The Graphic Organizer

I was really excited to learn about this website because I have been trying to utilize more graphic organizers in my classes. I think having a way to understand and sort out the information is a very important next step when reading. The Graphic Organizer at http://www.graphic.org/ however, is not as user-friendly as I hoped. It has some great explanations and examples but lacks the ability to recreate an organizer on the site.
Support for reading in the content areas
    Graphic organizers alone are a great support for reading. This site is really good about explaining which graphic organizer to use and why. It provides detailed information on multiple organizers and gives examples of each. I especially liked that if I was unsure of which one to use, this site would help me choose the right one.
Ease of navigation
    The navigation was not so easy. Many of the link I tried to click on wanted me to download a software or my computer said was unsafe. I noticed the site was for sale so I wonder if they had anything to do with it. I clicked on a couple hyperlinks thinking it would take me to a blank copy of the organizers but it did not. I was unable to find a link to a blank copy or computer generated blank copy.
Availability of classroom resources
    As far as gaining knowledge of which organizers to use, this is a great site. If someone is looking for an organizer template this is not such a good site. Of course the organizers could be recreated by paper and pencil and used. Another option would be to download the software it suggests. I was simply uncomfortable doing to considering so many links said the site was unsafe.
Usability for intended audience: students, parents, teachers, or a combination
    Again, as far as, choosing the correct organizer this site is very helpful. As far as actually getting an organizer this site is not very helpful or useful.
So, all in all, I would not recommend this site to a teacher or parent. I believe other sites offer the same information including a link to print or generate the organizer. Also, keeping in mind that many links were considered unsafe I would hate for someone’s computer to get messed up.

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