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Here is a graphic organizer that I used in Earth Science. This goes along with the Rocks and Minerals unit & ties in the rock cycle. I created it on Google Drawings.

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Everything in not only the field of education, but in the world we live in today, is shifting to a more digital approach. Many students lack creativity, organizational skills, and proper handwriting. Digital graphic organizers benefit students such as these. Students who are not able to write legibly, or in between the lines given to them, can format things online to match their needs. This also helps to add in a differentiation aspect. Students can also collaborate and work with others to combine ideas on digital graphic organizers. Although I do believe that the digital format is beneficial to some students, students also need to posses the skills to work on physical copies in the case that technology ever fails.

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For the past 3 years, I taught 6th grade science. This year, I moved up to 8th to teach science and a digital technology course. I use graphic organizers, both digital and physical. I teach both in-person and "learn from home", or virtual classes. I've had to convert most of my resources into digital versions this year. Graphic organizers are effective no matter the format. Students struggle with forming relationships between content and need to be taught how to do this. I have started using Jamboard (Google app) to create venn diagrams and other graphic organizers for students to use digitally. I think that my in-person kids benefit more from having hard copies of these so that they can organize their thoughts and ideas in a way that works best for them. Research shows that graphic organizers can help students form connections between the content that they are learning. With science, it is highly beneficial for students to do this - I use them as an instructional strategy almost weekly in my class.

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I have co-taught math for my first two years at the high school level. This year I had to co-teach in 9-10th grade Literature classes. I am not sure what they will have me doing next year, but the GO below is an example of what we were using for To Kill A Mockingbird. My goal for next year is to gently coerce the math teachers I work with into incorporating more digital tools such as digital graphic organizers. Since I am still learning about the curriculum for Literature, I will most likely have a more positive response to digital organizers.

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I believe that using digital organizers will let students that do not consider themselves creative, the power to be creative. As with anything, there will be some students that show more creativity than others. I believe that going digital will allow less creative students and lower functioning students express their graph of concepts being taught. In Graphic Organizers for Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities, the authors express the demands put on learning disabiled student and how graphic organizers allow them to create a visual representation of the most significant information (Singleton and Filce).

Singleton, Sabrina M., and Hollie Gabler Filce. "Graphic Organizers for Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities." TEACHING Exceptional Children 48.2 (2015): 110-17. Print.

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When I was teaching elementary school, I used physical graphic organizers for many subject areas. They are awesome tools with differentiating in all subject areas. Although to be truthful, I do not think that I used them enough in math. I used them to assess students' grasp of the content being taught and it gave the creative students a chance to express themselves creatively.

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When I teach World History, as part of the GSE standards we are to cover world religions (for historicity purposes) so I use a World Religions Comparison chart. In truth, its a simple graphic organizer; however, it has huge edcuational benefits as its a great study tool. Please click the link below to access my graphic organizer.
World Religion Graphic Organizer

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Egan writes in her article, "Reflections on Effective Uses of Graphic Organizers" that they are a great tool to "activate prior learning"  (pg. 643). I agree completely. Additionally, with students being taught in many different ways (i.e., virtually; in-person; hybrid; etc.) it may be difficult for a student to retain learning with so much transition taking place. To put it another way, because students are shifting learning environments so much they may not be able to keep up. However, using graphic organizers, even in a digital format, allows for the student to make linkages from prior learning to new material.

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I have used graphic organizers for many years in my teaching practice. Teaching social studies allows for the use of many graphic organizers such as word-webs, flow-charts, timelines, Frayer Models, Venn-Diagrams,etc. At the onset of the pandemic I was tasked with quickly getting these into a digital format. Luckily, Google Drive allows for easy conversion into a Google Doc form. However, that is not always the case. I have had to re-type many into a digital format. Still, using graphic organizers regardless if they are a in physical or digital setting seems beneficial to many students. Not all graphic organizers is going to reach all students. Yet the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

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One of the few digital graphic organizer that I have used are tree maps on Google Docs.
We use Tree Maps to classify or sort ideas into categories.  Tree maps allow the students to group main ideas and details together and classify information based on similarities. Maps can be used for story elements, vocabulary words, and taking notes.

