Most popular hashtags on Twitter

Using hashtags in your Tweets obviously increases the visibility of your message. They also allow you to start or join conversations. Discover in this article the list of most popular hashtags, their classification in an interactive mind map and a free tool to explore them If you are active on Twitter or if you plan to be soon, you may find helpful to have a look at the most popular hashtags you could insert in your messages. Twitter hashtags marks keywords or topics in Tweets. They are composed of a single word or phrase beginning with a "#" and with no spaces or punctuation. They were originally created by Twitter users and have become a so powerful and natural way to participate in global conversations that even Facebook rolled-out the system.

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What if I don't like colors?

Using colors in mind maps is maybe useful but for some of you, it may have an opposite effect or simply, there is less interest. Anyway, do we always have a set of color pencils with us? This article will show you how to make your mind map branches unique even in black and white It is not uncommon to meet people who say they do not like or use colors in documents. No later than last week, a teacher called me for help because one of her students prefers to draw mind maps only in black. She tried to convince him to use colors, explaining him the benefits, but in vain.

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Have you been kind this year?

In everyday life, you will encounter several occasions that require the creation of a wish list, with gifts for you or another beneficiary. December is a great month to talk about presents and a good opportunity for me to explain how mind mapping can really help you to manage such an activity.It’s December, the month of gifts. In Belgium, Saint-Nicolas is bringing toys to kids who have been kind during the year. It’s also Baptiste (my son) birthday. In other countries, Santa Claus will visit the children later in the month for Christmas. But adults also love Christmas presents, this evening during which we can exchange small and original presents to each other in front of the illuminated tree.

I don’t know how you proceed on your side but, on our side, kids traditionally prepare themselves a wish list of gifts (toys, books, clothes …) which they send to the old man. They usually use various paper catalogues we have received from different shops. They cut images and then they glue on a panel. It’s of course a very pleasant activity for them but for us, the parents, it’s not obvious to manage it further. Indeed, how do we track who will offer what? Or, how do we make it available for the gift makers? How do we communicate where to buy the toys?

I had an idea how mind mapping could help us to better manage the whole stuff, keeping the pleasure at the centre of our considerations. But I had to make it practical in order to verify my thoughts. Therefore, I proposed to my sons to move away from the traditional panel and create a mind map instead.

A very efficient structure

At the centre of the map, the idea was quite obvious: something like "What do I want to receive from Saint-Nicolas". Then, in order to identify the main branches, we made an interesting exercise. I asked the kids to look at the different tickets they had cut and to group them in clusters that made sense for them. At first sight, they found it a bit useless because they thought everything was just a gift or toy. But with a deeper analysis, they finally identified main types such as board game, books or clothes and main domains such has sport, WII or electronics.

Future main branches of the mind map

Once the main branches were created, it became easy to place the items on the map and also quite natural to create sub-branches when appropriate. Indeed, during this generative thinking activity, the brain is stimulated to produce more thoughts. When looking at the structure and the items already in place, new ideas came to their mind; new wishes, very interesting and valuable ones were added, giving more choices and flexibility to the gift maker. The end result is a very well presented list, easy to understand and memorise. The kids appreciated the initiative.

A mind map replacing a traditional wish list

A fantastic communication tool

Beyond considerations of the children, there is additional information to collect and communicate to the different persons who will make a gift. Indeed, although children think you will send the letter to the North Pole, we all know that you will have to distribute it to the different members of the family (grand-parents, godmother, uncle …). Those people will be happy to know where they can buy easily the item, what it looks like and how much it costs approximately.

The mind map is absolutely perfect for adding and maintaining this kind information. When you use a computer application such as iMindMap, it becomes even easier. For the place to buy, you can either mention a physical shop (the brand is usually enough) or even a web shop, with a direct link to the product on the internet. You can also find on the web a nice picture as well as other details that might be interesting to add on your map. For those who are interested, the resource file is available for download on Biggerplate, the mind map library.

Using a digital support, you will benefit from features that are not possible with the traditional approach. You will be able to export it as an image that you can send via e-mail. You will be able to print and distribute on paper if necessary. New technologies allow you now to upload it in the cloud and just send a link to latest version. People are sometimes embarrassed in the shop with the choice. Using smart devices, they will be able to access the wish list on-line, check out the picture in order to make the right choice or decide to take another present if they cannot find what they were looking for.

