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: Cicero Carlos
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: http://mcdonald-pope.com/categorycategory.jsp
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Cicero Carlos   http://mcdonald-pope.com/categorycategory.jsp   catherine19@hotmail.com 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History 

 Challenge : 

 Usually,​ ​I​ ​teach​ ​multicultural​ ​literature​ ​and​ ​creative​ ​writing.​ ​But​ ​this​ ​year,​ ​the​ ​director​ ​of 

 my​ ​school​ ​asked​ ​that​ ​I​ ​teach​ ​U.S.​ ​History.​ ​Because​ ​my​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​U.S.​ ​History​ ​is 

 shaped​ ​not​ ​by​ ​its​ ​most​ ​often​ ​ ​taught​ ​historical​ ​events​ ​but​ ​largely​ ​by​ ​the​ ​writing​ ​and​ ​art 

 created​ ​by​ ​marginalized​ ​peoples,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​not​ ​sure​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​the​ ​traditionally 

 rendered​ ​U.S.​ ​History​ ​curriculum​ ​and​ ​thus​ ​the​ ​skill - set​ ​to​ ​be​ ​successful.​ ​However,​ ​thinking 

 of​ ​what​ ​I’ve​ ​learned​ ​about​ ​“growth​ ​mindset”,​ ​I​ ​accepted​ ​the​ ​challenge​ ​and​ ​reflected​ ​on​ ​the 

 advantages​ ​I​ ​had​ ​in​ ​teaching​ ​this​ ​course:​ ​the​ ​most​ ​significant​ ​of​ ​which​ ​was​ ​that​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the 

 benefit​ ​of​ ​having​ ​taught​ ​the​ ​students​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​year.​ ​Thus,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​a​ ​critical​ ​understanding 

 of​ ​who​ ​the​ ​fifty - four​ ​students​ ​were​ ​and​ ​the​ ​challenges​ ​each​ ​faced​ ​in​ ​and​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the 

 classroom.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​had​ ​the​ ​benefit​ ​of​ ​teaching​ ​at​ ​a​ ​progressive​ ​school​ ​that​ ​celebrates​ ​teacher 

 creativity​ ​and​ ​divergent​ ​thinking . 

 Selection : 

 I​ ​began​ ​the​ ​course​ ​by​ ​having​ ​the​ ​students​ ​explore​ ​unique​ ​contemporary​ ​Native​ ​voices​ ​via 

 the​ ​work​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​writers​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Sherman​ ​Alexie​ ​and​ ​Natalie​ ​Diaz​ ​and​ ​short​ ​films​ ​that 

 offered​ ​us​ ​a​ ​glimpse​ ​into​ ​the​ ​contemporary​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Americans.​ ​We​ ​then​ ​considered 

 the​ ​representation​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Peoples​ ​via​ ​mass​ ​media,​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​newspaper​ ​articles , 

 television​ ​shows,​ ​and​ ​cinema.​ ​We​ ​sought​ ​to​ ​establish​ ​a​ ​working​ ​definition​ ​of​ ​what​ ​it​ ​means 

 to​ ​be​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​in​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States.​ ​I​ ​considered​ ​this​ ​phase​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​the​ ​work 

 in​ ​the​ ​“What​ ​is”​ ​stage.​ ​ ​Of​ ​course,​ ​there​ ​was​ ​the​ ​nagging​ ​question​ ​in​ ​my​ ​head​ ​of​ ​whether​ ​or 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 1 

 not​ ​we​ ​were​ ​effectively​ ​exploring​ ​our​ ​course​ ​focus.​ ​I​ ​suppose​ ​I​ ​could​ ​have​ ​employed​ ​a 

 traditional​ ​test​ ​or​ ​asked​ ​that​ ​the​ ​students​ ​write​ ​an​ ​essay​ ​about​ ​the​ ​information​ ​and 

 perspectives​ ​they​ ​engaged​ ​with.​ ​But​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​the​ ​school​ ​year,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​wanted 

 to​ ​cultivate​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​where​ ​students​ ​are​ ​empathetic​ ​and​ ​self - reflective​ ​in​ ​a​ ​manner​ ​that 

 frees​ ​them​ ​to​ ​make​ ​connections​ ​and​ ​associations​ ​and​ ​raise​ ​critical​ ​questions​ ​about 

 themselves,​ ​each​ ​other,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​world​ ​we​ ​live​ ​in.​ ​Thus,​ ​I​ ​chose​ ​to​ ​employ​ ​“MInd​ ​Mapping ” 

 as​ ​a​ ​tool​ ​for​ ​us​ ​to​ ​document​ ​what​ ​students​ ​took​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​stimulus​ ​related​ ​to​ ​the 

 experiences​ ​of​ ​contemporary​ ​Native​ ​peoples . 

 Application : 

 I​ ​first​ ​spent​ ​about​ ​a​ ​week​ ​using​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​to​ ​address​ ​any​ ​question​ ​and​ ​or​ ​problem​ ​I 

 faced​ ​and​ ​had​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​on -- questions​ ​in​ ​life,​ ​questions​ ​at​ ​work,​ ​and​ ​questions 

 related​ ​to​ ​the​ ​drafting​ ​of​ ​my​ ​third​ ​novel.​ ​I​ ​found​ ​the​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​to​ ​be 

 freeing.​ ​Importantly,​ ​the​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​judgment​ ​and​ ​revision / refinement​ ​was​ ​invigorating,​ ​and 

 the​ ​experience​ ​afforded​ ​me​ ​the​ ​clarity,​ ​concision,​ ​and​ ​courage​ ​to​ ​think​ ​of​ ​and​ ​address 

 questions​ ​and​ ​challenges​ ​in​ ​a​ ​holistic​ ​way . 