How to create a tree map

Step 1 – On the top of the canvas, place the main subject or idea your map would be about. For example, it could be different types of food.

Step 2 – Place the supporting categories underneath the main topic connected by lines. In our example, these would be vegetables, fruits, meat, etc.

Step 3 – List down examples or supporting details under each sub-category. For example, you can write down types of vegetables under the related category.

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I believe using  digital graphic organizers would make an impact on students learning.  We have implemented technology in the classroom so much in the last year because of virtual learning, graphic organizers would only be an asset.   As Egan said(1999) "In today's classrooms one can ad-
vocate the graphic organizer as one
of the "things" that can be used to
make learning more meaningful"(641). When students are provided with meaningful work, they are more engaged and the impact on learning will be seen. I believe that digital graphic organizer will also help students grasp the relationships between abstract concepts.

Reference:
Egan, Margaret (1999).  Reflections on Effective Use of Graphic Organizers.  International Literacy Association & Wiley, 42(8), 641-645.

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I teach math and science but I use graphic organizers more when I am teaching science. I have found that graphic organizers are very effective when differentiating. When we were discussing the body systems, using graphic organizer was beneficial when teaching students to identify the differences between them. Majority of the graphic organizers that I have implemented have been physical. The only digital graphic organizers we have use have been creating tree maps on google docs. I do believe I need to find more ways to implement digital graphic organizers in both of my content areas.

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I have created a padlet that will allow students to collaborate on the topic of Jim Crow laws in Georgia. This will be a great way for students to communicate with both myself and their peers. 

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I have created a padlet that will allow students to collaborate on the topic of Jim Crow laws in Georgia. This will be a great way for students to communicate with both myself and their peers. 

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I think that transitioning students to using digital graphic organizers would be beneficial for them. According to the Professional Learning Board, they are beneficial by increasing student engagement, facilitating cognitive processes, and improving comprehension. I like the idea of using them digitally as a collaboration tool for the students and teachers. 

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I think that transitioning students to using digital graphic organizers would be beneficial for them. According to the Professional Learning Board, they are beneficial by increasing student engagement, facilitating cognitive processes, and improving comprehension. I like the idea of using them digitally as a collaboration tool for the students and teachers. 

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I use graphic organizers frequently this school year with my Georgia Studies students. Typically they will read through information on our standards and transfer their knowledge onto a graphic organizer. This helps them to pick out information that they feel is most important, review what they just read, and also allows them to gather notes as a study tool. Their charts lead into class discussion over the topic and I always provide students with a digital copy of the answers in class that we review as well and posting the answers in google classroom.  

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I use graphic organizers frequently this school year with my Georgia Studies students. Typically they will read through information on our standards and transfer their knowledge onto a graphic organizer. This helps them to pick out information that they feel is most important, review what they just read, and also allows them to gather notes as a study tool. Their charts lead into class discussion over the topic and I always provide students with a digital copy of the answers in class that we review as well and posting the answers in google classroom.  

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When I'm teaching writing, I usually model the project first, the class does a shared project together, and then the class does the project individually. I think it'd be great to use Google Slides with my virtual class during the shared project portion. I could upload the graphic organizer to Slides then give the link to my students so they can work together to fill out the graphic organizer.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17b7JYVlowFhns1GggZ6OR7qhfV8fAAJdGIJRllWqk_s/edit?usp=sharing

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Graphic organizers have tons of benefits such as engaging in active learning, increased engagement, and promoting comprehension and retention (Professional Learning Board LLC, 2020). All of these are benefits I want to promote in my classroom but that can be difficult for younger learners since they typically struggle with organization, especially over longer project periods. Putting graphic organizers online solves the "I lost it" problem and ensures that both the student and the teacher have access to it at all times.

