Drawing

Google Drawing could be a great tool for the classroom.  Its ability to create and manipulate shapes and insert text could make it useful for many things, such as creating flow charts, instructional writing, making posters, awards and certificates.  These things can make a lesson easier to create, saving the time it might take to search for a template or adjusting an existing template to fit a particular need.  It can also be used from within an existing Google document to add a graphic so an idea is more easily understood for the visual learner.  It can be accessed from the Insert tab, choosing the Drawing option.  Images can also be added from your hard drive or the Web to a document, then using Drawing you can add text, arrows, call outs or any other annotation that would help explain a point about the image.

The lesson plan for elementary level was called "Exploring Shapes."  With access to Google Drawing, the students could copy a document and then manipulate as they were instructed.  The document included a few shapes that they would be instructed to manipulate, rotate, create and flip in various ways.  Including the terms rotate 90 degrees, flip horizontal, flip vertical and students are learning geometry in a new interactive way.  The creativity they would be able to express while learning about shapes could be as individual as the person creating.  While exploring the shapes, students would be learning the different attributes of the shape.  Distinguishing between the defining attributes vs. non-defining attributes.  Then be able to draw shapes given certain attributes.  These skills are part of the Common Core State Standards.  The students are meeting the standard while it feels like they are playing.  They can add text to the shapes and identify what they are drawing, from which their grade would be taken.

Another idea for using Drawing to meet CCSS is to use it to help students organize thoughts as they read.  They can create idea webs or mind maps to put their thoughts into an organized visual display.  By creating this form of visual map, students can focus on a particular idea and see how it relates to the rest of the text as they begin to put their ideas into words and make conclusions.  The standard states that students must "read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it."  By using Drawing, teachers can help students meet this standard by making their own mind map or creating a template for them to fill in.

In exploring the Drawing program, I made a quick certificate to award for students achieving a simple goal.  A small gesture like a certificate to a child can be an easy way to motivate in a big way.
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1WhsTUM-v0-V2ECBv51fzKPVf29zs3YiMeClGc2pW3HM/edit?usp=sharing

Mind Map - created as a template to help students organize thoughts about characters in selected reading.
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/141ewFRnHvxgANQfA02Kja-BvyQSOlv1TSxkUUX_52mI/edit?usp=sharing