 In​ ​class,​ ​I​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​students​ ​a​ ​write​ ​up​ ​and​ ​a​ ​few​ ​examples​ ​of​ ​what​ ​a​ ​mind​ ​map​ ​was,​ ​and 

 I​ ​also​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​them​ ​mind​ ​maps​ ​that​ ​I​ ​had​ ​done​ ​for​ ​a​ ​novel​ ​I​ ​am​ ​currently​ ​working​ ​on . 

 We​ ​then​ ​had​ ​a​ ​discussion​ ​about​ ​Mind - mapping,​ ​and​ ​when​ ​the​ ​students​ ​felt​ ​comfortable 

 with​ ​the​ ​parameters​ ​(ie​ ​freedom)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​task,​ ​they​ ​moved​ ​forward​ ​on​ ​mapping​ ​their​ ​minds . 

 Insight : 

 Employing​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​in​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​afforded​ ​me​ ​a​ ​few​ ​distinct​ ​privileges.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​is 

 that​ ​it​ ​energized​ ​students​ ​and​ ​gave​ ​them​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​purpose​ ​that​ ​emphasized​ ​and​ ​celebrated 

 their​ ​perspective​ ​and​ ​the​ ​manner​ ​in​ ​which​ ​their​ ​thoughts​ ​diverge​ ​and​ ​converge.​ ​Second 

 students​ ​were​ ​liberated​ ​from​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​baggage​ ​related​ ​to​ ​writing,​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​self - confidence , 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 2 

 challenges​ ​as​ ​English​ ​Language​ ​Learners,​ ​the​ ​tedious​ ​and​ ​arbitrary​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​grammar 

 rules,​ ​the​ ​redundancy​ ​that​ ​began​ ​in​ ​first​ ​grade​ ​when​ ​writing​ ​is​ ​the​ ​measurement​ ​of 

 creative​ ​and​ ​critical​ ​thinking​ ​capacity,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​static​ ​and​ ​sterile​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​a​ ​cursor​ ​blinking 

 on​ ​the​ ​white​ ​page​ ​on​ ​a​ ​computer​ ​screen​ ​to​ ​name​ ​a​ ​few .. ​ ​Finally,​ ​employing​ ​mind​ ​mapping 

 in​ ​a​ ​classroom​ ​afforded​ ​me,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​teacher,​ ​the​ ​privilege​ ​of​ ​getting​ ​a​ ​deeper​ ​understanding 

 of​ ​what​ ​students​ ​retained,​ ​what​ ​was​ ​important​ ​to​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​what​ ​they​ ​were​ ​feeling​ ​and 

 associating.​ ​The​ ​mind​ ​maps​ ​had​ ​so​ ​many​ ​simultaneous​ ​modes​ ​of​ ​communication -- words , 

 color​ ​choice,​ ​sketches,​ ​lines,​ ​arrows,​ ​circles,​ ​etc . ,​ ​and​ ​there​ ​was​ ​so​ ​much​ ​information​ ​that​ ​I 

 could​ ​take​ ​away​ ​and​ ​utilize​ ​to​ ​address​ ​students’​ ​learning​ ​interests​ ​and​ ​questions,​ ​that​ ​I​ ​was 

 reminded​ ​of​ ​Pablo​ ​Neruda’s​ ​famous​ ​poem,​ ​“We​ ​Are​ ​Many”​ ​by​ ​Pablo​ ​Neruda,​ ​that​ ​concludes : 

 “ One​ ​day​ ​I​ ​will​ ​see​ ​if​ ​these​ ​things 

 also​ ​happen​ ​to​ ​other​ ​people , 

 if​ ​they​ ​are​ ​as​ ​many​ ​as​ ​I​ ​am , 

 if​ ​they​ ​resemble​ ​themselves , 

 and​ ​when​ ​I​ ​find​ ​out 

 I​ ​will​ ​know​ ​all​ ​things​ ​so​ ​well 

 that​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​all​ ​my​ ​problems 

 I​ ​will​ ​speak​ ​about​ ​geography . ”    1 

 Approach : 

 If​ ​I​ ​were​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​a​ ​course​ ​on​ ​learning​ ​about​ ​the​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​Native​ ​Americans​ ​in​ ​the 

 United​ ​States​ ​again,​ ​I​ ​would​ ​begin​ ​the​ ​course​ ​with​ ​a​ ​mind​ ​mapping​ ​exercise​ ​on​ ​the​ ​first​ ​day , 

 and​ ​then​ ​end​ ​the​ ​course​ ​with​ ​a​ ​final​ ​mind​ ​map.​ ​This​ ​would​ ​afford​ ​the​ ​students​ ​and​ ​I​ ​the 

 opportunity​ ​to​ ​see​ ​and​ ​reflect​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​our​ ​learning,​ ​and​ ​its​ ​trajectory​ ​and 

 associations.​ ​ ​I​ ​also​ ​think​ ​I​ ​would​ ​provide​ ​the​ ​students​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​space​ ​to​ ​mind​ ​map.​ ​The 

 paper​ ​I​ ​gave​ ​them​ ​was​ ​11x14,​ ​and​ ​although​ ​it​ ​provided​ ​the​ ​students​ ​to​ ​get​ ​their​ ​ideas 

 1​ ​https://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2007/10/24 / pablo - neruda - we - are - many/ 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 3 

 down,​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​as​ ​if​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​surface​ ​area,​ ​perhaps​ ​one​ ​that​ ​they​ ​could​ ​even​ ​stand​ ​on,​ ​would 

 give​ ​them​ ​a​ ​visceral​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​the​ ​largesse​ ​and​ ​sweeping​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​topics​ ​at​ ​hand​ ​and 

 their​ ​thinking . 

 A​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Experience:​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping​ ​Native​ ​American​ ​History … ​ .. 4
### Output: 