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I use graphic organizers all the time with my first grade students during reading and writing. Graphic organizers during reading help the students focus their attention when they know what information they are looking for (for example: filling out a Venn diagram comparing two characters or sorting words that contain the soft and hard G). Graphic organizers during writing help students brainstorm and provide an easy transition to creating their written piece. I am currently teaching all virtual students to graphic organizers are also a good way to make sure that the students include all of the information I want them to while writing (sort of like a checklist).

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I used Padlet to allow students to post reasons why students should be able to use cellphones in school.         The great thing about this is that students can get ideas from other students and even assist other students with suggestions or modifications to their reasons.
https://padlet.com/jb06501/f72n66q145yxef52

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One of the Thinking Maps our district utilizes is called a circle map. Inside this graphic organizer, students are allowed to gather all prior knowledge in one place prior to the introduction of a new unit.
I used Google Slides to create a circle map for my students about the President. They can type directly in the circle, or I have also shown them how to add clip art images, as well.

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I truly think the transition to digital organizers would be easy to implement in the classroom with how school is occurring today - online!
Egan states, "With teacher guidance, students can use graphic organizers to organize their thinking when they
are learning through lecture, class discussion, film, and video." (p. 644) This really spoke to me because I am constantly lecturing, leading discussions, and showing films and videos through Zoom. The idea of providing them with a digital graphic organizer to fill in along with me seems quite efficient and beneficial to student learning.

Reference:
Egan, Margaret (1999).  Reflections on Effective Use of Graphic Organizers.  International Literacy Association & Wiley, 42(8), 641-645.

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I have used graphic organizers very heavily in the past as both a second grade and fourth grade teacher - especially in reading/writing/ELA and science and social studies. They provide an excellent and easy way to show connections and relationships between topics and ideas within a unit of study. Honestly, I have not utilized as many digital graphic organizers as I have physical, but I am definitely willing to learn how to utilize them effectively in the classroom! Specifically, I have used them to compare and contrast characters and events in stories. I have used them to highlight causes and effects within both science and social studies topics. Lastly, I use them with my current kindergarteners to see what prior knowledge they have on topics at the beginning of units.

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I think that combining graphic organizers with digital platforms provides students with an added  sense of familiarity or appeal, which they may not get from just a traditional paper copy.  Computer programs can make the content more interactive, incorporate more choice for colors and formatting, and provide collaborative opportunities with classmates.  Teachers can see an increase in engagement and become more comfortable with their role as a facilitator in the learning process.  The greatest  benefit can be found in the process of students learning to work together.  "As they work cooperatively using graphic organizers, students learn to create, to share, to disagree, and to respect one another." (Egan, p.643)

Reference:
Egan, Margaret (1999).  Reflections on Effective Use of Graphic Organizers.  International Literacy Association & Wiley, 42(8), 641-645.

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I use graphic organizers in both science and ELA.  Graphic organizers are a great way for students to be able to access information delivered in class.  Students feeling overwhelmed can structure their information in patterns or pictures.  The best benefit is that students gain a sense of ownership in the classroom.  These tools allow them to become more invested in the process of learning.  In science we use graphic organizers for research projects, vocabulary building, building models, labs, and note taking.  In ELA we use graphic organizers for taking notes over concepts such as complex sentences or figurative language
.

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Graphic organizers are an excellent way to engage students. Transitioning graphic organizers from physical paper copies to a digital format would significantly impact student learning. According to Professional Learning Board, LLC (2020), Transferring graphic organizers to a digital format "increases student engagement" by allowing graphic organizers to be digitally collaborative, contributing to a sense of community among teachers and students even when learning remotely. Using digital graphic organizers in a digital format could work for any grade or subject. The digital design allows endless opportunities for students to expand their creative space, add additional technology resources, collaborate with peers, and have it saved in a safe location to review for later. Digital graphic organizers allow teachers to build engagement working in the classroom or remotely. Students with learning disabilities using digital graphic organizers may show the most significant impact on learning when going from printed paper to digital. Graphic organizers can help with reading difficulties and help students comprehend the task.

