Another set of easy online tools. I had a mind map created in less than 5 minutes, from sign-up to blog link. (Here's my mind map from Bubbl.us.) It's a great brainstorming tool that can be shared with coworkers and friends. I think busy teachers (and librarians) who don't have time to meet face to face and don't want to just email back and forth (which means reading and rereading emails and replies) can really take advantage of this tool when they need to plan together. Users can edit the existing map, save as an image, print, and even post the map into a blog or website. Students can brainstorm online and teachers can easily view and grade the results. It's an easy-to-use visual for classroom instruction as well as in assignments. I can plan with my coworker in the summer, sharing ideas back and forth, without ever leaving home.
I also explored Flowchart.com, which promised real time collaboration, including a chat feature, image upload and conversion of charts to other formats, such as PDF, and ease of use on any browser and any operating system. No barriers there! With their latest updates, they support many different languages (should I try posting in French??), they can record past chart and chat sessions - that's a real WOW to me - and you can upload images to your chart. It's like being on a conference call or even in the same room with colleagues. You're chatting and charting in real time.
I think Flowcharts can be used in many of the same ways that mind maps are used in the classroom and library, except that Flowcharts go beyond brainstorming and allow you to illustrate difficult concepts in a visual way. They are a great tool to use in teaching, they present choices, keep you from missing important points, and basically work like an online graphic organizer, which students have been using since elementary school. Great for visual learners.
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