Lucidchart – Excellent Web Based Diagramming and Charts, Free for Educators and Students

Insights into how educators are using the powerful free app in the classroom.

I recently got back from Google Summit California. Although a Lucidchart rep went to ISTE 2012, I had never been to a conference before. I was blown away by the turnout and the number of educators who wanted to learn about new technology for the classroom!

Lucidchart is an online diagramming program that gives away free licenses to educators and students. I’d like to share some of the feedback I’ve received from educators at every level. They’ve said that we are filling a need for online visual communication, whether that’s Venn diagrams, flowcharts, graphic organizers, or mind maps. I had a 3rd grade teacher tell me that Lucidchart is so easy that her students have no problem learning how to use it.

What educators are saying

Diana Laufenberg’s students created flowcharts as part of a project-based learning exercise to better understand how the government works.

“At the completion of the project the students had to not only analyze the complex structures of government bureaucracy, but also produce a “deliverable.” Lucidchart was one of the best choices of tool for this task because of its simple, web-based, collaborative functions. Being able to investigate, research, create, and then present/publish their findings meant that the learning was not just a creation for in-class sharing, but could be shared digitally and hence more broadly.”

– Diana Laufenberg, Teacher, Science Leadership Academy

Brendan finds Lucidchart useful both in and out of the classroom.

“Using this with Google Apps EDU. My students using Lucidchart mainly for mind-mapping. We really like the integration and the flexibility to share for co-editing and commenting with individual and groups. Our web design pupils using the wire-framing; we’ve also used the iPad/iPhone templates for younger students thinking about design and functionality for mobile technologies. Staff find the general diagramming functionality useful in course planning, and again, the sharing for collaboration is invaluable. It’s reliable, easy to use, high quality diagramming. I’ve found nothing better and use it daily.”

– Brendan McCart, Teacher, Saint Kentigern's Academy

Lucidchart is easy for students to grasp and can be used to supplement any subject.

“I teach a computer programming class and use Lucidchart to teach my students how to organize their programs. I spend almost no time teaching the tool, and students can jump right in and make it work. They can focus on the course, rather than the tool. I've also shared Lucidchart with humanities teachers for mapping out essays and creative writing. I love it!”

– Darren Duarte, Teacher, Sonoma Academy

Features you might find useful

• If you use project-based learning, 1:1 classrooms, or BYOD initiatives, Lucidchart is flexible enough to support them. Our software is accessible from any computer or tablet device.

• Lucidchart gives educators access to thousands of customizable community templates, which you can use as inspiration or as the start of your own document.

• We respond to your needs. When we realized that teachers were using our tool to create graphic organizers for the classroom, we decided to simplify things by offering ready-made educational templates. We now offer 50+ graphic organizer templates for every subject.

• Our software is integrated with Google Drive and Google Apps for Education. This allows for a simpler sign-on process for students and faculty. Plus, it’s easy to share, create, and organize your Lucidchart documents from inside Drive.

• Group projects are made easy. Because the program is cloud-based, students can work individually or with an unlimited number of collaborators to create and edit diagrams in real time. They can access our tool from any location, on any device—taking the headache out of group projects and homework.

• Lucidchart’s support portal is available 24/7. This portal is your home base for any questions about your account or how to use Lucidchart.

Getting started is simple. Just sign up for a free trial, then request your free educational account upgrade here. If you have any questions or suggestion, we’d love to hear them; shoot us an email at support at lucidchart dot com.