Graphic Organizers

I think that graphic organizers are a great way to get your main points across.  In my eyes, I see these organizers as a fun way to read a summary, as well as a shorter way to write a summary.  A written summary of any of the graphic organizers we had to do in class would take 10x the amount of time to read and write, yet the organizers themselves still cover all the points.  The graphic organizers are very clear and concise, and provide more than enough information to understand what is being discussed.  However, I do feel as though students DO need to know how to write reports and write them well.  I think a great idea for any teacher would be to teach the two styles of writing and give assignments that alternate using both ways.  Using a graphic organizer is a great method for providing information, but writing full length reports, in my opinion, cannot be abandoned.