Brainstorming and Mind Mapping

Lots of teachers use brainstorming as a way for students to share ideas and possible solutions to a problem. Always define the problem to make sure students clearly understand the problem. Make sure all ideas are written down.

There are four basic rules to brainstorming:

1. Focus on quantity – the greater number of ideas produced generates a greater chance of producing an effective solution.
2. Withhold criticism – focus on extending ideas and suspending judgment.
3. Welcome unusual ideas – help students to look at ideas from different perspectives and not make assumptions.
4. Combine and improve ideas – help students to combine ideas to form a single better idea.

Mind Mapping Steps:

1. Once all brainstormed ideas have been written down students will move to mind mapping. At this point students should begin identifying relationships between the ideas and key points by drawing lines, arrows, or using colors.
2. Students should begin finding contrasts/similarities, cause/effect relationships. These ideas can be written down beside the linking lines.
3. Students will use the map to arrange all the items into a logical order.

Here are some free tools for Brainstorming and Mind Mapping

1. Slick Plan – create sitemaps and flow charts
• http://www.slickplan.com/
2. Thinklinkr – fully collaborative outliner
• http://thinklinkr.com/
3. Webspiration coming this fall – map ideas and organize outlines – subscription
• http://www.webspiration.com/
4. Kidspiration and Inspiration software are used in our school system for all K-12 students.
5. Diagrammr – create and share diagrams by writing sentences
• http://www.diagrammr.com/
6. Imagination Cubed – draw mind maps online, can be used with whiteboards
• http://www.imaginationcubed.com/
7. Edistorm – real time mind mapping and sticky notes
• http://www.edistorm.com/
8. Education Eye – brainstorming with a search engine
• http://www.educationeye.org.uk/
9. Mind42 – collaborative mind mapping
• http://mind42.com/
10. Mindmeister – mind mapping that can be embedded into a site
• http://www.mindmeister.com/
11. Mindomo – detailed mind mapping site with web 2.0 features
• http://www.mindomo.com/

As teachers begin creating fall lesson plans check out these sites for ways to incorporate technology into brainstorming and mind mapping with your students. 

To read this article please go to Tech&Learning:
http://www.techlearning.com/blogs/31158