Mind Maps

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Does anybody's DC use these/find them useful?

I keep seeing Mind Maps mentioned as a good revision aid, but I can't seem to find a good guide to making them, or an example of a paper one. I can see there are online versions, but i'm looking to get DS (doing GCSEs next summer) to try making some paper versions to see if they will help with his mock exams coming up next month.

Has anybody got any examples we could look at, or some tips?

Look up Tony Buzan - he has some good books on mindmapping and there are some good resources/videos on line.

It's a very powerful technique.

OP my dcs use mind maps and it is a brilliant technique. The examples seen when you google is exactly what my dcs use. They have helped my lot ace their exams. Good luck.

There's a book by Tony Buzan too. They are good for kids who have that sort of mind..!

Any good mindmap creation software for Ipad or PC? The Tony Buzan software costs $100 for the home/student edition which is crazy. I've done several trials of the ones that came up on google but nothing stands out as being quick/easy to create. At the moment, pen/paper seems the best option unless anyone has any links to something quick/cheap?

Thank you, guys. Strangely I actually had the Tony Buzan book for years and years and couldn't really get into it, so I gave it away . Wish I'd kept it now. I've just googled and found he has a website, which looks good.

bevelino I can't seem to get good examples from googling. For example, I looked for a mind map example of the menstrual cycle and got this: getrevising.co.uk/diagrams/the-menstrual-cycle. This example is visually boring and the sentences seem too long...what do you guys think? How would you do a mind map of the menstrual cycle?

Do your DC stick to the 'one word per branch' rule?

I don't stick to one word per branch although I do try to use no more than three. I also try to use pictures rather than words where possible. One colour per branch as that then helps you "order" the groupings.

Dh has some software which he finds quite good - I'll ask him what it is called.

thanks prettybird

Dh says that he is currently using Simplemind Lite: it's free although he's not sure if it's free on PCs (he has a Mac).

He's also used Freemind in the past, which he says was fine too.

I got through medical finals with mind maps and still use them for revision. I don't do the word per branch rule, because I use them for full revision notes, but I find it makes me think about things logically and gives structure to my thoughts.
I splurged on the imindmap software by Tony Buzzan (after playing around with a bunch of free ones), and I love it, but there are some good free ones around. Of the free ones, I'd personally go for free mind.
www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-free-mind-map-tools-best-use/
freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

They are not for everyone, exposure to a wide variety of techniques to find the best would be a good idea.
My mind/eyes focuses on the lines not the words. For me index cards with bullet points work the best.

Mind maps got me through college & university they were the most amazing resource for me! I don't have an example but I'd start with an A4 piece of paper landscape & put the topic in the middle, I'd then break it down into around 6 key sections & put section one in the top left corner of the page (tiny neat writing & bullet points to fit it all in), is use say a green pen for that section. Then an arrow & move over to the top middle of the page above the topic for section 2, this time say in red pen, arrow & top right of the page for section 3 in blue pen. Arrow leading to section 4 bottom right of page again in different colour, section 5 bottom middle & section 6/conclusions on bottom left. So it flows & becomes like a map. Then put any key points in random bubbles/boxes on any spare space around the page.

Writing all my notes out by hand processed all the information once, reading it all through processed twice & then in exams you can literally visualise all the information on the map, where it is & what it flows to.

Absolutely amazing resource & wholeheartedly recommend!

Sorry for the long rambly post & hope it makes sense!

Dd2 uses them, but neither dd1 nor ds use them much. Actually dd1 now has some software free from uni and says she can now see the point, before all she saw was a jumble. Dd2 doesn't do one word per branch, more like little summaries. But uses them to organise by theme or other grouping. Uses lots of colour

For the menstrual cycle, I'd draw out something cyclical rather than a mind map!

Thank you guys, we will be trying all of these tips!

I'm a dyslexia teacher and I use Goconqr with my students to create layered mind maps on Ipad/PC. There's a free version or you can upgrade. You can also create flash cards and quizzes from the info you upload for revision purposes. My students (Y8-Y13) seem to like it, and more importantly, use it.
www.goconqr.com/en