Why?
Mind mapping centers on learning through association. It begins with a central idea or topic, and as in a spider web, it creates networks with other webs to connect knowledge. The connections are multiple and can be represented using images, words or ideas that are added visually in a hierarchical relationship. Mind mapping presents information in a way that can be interpreted, stored and remembered.
How?
These are some steps to consider when using Mind Mapping .
- Choose a topic, image, or object to be the center idea of the map.
- Draw lines from the center topic to create different networks/subtopics (go in any direction).
- If in a group, construct the map together.
- Highlight the most essential words on the map.
- Reconstruct the topic using all the information provided.
Example
I used this tool in an anthropology and archeology museum with advanced second language learners . The topic was “How pre-Columbian Peruvian art mirrored its religious cosmovision”. Students had been instructed about some characteristics of pre-columbian Peruvian religious cosmovision. Without engaging with the museum’s objects, the first step consisted of completing an initial map of Peruvian religious cosmovision. Students worked in groups and collaborated, constructing a map together. Afterwards, a tour guide explained selected pre-Columbian Peruvian artworks at the museum. Once the tour was finished, in groups, students worked on their maps, providing specific examples from artwork that were related to Peruvian Religious cosmovision. Finally, we constructed a bigger map with all the characteristics of religious cosmovisions and examples in Peruvian art. Mind Mapping provided a more complete view of the topic, and students could visualize the connections and remember them with visual examples.
Resources
I include these extra resources (also available on the library site)
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1210135.pdf
https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/378
https://artprof.org/learn/fundamentals/brainstorming/brainstorming-track-lesson-2/