There are several tools out there that allow collaborative drawing in freehand form. Personally I think there are limitations to what one can draw using a computer at the moment so I will only list one such tool. Rather I will focus on those tools which have a wider application and that I feel can be put to more productive educational use. (Sorry all you art teachers) You may also want to look at the Thinking Tools link which includes Visual Thinking Diagrams.

1. Myfloorplanner - I'll begin with this particular tool as I think it is brilliant. Once logged in students can produce a plan for a building and insert different furnishings. I have used this as an RE teacher to make plans for a Mosque or a Church and have been very pleased with the end results. They have a new gallery feature which looks very cool but I am not convinced adds to your ability to find something in the gallery. What is more impressive is a button that allows you to convert your 2D plan into a 3D building for walkthrough. This will require a bit more effort in the planning stage but can produce excellent results. I have included an example of a Floorplan for a Church produced by a 13 year old student. Very Impressive.



2. Best 4C - This tool allows you to create a wide variety of maps from scratch which can be published privately or publicly for collaboration. You can make flow diagrams, maps, plans or any sort of diagram you want. It is very easy to use and text and colour can be included. Students could make a diagram to explain a concept or a decision making process. Alternatively you could create a map for them to complete. I did have some difficulty saving my diagrams so make sure the save function is working when you begin your map so you don't loose it.


3. Draw Anywhere - Similar to Best 4C. Although the editor is a bit basic in appearance it is easy to use and you can do everything you would need to do to make your diagram. One additional feature here is the ability to input your own graphics but only two images are allowed on the free version. Collaborators can be invited through e-mail and the resulting diagram can be published on the web or downloaded as an image file. Click here for an example diagram.


4.Interactive Diagram Generator - This is not a free tool but will only cost £30 for an unlimited licence so you may be interested. In essence it allows you to create an interactive diagram where pupils can input information and print it out. It is perfect for scaffolding thinking or for guided model answers. Visit their website where you will see several examples of the tool at work. Below is a screen shot.




5. Gliffy - Probably one of the best looking diagram makers with a 30 day free account. The paid account for schools depends on the number of students but would cost around per student per month. This would seem a bit steep considering other tools do the same for free.

6. Flowchart - This is a great looking tool which is currently in an invitation only Beta trial. It was a little slow but given the quality of the tool I'm sure this will be sorted out by the time it goes public.



7. Lovely Charts - This tool is in an invitation only Beta at the moment. It has all the functions of the other tools but in my view looks better and is easier to use. Keep an eye on this one when it goes pubic. This is a simple example of a diagram I created.



8. Imagination Cubed - This is basically a tool for drawing on a whiteboard. As well as pens you have access to shapes and colour. The finished version can be saved and e-mailed. While drawing could be a bit fiddly it may work well with an interactive whiteboard. One possible way to use this tool would be to write a mathematical problem, part solve it and then get a student to record their solving of the equation. For literacy based subjects perhaps they could draw a diagram to explain a concept. Basically the tool is allowing you to record a thinking process.

9. Logoease - This is a simple tool for designing your own logo. Below is a quick design I created in under 2 minutes.



10. PlanningWiz - This is a pared down version of MyFloorplanner which is restricted to designing a single room. Any budding interior designers will love this. The tool can be used without registering but a username needs to be created for saving. You can print or save the final plan and it is so simple to use a primary school child would have no difficulty. Very Impressed.



11. Iplotz - This is a very specific tool to allow programmers to design a prototype/wireframe of a webpage or software with some functionality. This can then be shared with others and feedback obtained. I don't teach programming so I can't comment on how useful the tool is but it certainly looks like it may be worth a look.

12. Sketchcast - I really liked the idea behind this tool and it could be used for many different tasks. In essence you record yourself making a drawing and add a narration to make a short film. It could be used as a tutorial tool or simply as a bit of fun. I thought it might be a good way to explain what a word means, a sort of virtual charades. Obvious potential for abuse but at this stage seems to be quite well policed. Have a look at the tutorial below and let me know how you might use it. (I have had a recent report 'Aug09' that sketchcast can be a bit unreliable with recent downtime as well as saved docs being lost.)



13. Supalogo - A very easy to use site that enables you to create a text based logo/wordart.



14. Chartgo - Simple chart making tool. Enter the data and out comes the chart. This is an example of a pie chart.




15. Creately - A more sophisticated charting and wireframe tool. The difference with this over other similar tools is that it claims to help collaborative drawing. The free version is limited to 5 contributors but this is likely to be fine for most classroom use. Another feature worth considering is that there are a number of preformatted writing frames/visual thinking diagrams. There are a number of sites which allow you to print a paper version but this seems to offer the chance for pupils to complete them online and collaboratively.