RIMS CTAP SETTS

CUE Diverse Learners Graphic Organizers    2011

Velcro Those Thoughts Together With Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are instructional tools used to help students organize and compare information. Learn about different online sites that offer graphic organizers. Some have features that include creating graphic organizers, adding images, offer collaboration features, or are collections of graphic organizers. Graphic organizers can help students gather ideas and put them in a meaningful format. They can link important ideas together so they are “velcroed together” in the brain.

Why use graphic organizers?

http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/conceptmap/50uses.html

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1grorg.htm
Graphic organizers can be used to show a timeline, hierarchy, interaction or cycle of events.

Sites that let you create and collaborate

Cacoo (TM)

http://cacoo.com Free site (although upgrades are available) Share, export, chart, import pictures.

Bubbl.us Allows creation and collaboration

http://bubbl.us

Grapholite (TM)

http://grapholite.com/ online free site for graphic organizers for one user. Can store 5 diagrams online. Paid subscription available.

Webspiration (TM) - Paid site with 30 day free trial. InspirationTM website allowing creation, use of graphics and collaboration. http://mywebspiration.com

Site that allows creation

Thinkfinity – read.write.think interactives – create, print
http://www.readwritethink.org/search/index.html?page=4&resource_type=16

Word Document site that allows modification

Education World

http://www.educationworld.com/tools_templates/index.shtml#graphicOrganizers in doc form with text boxes, so you can type on them, save and print (example)

.pdf site that allows modification

Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers

http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/igo.htm

Download, can type on GOs and print. Teaching notes included

Sites that allow printing

Houghton Mifflin

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

Eduplace resources for teachers by Houghton Mifflin – also available in Spanish, come in as pdf. files so need Adobe reader – have different ones but also some very plain that can be used across grade levels

edHelper

http://edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm

- printable pdfs

Scholastic

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=2983

some of the graphic organizers are printable. For some, it gives suggestions on how to use specific organizers.

Education Oasis

http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/graphic_organizers.htm

printable graphic organizers. Some let you write on them and then print (would need to look, I couldn’t find any that would let me type on them)

Lists of Sites

Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators – Graphic organizers – a leading educator in compiling education websites

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html#go

Sites for graphic organizers

http://www.eduscapes.com/tap/topic73.htm

Science class

http://www.science-class.net/Teachers_Graphic_Organizers.htm#MISC

Comprehensive list of different kinds of online graphic organizers...not all are free.

http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/graphic_organizers.htm#Online_Interactive

Software Trial Copies

Inspiration (TM)
http://www.inspiration.com
30 day download trials for Inspiration (TM) and Kidspiration (TM)

Hints: Link graphic organizers together to narrow focus

Help students (or have them work in groups) to see what is relevant and what is not necessary

Sites change all of the time and beta sites become pay sites. Some limit how many free graphic organizers you can download so choose carefully. Be on alert and don’t give out personal information unless you feel comfortable for the reason. For example some that store online or allow collaboration may need that information

If a site has a 30 day trial, wait to download until you are ready to use the site.