07.02.08
Thing 14 – Gliffy in a Jiffy
No, it’s not a type of peanut butter, but who needs the calories and fat in peanut butter anyway? Gliffy is a Web-based program for organizing ideas in a visual way, whether it be through flow charts, webbing, floor plans, seating arrangements, line drawings, etc. We’ve been talking about visual literacy, right? Here’s a great tool for achieving visual communication!
I chose to tinker with Gliffy Basic which allows me to create diagrams, upload up to 2MB of images, share with friends, publish and export my creations, and seek online help, all for free. With Gliffy Basic, I can create up to 5 public diagrams. For $15 every three months I can upgrade to a Gliffy Premium ad-free, logo-free account that would come with email support. With a Gliffy Premium account, I could create an unlimited number of public and private diagrams.
There are a number of “social” features to this program including the ability to make a diagram “public,” the ability to embed diagrams into wikis or blogs, the ability to collaborate on diagrams with other users, and the ability to export diagrams as .png, .jpeg, or .svd files. Just like wikis, previous versions of my diagram were saved so that I could view my revision history if necessary.
Some uses that I came up with are:
- Classroom seating charts
- Wedding (or other event) seating arrangements
- Organizing committees and subcommittees within schools or businesses
- Landscape design
- Teaching perimeter and/or area
- Grading System Outline (Listing subject areas and subject area assignments)
MY EXAMPLE (Grading System Outline to share with parents and students)
