Eclectic Technology

Richard Byrne shares seven free tools to help create graphs and charts. Check out the list below and click through to the post for additional information on each tool.

* LucidChart - available free to schools and also as a Google app

* Google Fusion Tables - a spreadsheet app that allows you " to create visualizations of data set comparisons"

* Hohli Online Chart Builders - allows you to create "a variety of charts for online display"

* Infogr.am - " an online tool for creating interactive charts and graphs to use in interactive infographics"

* Better World Flux - this was created for the World Bank and "allows users to create animated visualizations of development data"

* Gapminder - also allows for data visualization and provides a page for educators

* Haiku's Deck Web App - Haiku Deck continues to add new features and now provides the ability to create graphs and charts

As always it pays to check out each tool and determine which you think will best meet the needs of your class (and that may be a choice of more than one).

Does group brainstorming work? This post looks at this issue, working from an infographic and selecting key concepts in the infographic and expanding on them. Gleeson begins by discussing "the five biggest problems with Groupthink." The list is below and all are explained in the post. Please note that there the author of the infographic also explains their perception of what each of the phrases below means.

* Social Loafing

* Social Matching

* Production Blocking

* Lack of Attention

* Fear of Criticism or Rejection

Gleeson then provides a list of tips for effective brainstorming (again, this are listed in the infographic with definitions provided). The areas explored here are:

* Independently prepare

* Set a goal

* Have meeting facilitators

* Avoid criticism

* Encourage competition

* Try collaborative apps

In education we often ask our learners to brainstorm. This article and infographic provide some insights that you may not have considered in the past. To go directly to the infographic (in which case you will not see the post by Gleeson)

 https://www.mavenlink.com/community/blogs/713-are-we-brainstorming-the-wrong-way--. 

There are also a number of free collaborative tools that support brainstorming. One of the more robust tools that is free to schools is LucidChart.

Richard Byrne has explored Lucidpress, a new tool from the creators of Lucidchart (which is one of the best deals around for educators for creating mindmaps) and states "I look at Lucidpress as being the best of Apple's Pages and the best of Google Documents combined into one slick service."

Like Lucidchart this tool is built for collaboration. The site states “receive feedback from coworkers…collaborate with anyone on any browser, anywhere. With live chat, document presence, and commenting, you’ll never have to compile scribbled feedback…”

Educators will be pleased to hear that free accounts are available.

To go directly to the video click through to Richard Byrne's post. To go directly to Lucidpress: https://www.lucidpress.com.