Management made easy

Once the mind map is created and distributed, there is still a problem to consider: “who is going to offer what?” It’s not easy to keep in mind all the feedback you received. Exchange efficiently the information between those who have already made their choice with those who still have to decide is not an easy task. Again, the mind map will help you a lot to manage all of that. All you have to do is to mark each gift with the name of the person who will offer it, using an additional sub-branch. Looking at the big picture, you can easily monitor what is already booked and what is still available.

Another interesting task is to define preferences, especially when the amount of gifts is important. Using a typical rating with stars, you can ask the children to define what they want to receive first. You can also communicate what are you own preferences as parents, knowing the educational or practical value of the gift (single versus multi-players, creative, powered by battery …) or maybe its redundancy with existing ones.

Other types of wish lists

The case I detailed here above is quite representative of the effectiveness of mind mapping for managing a wish list. Here are a couple of additional examples where you can use a mind map for organising a list of gifts:

Promotion or retirement at work: It’s not always obvious to define what you should offer to a colleague, especially when you are several to decide. Why not create a mind map with all the ideas and discuss about the alternatives according to the personality of the beneficiary. The mind map will be a nice support for collaborating and finally selecting a couple of options according to the budget you collected. The person will more than happy to receive a great gift instead of cash.

Wedding, birth or baptism: Shops usually offer services to manage wish lists, from the creation to the consultation, including money collection and frequent updates. If you want to think about what you need or would like to receive, you can create a mind map before going to the shop. You will certainly save some time. If you start early enough, the support will be ideal to generate ideas and make a selection. If you want to present your wishes in a creative way, you can also publish your mind map (on a website dedicated to the event for example). It will be an original manner for your family and friends to discover your desires and a different way to invite them to make gifts.

Birthday: Very similarly to the Saint-Nicolas or Santa Claus case, the beneficiary can organize the wish list with a mind map. If necessary, parents or friends can contribute and influence the content in order to match some of their expectations. All the benefits explained earlier remain applicable.

Saint-Valentine: Do you want to make a gift to your partner that will surprise him/her and will really make the difference? A bit earlier in the year, start your mind map. Listen to your partner and capture both ideas and domains of interest. Try to read between the lines and add everything you thing is interesting to consider. When the time has come to decide, review your notes and imagine the gift that match the most. 

Christmas party: Imagine that you want to offer several small and creative gifts to different persons (family, friends …). Start your mind map with a main branch for each person to satisfy. If you already have concrete ideas about what to offer to them, add it on sub-branches. If you know what characterize them or what domains they appreciate, add it as well. Along your visits in shops or on Christmas markets, collect ideas or buy some presents. Assign them to the persons on your map. Looking at the big picture, you will easily see what you still have to find or buy. You will also see who will be happy and who won’t.

I want my article to be as much practical as possible because I truly believe it's the best way to invite you to test the mind mapping technique and discover by yourself the benefits. This is my gift to you. I wish you a great December month, with plenty of other warm gifts. Not big ones, not expensive ones but presents that will mean something for you or will make you laugh; the kind of presents that will make you happy.

Be open-minded.

Be creative.

Have fun.

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Am I drawing true mind maps ?

You will discover in this article several mind maps without an explicit central idea or main branches, especially one that details the characteristics of a stage of Tour de France. Although they are quite different from standards, I will explain to you why they are interesting and very inspiring.I have recently received a couple of feedbacks saying that some of my artworks are not really mind maps (see previous posts about Tour de France or Food Pyramid). But why some of my mind maps are triggering such a reaction? The answer is simply because there is no explicit central idea and/or main branches. The one I decided to share with you here details a specific stage of Tour de France 2012, the prestigious cycling race. And it may receive the same kind of comments once again.

This mind map is fully supported by iMindMap, the mind mapping software. I built it with a succession of branches representing the profile of the route (using freehand feature), linking the start and the finish towns. Although it is not explicitly appearing on the screen, the central idea is "Tour de France 2012 | Macon - Bellegarde stage". At the end of each branch, there is an opportunity to provide additional information with sub-branches (altitude, distance, location, climb characteristics, etc). From those points, you can imagine any kind of additional information (time estimation, race strategy, standings at the top of the hills, ...). The support is ready, mind mapping can happen.

Tour de France - Stage zoom - Mind map with iMindMap

My objective is not to debate here what a true mind map is or whether I’m respecting the rules. I have a rather personal and creative way of interpreting the notion of mind mapping. What is important is to provoke a paradigm shift in the way we are thinking and structuring the information in order to release the hidden potential of our mind. Of course, Tony Buzan and his approach remain for me one of the most inspiring references in the domain.

