Blog #4 -- LucidChart -- Melody Lam

What is LucidChart?

LucidChart is an online website that allows users to create any kind of diagram online, from flowcharts to concept/mind maps. While it is oriented towards the industry and business world, it is useful in the education world and for students. As the website says itself -- "everyone has been drawing out ideas since childhood."

LucidChart offers a free educational account if you log in with your edu address. For more advanced features, they offer an EDU premium plan which allows for unlimited documents and storage space, along with extra features for districts & IT admins.

However, with the basic plan, you can create your own diagrams. For example, the screenshot below shows the types of templates students can create for a concept/mind map:

Here is a screenshot of a blank canvas. Note that there are many features familiar to those who have used Google Docs or Word, such as shapes, and font customization.

What's really cool is that if you're not sure where to find a feature, there is a search bar at the top called "Feature Find" that allows you to find what feature you want or to get help on a feature. The interface is mostly graphical and it's drag and drop onto the Canvas -- it's great for ELLs!

Educational Value

Pros:

• Free for the majority of features that students will need
• Interface is very familiar to students who have used Google Docs/Drawings or Adobe Photoshop
• Completely online, so it is accessible on PC, Mac, Chromebooks, etc
• Templates can be used for a quick start on a diagram (examples: Concept maps, venn diagrams, etc)
• Quickly sync to Google Drive for long-term storage
• Export as an image to insert into slides for presentations
• Collaborative tools such as sharing so that students can collaborate
• Integrations with Canvas and Google Classroom

Cons:

• Integrations with Canvas and Google Classroom require a paid plan
• There are a lot of options so students and teachers can get overwhelmed with what they can do
• You may need to spend time with students getting acquainted with the LucidChart software.

How can it be used in the classroom

• Instead of the teacher giving students a concept map worksheet, have students create their own custom concept maps! For example, in a math class, students can create a concept map relating odd and even functions, or comparing and contrasting ways to solve quadratic equations.
• Students can use the flowcharting tool to describe a process. In a science class, students can use the flowchart tools to describe the steps that they performed in an experiment. 
• I can imagine students in a science class using the genealogy charts to show the evolutionary process, or to even possibly explore their own genealogy or the genealogy of others.
• For visual learners, it's really helpful to have a diagram to see how concepts are related.