Brainstorming with the Mind Map!

This week I have chosen to talk about Online Concept Mapping, and in particular Bubbl.us. Bubbl.us is an online mind mapping tool used to brainstorm ideas. It allows you to save mind maps as an image, share your work via email, print your mind map, create colourful mind map organisers, embed your work into a website or blog and work with others in collaboration online. To save your mind maps you need to register for a free online account, which can only be accessed via a user name and password. Therefore this is a private service, however when shared the privacy will depend on where and how you share it. This online mapping tool is able to be customised. The maps are built as you go and can even be colour coded, you can make new connections as you brainstorm and so on. The free version only allows limited access. This includes only being able to save three mind maps, this issue can be worked around by saving your mind maps as images and deleting them from the site. There is also an option to set up group mind maps which you can customise, this would be a great tool in the classroom for small group work. This group option is only available through the paid service. I found Bubbl.us easy to use, although I did have some trouble at first working out how to embed it. After a little research I found out that you can either copy the embedded code from the menu at the lower right hand corner of the page, or email yourself a copy of the mind map and use the actual URL

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The kind of learning outcomes this application could support in the classroom would be, acquire and integrate knowledge, extend and refine knowledge and use knowledge meaningfully. There are many ways to use this software in the classroom. Using the SAMR model I will explain some uses in the classroom.

• ·         Substitution - students could work individually and use the mind map tool purely as a direct substitute instead of writing one.
• ·         Augmentation – teacher can use the software on an interactive whiteboard and brainstorm with students, colour coding for added emphasis.
• ·         Modification – students can create their own mind maps on a set class task, colour coding for what I already know, what I want to know and questions. Send this to the teacher so before they begin a topic the teacher has information on where their students are and what they want to know.
• ·         Redefinition – Teachers can set group tasks for homework assignments. Each group being given a set task, each student colour coded in each group, working online to complete. 

Below is a link to a mind map that I have created on different ITD that we have looked at over the weeks. I have really enjoyed creating with this tool and can see myself using it in a classroom situation

      https://bubbl.us/?h=299929/540ddc/27B0R0pJGMaK6&r=487046943