Drawings is a virtual board that allows users to create content by drawing, pasting images, linking videos and websites, and inserting text, shapes, tables, and other content onto a page.

Users can create flow charts, diagrams, concept maps, visual storyboards, original art and more.  This app is available free of charge to anyone.  Users can collaboratively work on the same Drawing at the same time. This means students can collaborate on the same drawing from different computers at different locations. Drawings can be shared via a link or embedded into a webpage (by selecting “Publish to the web” in the file menu) . 

Collaborators can edit and leave comments on the document.  If you are looking for a tool to help engage students and foster collaboration and creativity, this is a great tool for students to visually construct and demonstrate their knowledge.

Impact on Student Learning: Because of its design students are able to collaborate, create, communicate, and engage in learning.  What is particularly great about this app is that it allows students to work on the same document at the same time from different locations.  They can edit, add, remove, and comment on content simultaneously.  This app really has the ability to place students back at the center of their own learning.

Ease of Use: This app is incredibly intuitive, I was able to navigate around it and produce the products that I wanted with no prior introduction to the app via tutorial or help desk. This app can be accessed through any browser and on any device with internet access, but it is much easier to edit the drawings on tablets and computers because of the larger screen.  It is free and easy to access for anyone with a google account, which is a major plus in my book.

Accessibility: This is app is very accessible for screen readers and braille displays, Google provides several pages of step-by-step directions to enable these adaptations in Google drawings.

Class Size: This app doesn’t have a set number of individuals who can use it, and it is free.  Honestly, depending on your particular project there really isn’t a size limit for this app, although I probably wouldn’t have 400 people editing one document.