Mind Mapping Technology
I have used mind mapping software (Bubbl and Spicy Nodes in particular) in my classroom with varying levels of success in the past. Mind mapping in general is something that I feel has a great deal of value as it allows students to personalize their learning and how they chose to both organize and express their ideas. In a mind map students can present images, notes, or full thoughts with equal success.
In the future I would not be surprised to see mind mapping becoming more integrated with other tools like Facebook, Moodle, or Edmodo. The definition of mind mapping is constantly expanding as programs like Prezi are considered by many to be a mind map, although connecting links are not ‘required’. I think many of these options provide valid options for educational use, though some of them require too much time to learn and would detract from the time to actually create a map. What needs to be available is simple and user friendly software that allows users a great deal of flexibility. Cacoo is a new tool to me and my early ‘playing’ with it in the collaborative map suggests it might come close to meeting this need. In order to more easily bring mind mapping technology into the classroom I need to ensure that the technology meets the needs of my students without overwhelming them with technical difficulties.
Posted in: Week 09: Visual-Intensive Learning
Danielle Dubien 1:00 pm on July 7, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Meggan,
Thanks for sharing the software tools! Spicy Nodes creates beatiful maps that are easy to navigate and allow the user to focus on sections. However, it’s difficult to create maps because the editing and visualising parts are separate. Bubbl is much easier to use, although it creates a less interactive product. Given that its purpose is note-taking during brainstorms, I’d say it does its job well. I like that additional subordinate bubbles change colour automatically, and match the original bubble, even if you change the colour.
Anyway, in a time when technology is changing so fast and teachers have little time, it seems that the software programs that will succeed are the ones that are versatile and easy to use. If I can’t get a program to do simple things in five minutes and think of several uses for it, I cross it off my list and move on.