Thing #19 Go with the Flow

I registered with both bubbl.us and gliffy to begin this exploration.  I guess I have been spoiled by the fact that so many of these exercises came with a video tutorial or at least some sort of explanation.  When I first looked at gliffy I was completely lost.  I first had difficulty even entering my name and password (in fact this happened several times).  After restarting my computer I was finally able to access the flowchart.  I created a test chart and found it very easy to navigate if I am only adding shapes and arrows.  While I am not sure this would be a good use of time for the students, I can see using it in a group setting or prior to my lesson.  Sometimes I like to make my charts prior to the lesson and have them ready when the students arrive (especially with the younger kids).  While I am sure there are other features that I did not see or use, it appears to be very limiting.  

My experience with bubbl.us was somewhat similar.  The lack of training material made it difficult to navigate through the site.  I feel this program has very limited use for both teachers and students.  From what I could see there is only one product.  I found it very difficult to manipulate the bubbles and figure out how to add text.  I think I would rather use Inspiration or the old paper and pen.  Our campus like so many others has adopted the use of Thinking Maps and in order to keep my maps similar to the teachers, I would prefer to create my own using other tools.  Quite frankly, I prefer to use chart paper and markers.