Students often find themselves in an information overload situation. Sometimes teachers
can share too much data, so kids can get confused about where to start and how to digest everything.
And with such easy access to the Internet nowadays, they can get abundant detail about a subject matter in just a few clicks.
Ming Mapping
One way to deal with this overflowing facts is mind mapping. Invented by British Psychologist, Tony Buzan, it’s a simple diagram that can be used to organize ideas in a meaningful, easy-to-remember, analytical and creative ways.
Using colors, shapes, lines, symbols and images, the illustration starts by writing the main topic at the center. Lines are then drawn for secondary thoughts and this branching out continues to the nth level until the maker runs out of thoughts.
Each new idea is associated with the word where it originated from. This makes it easier for the reader to figure out the association of all information in the diagram.
Mind Mapping Uses
Students can make use of mind maps for the following reasons:
- Brainstorming. Too many ideas get into the brain during a brainstorming session and to connect all of them, a mind map can encompass the discussion.
- Note-taking. Students don’t always have the luxury of time to pen important points in sentences during lectures, seminars and trainings. A mind map, however, is a more efficient way of recording tackled key ideas.
- Reporting. During presentations, students can show a mind map as a visual aid for the class to easily understand the flow and for the reporter to organize his/her ideas logically.
- Reviewing for tests. During long quizzes, midterms and finals, students can make a mind map while reading book chapters to summarize their comprehension. Whenever they feel they forget a certain concept, they can just refer to the map for review.
- Research. If they want to consolidate what they’ve read from books, magazines, websites and other sources, a mind map can be very handy.
Mind mapping can also enhance the dexterity and bring out the artistic side of the students, whether they create the diagram by hand, through any computer application or with Internet services.