Reference: Professional Learning Board LLC. (2020). Why use Graphic Organizers in the Classroom? Retrieved July 05, 2020, from https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/why-use-graphic-organizers-in-the-classroom/

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I have previously implemented physical copies of graphic organizers in kindergarten and 1st grade. I often use graphic organizers to introduce new topics, check students prior knowledge, and to check for understanding and growth. I like the concept of introducing students to digital graphic organizers. As a teacher, I know at times I even run out of physical paper space. The idea of creating a graphic organizer digitally adds so many additional aspects to expand the concept. Graphic organizers can be transferred from paper/pencil to digital to add online resources that include videos, games, articles, and pictures. I really enjoyed learning about this topic and reimagining my future lessons.

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Students will use the KWL chart to build metacognitive awareness before starting the lesson. Students will type in what they already know about a topic. They will also type in what they want to learn, and then after the study, students will fill out what they have learned. This chart can be used and added throughout, depending on the topic. KWL is an excellent resource for teachers to see what students already know, plan the lesson, and check for understanding at the end of the class.

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1GWoHT-lzgDLOaxDYvbnqd-YbDg-EdJ2gjQf0JCiHRLM/edit?usp=sharing

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I created an Opinion Writing Organizer (OREO) in ConceptBoards ....since my third graders are now starting to work on opinion writing. The "OREO" steps make it easy for students to remember the content that needs to be included in their writing.

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Opinion Graphic Organizer - Conceptboard

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I believe my students would definitely benefit from transitioning their graphic organizers to digital format. Not only would it be a much more intriguing way to collect and organize their thoughts, but it would be preparing my students for the higher grades when they may be required to do so. We actually had to do this when we were doing virtual teaching. I would like the chance to model and teach them on paper first, and then transform to the digital aspect. As Egan noted in her article, it is always important to ask, "Is this graphic organizer appropriate to the objectives of this lesson?" (Egan, 1999). Teachers must use graphic organizers in an effective way, and need to be modeled to show student expectations...especially in the younger grades like mine!
Egan, M. (1999). Reflections on Effective Use of Graphic Organizers.

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I teach third grade Reading/Language Arts, and I have used Graphic Organizers in both Reading and with Writing. I often start using graphic organizers when we first start writing basic paragraphs. The "Hamburger Organizer" is best for this age, because it explains all the necessary parts of a paragraph. We then move to more complex organizers to help students with "organizing and prioritizing content." As the Professional Learning Board noted, "The visual representations also serve as visual cues aiding retention and recall of concepts and their relations. Graphic Organizers are essential to help students start the writing process. (Professional Learning Board LLC, 2020.)

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I have created a digital flow chart to use.  We have used a physical copy of this in Science class.  I think that the digital copy is nice because students can edit it and make it represent them as well as include content information that they need.

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I think that transitioning physical graphic organizers to a digital format can benefit students, other teachers, and myself.  "It simplifies the teaching and the learning process while making it more enjoyable and interactive for everyone."  I agree with this statement and believe that in making the graphic organizer digital, students are able to engage with each other in ways that they would not normally.  Students can also incorporate their own creativity in some of the organizers depending on how they were designed.  I think that this is important because they can become more eye appealing and students are taking more time working on them and focusing on the content.  Additionally, other teachers can benefit from the creation of digital organizers because they can share things that have been created.  This can save them time and allow them to also be more efficient. (Professional Learning Board LLC, 2020).

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As a special education teacher, I have used Graphic organizers in my math and science classes. The ones that I have previously used have been physical, but I am looking forward to implementing digital organizers. I think that this would be beneficial as much as we have been teaching virtually this year. I also think that it can help students in being able to have better access to the organizers.

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Here is a graphic organizer that can be used for ELA classes.

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I already incorporate graphic organizers when I am teaching a lesson, but I think when I add them more the students will be more engaged. I also think I will be able to reach my students who have learning disabilities most. When I have used graphic organizers in the past, my students with disabilities were able to work through them independently because of the visual aid. Singleton and Filce's study directly supports my thoughts because they state, "certain cognitive characteristics of students with learning disabilities can impact their ability to comprehend advanced text. Graphic organizers are tools shown to enhance comprehension and may be used to help remediate reading difficulties associated with advance comprehension tasks" (2015). Since most of my students with learning disabilities struggle with comprehending a text, the graphic organizers will definitely be a great addition for me to continuously incorporate.

