Google Drawings

Google Drawings is a virtual board that allows users to create content by drawing, pasting images, linking videos and websites, and inserting text, shapes, tables, and other content onto a page in Google Drive. Users can create flow charts, diagrams, concept maps, visual storyboards, original art and more. Users can collaboratively work on the same Drawing at the same time. This means students can collaborate on the same drawing from different computers at different locations. Drawings can be shared via a link or embedded into a webpage (by selecting “Publish to the web” in the file menu) . Collaborators can edit and leave comments on the document. If you are looking for a tool to help engage students and foster collaboration and creativity, this is a great tool for students to visually construct and demonstrate their knowledge.

Possible Learning Activities

Math: Have students present statistical information in graphical displays and link outside sources to their page. Or use Drawings for geometry lessons, have students manipulate the shapes to determine what characteristics remain constant for each shape and which ones can change (e.g. a rectangle vs. a parallelogram vs. a trapezoid).

Science: Have a group of students research and compile information on a particular topic, including images, graphs, videos, websites, and text and present it to the class. Ask the audience, community members, or parents to leave questions on the page for the student presenters to answer.

English/Language Arts: Have your whole class deconstruct a character, scene, or book together by producing a visual storyboard or comic strip with images, and linked videos, text, and other resources explaining historical relevance, imagery, character development, etc… that can be shared with the class at the end of the lesson.

Social Studies: Have students create an interactive timeline compiling images, videos, text and other resources explaining how events contributed to one another and progressed over time. Students could also annotate an image deconstructing how different aspects of the image illustrate different themes in that time period.

Other: Create a visual board about a field trip or vacation. Have students prepare a drawing to introduce themselves to the class at the beginning of the year. Create a visual organizer before writing a paper and have other students provide comments and feedback. Google drawings is a great tool to create and alter graphic art.