Flowcharts and graphic organizers! Okay, so these are both highly practical tools that every teacher should be able to use. Being a very visual learner, I appreciate the clarity that visual representation of information offers students.
The first tool that I explored was Gliffy. This is a web based tool that allows a user to create flowcharts and data-organizers from templates in the Gliffy database. I created numerous Venn diagrams and explored various templates and how information could be displayed and organized. Gliffy offers a 30 day free trial when you set up an account. After I did, I was pretty much given unlimited use of the site. I really enjoyed the ease of creating diagrams with this tool. I think it could greatly enhance instruction.
The next tool that I explored was Mindmeister. This site is dedicated to creating mind maps. I found this tool to be very useful after I completed the tutorial, which I highly recommend viewing. Once I got the feel of the site, I could easily organize my thoughts into visual organizational maps. Although I certainly see the benefit of using Mindmeister to organize my thoughts, I do not believe that this would be the most effective tool to introduce material to students.
Flowcharts and mind maps are both clear ways of organizing information and I could see myself using them on a regular basis. To me, mind maps tend to allow for the user to organize his/her thoughts when during the creation step of a project. I could imagine using mind maps to greatly assist in brainstorming. Flowcharts seem to work better in presentations to groups or individuals. This tool can clearly express information and relationships in a visual manner. Both are going in to my toolbox.
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