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I currently teach 6th grade language arts. I have used printed digital graphic organizers when the students were learning about a new constructed response writing strategy. I created the graphic organizer on Google Slides and the students were able to fill in the boxes.

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At the time, I did not have access to a digital projector during instructional rotations, nor did students have access to laptops in this particular period. However, after reviewing this unit’s resources and research that supports digital graphic organizers, I can imagine how much more engaging and collaborative the experience would have been for students if they were able to create, customize, or work with partners digitally. For example, they could add their own images on their own digital organizers instead of just referencing the printed image that I had already chosen. They also could have access to the myriad of accessibility features such as read-aloud and text-to-speech that is available on digital devices. Students would sometimes misplace paper graphic organizers. Having a digital copy would alleviate this problem. While even paper graphic organizers help reduce the cognitive demands of learning complex content, digital organizers could help even further by expanding access and developing students’ digital literacy skills.

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In the classroom, teachers usually create the graphic organizers for students to follow or fill in. Now that we are virtual, teachers can give students expectations or criteria for completing a graphic organizer so that they are held responsible for their own learning. It also provides room for students to show their creativity.  Teachers should also be aware that students may become dependent on teacher-generated graphic organizers; encouraging students to create their own graphic organizers can lessen dependence (Vaughn et al., 2011)  By doing this, teachers can assess student learning by the graphic organizers they create  learning by using the graphic organizer students create and students can self-monitor the purpose of a topic and what they have learned.  Using graphic organizers constructed by students, and used for a longer time demonstrated greater effects than using graphic organizers constructed by teachers and used for a shorter time Kim, A. H., Vaughn, S., Wanzek, J., & Wei, S. (2004).

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I actually enjoyed this! Link to concept board.  https://app.conceptboard.com/board/uz9g-seao-usa3-f2mo-17gd

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MATH RESOURCES GRADES 6-8 - Conceptboard

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When I taught 5th grade Special Education as a co-teacher, I created graphic organizers for each concept/standard in Science and Social Studies using Google Slides. Each “bubble” or “box” had pre-written text with at least one or more blanks for students to fill in (similar to Cloze notes). Some title headings were left blank as well for students to write in. Additionally, I would have an image printed on paper that associated with each box that I would then stick on a large white board with a magnet and draw lines/arrows between concepts in a way that mimicked the students’ graphic organizers. This would provide an additional means of representation for learners and also helped kickoff many discussions. By creating the graphic organizers myself, I was able to familiarize myself with the content and be better prepared in my delivery and instructional clarity. The graphic organizer not only worked as a template to guide instruction and comprehension but also functioned as a reference for students to study at a later time.

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In my content area, math, I have implemented a graphic Organizer called a Frayer Model. This graphic organizer is used for building student vocabulary. It requires students to define Unit vocabulary terms, generate examples and non-examples, giving characteristics, and/or draw a picture to illustrate the meaning of the word. All of this information is placed on a chart that is divided into four equal sections, with the vocabulary, term in the center  to provide a visual representation for students. Graphic organizers can beused to presentinformation needed priorto reading or to helpstudents rememberimportant informationduring reading in order toimprove comprehension (Singleton, S. M., & Filce, H. G., 2015).

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In my content area, math, I have implemented a graphic Organizer called a Frayer Model. This graphic organizer is used for building student vocabulary. It requires students to define Unit vocabulary terms, generate examples and non-examples, giving characteristics, and/or draw a picture to illustrate the meaning of the word. All of this information is placed on a chart that is divided into four equal sections, with the vocabulary, term in the center  to provide a visual representation for students. Graphic organizers can beused to presentinformation needed priorto reading or to helpstudents rememberimportant informationduring reading in order toimprove comprehension (Singleton, S. M., & Filce, H. G., 2015).