Blog Entry #5: Lucidly Mupping my GOs!


Graphic Organizers are a GO!

I used two graphic organizer software programs that were linked to our school's Google account, but that I had never used: Lucid Chart and MindMup.  Both are great alternatives to pen-and-paper mind mapping, and both can be linked to Google Classroom!  

I made two different charts to help my students map characters for creative writing.  

Here is one that I made with MindMup:


And here is one that I made with LucidChart:


My Review:  I like MindMup much better than LucidChart.  I think that Mindmup was much easier to use, and I think that it would be much easier to use with my students.  LucidChart was a lot more "free form," and I think you could definitely do more with it, but the ease of Mindmup has more applications when used with students. Mindmup also makes things look nice without trying too hard.  LucidChart is free, but for the "nice looking" templates, you have to pay. Both can be used as an add-on to Google, and both may be used by students by going to "New" and "More...".  If your school has added MindMup or LucidChart, your students can access them directly! 

I also liked GoogleDraw.  Honestly, I think I may use Google Draw when I want to make a quick graphic organizer for my students.  Here is what I made:


My Verdict:  When I want to bust out a quick GO, I will use GoogleDraw.  When I have a bit more time, I will use MindMup. If I am having my students make their own GOs, I would use MindMup, as it assists the author the most in organization and was the easiest to learn! 

Comments

  1. Tony PuenteJuly 6, 2021 at 4:57 PM

    First off, I love your blog layout! I should've added visuals to mine :-D
    Secondly, I concur with you that I would probably use Google Draw in the future. While, I like some of the apps for student use, I personally like the layout and open-ended-ness in the application. I had never used it before and think that I will try to use it more in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary GutzkiJuly 7, 2021 at 11:31 AM

    I agree with you and Tony about Google Draw. I never knew about it before this module and is so quick and easy, especially if you use Google at school and/or with students as many schools do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bogan's BlogJuly 7, 2021 at 3:58 PM

    Hi Gloriann,
    I appreciate your honesty with these two software programs and thanks for the reviews. It is nice to see what others thought since there are so many options out there! I would probably use Google Draw as well since it is the most convenient for kids although Storyboard had many templates!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Caroline QuigleyJuly 8, 2021 at 9:35 AM

    Hello Gloriann,
    I loved reading your reviews of the websites that you used! I used two completely different websites and was happy to hear your perspective on the two you used. It sounds like MindMup might be an option I could also utilize in my elementary classroom! Anytime there is an app that provides assistance for the students and is easy to learn, it has my vote!

    ReplyDelete

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