I’m probably one of the first who created mind maps that do not start from the centre (see How to create a tree with a mind map) or do not contain obvious main branches (see How to create a timeline with a mind map). Other mind mappers such as Hans Buskes or Patrick Zimbardo have recently produced nice out-of-the-box mind maps as well. They bring a great contribution in the domain. 


So why should I limit myself to draw mind maps that radiate only from a single and central point if I obtain interesting results with an extended approach? For example, this typical mind map about the brain (see picture) actually hides 2 basic ordering ideas (“Left” and “Right”) because of the central image. Note that although it may simplify the overall layout of the mind map or the generation of secondary level branches, it's also limiting the creation of new main ordering ideas (which could be an obstacle during the generative thinking process).


Thinking further, I can imagine starting a mind map with 3, 4, 5 or even more hidden main branches, either because they are implicitly expressed by the central image or because it makes the mind map more readable. Going even further, I can imagine that the central shape outline (triangle, square or more complex ones) is an open line or a curve that contains a couple of points from where I would like to start radiating and organising the information. The central idea and the main branches become invisible and implicit as shown on the figure here below.

In order to better illustrate the concept, I can give you a couple of practical examples:

• Analyse and/or compare the offer of a triple-play provider

Provider offer mind map

• Teach and discuss the main evolution of man on a timeline

Human evolution mind map

• Present a product line-up

Product line-up mind map

And I let you imagine what could be:

• Capturing, analysing and debriefing player performance on a basketball field 
• Coach your rally champion about the characteristic of each curve of a rally race route 
• Explain the water cycle phases from a nice 3D picture 
• ...

Isn’t it the most important? RADIATING around a thought, a concept, a word, an idea, etc... and keep everything CONNECTED. Whether it is starting from the first level or deeper in the structure, we are still generating and connecting ideas and keywords together. Isn’t it the essence of mind mapping? I often hear that it is difficult to identify the main branches (Basic Ordering Ideas). An alternative is to consider them implicitly belonging to the centre of the map (and its image) or maybe not consider them at all in order to start directly at a deeper level.

This is what I do in some of my creative mind maps. This is an alternative way of benefiting from standard mind mapping with slightly different starting points. It could even help some of you to start to create a mind map more easily. An important success factor for an efficient mind map is the ability to articulate and connect some thoughts from where it’s then possible to develop the idea with further details. Approach the mind map structure a bit differently should allow you to keep applying this principle.

Be open minded! 

Be creative!

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Interactive mind map with ThingLink

Innovation can be as simple as combining two tools such as iMindMap and ThingLink which were not initially designed to work together. Discover how to turn your mind maps (or any other image) into attractive, interactive and sharable online content using rich media tags from ThingLink. I was looking for an easy way to embed sound and video in my exported mind maps and make them more interactive on the web. My preferred mind mapping software has not feature this option (yet). But recently, I discovered a very simple tool to do it on top, just in a few clicks. It's straight forward, it is called ThingLink and I wanted to share it with you. Let me explain you how to turn your mind maps (or any other image) into attractive, interactive and shareable online content using rich media tags.

Think outside the box

People are often asking me how many different tools I’m using to draw my creative mind maps and how much difficult it is. I might surprise you with my answer but actually I’m using only a few and it is easier than it seems. Indeed, innovation can be as simple as considering two tools such as iMindMap and ThingLink which were not initially designed to work together but once combined, offer you a new dimension to explore and create. I have already addressed this subject in my previous posts  Beyond limits of software and Creative mind maps are also possible with computers. Most of the time the solution is not in one application. We are living in an open world. Open your mind, be curious and go outside the box which is imposed by your software. (R-)Evolution is somewhere there.

About the tagging tool
ThingLink is a Finnish-American provider of in-image interaction tools. It’s a tool that makes it easy to add clickable tags to any image on the web and share them on social networks. When linked with a URL to one of the rich media enabled sites, a tag (bubble) is created for the related content. These tags will then be revealed every time a viewer scrolls their mouse over the uploaded image.

ThingLink technology changes how people engage with photos by transforming them from a static image, into a navigational surface for exploring rich, relevant content that enhances the viewer’s knowledge and experience. It's free for the first 50 images you tag.

ThingLink’s exclusive Rich Media Tags feature popular media players, apps and websites -- from YouTube, Vimeo, TED, SoundCloud, Google Maps, Spotify, FlickR, Instagram, TwitPic, Imgur, Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Amazon, eBay, BestBuy, iTunes, Etsy, Mailchimp, ThrillCall, Eventbrite and FanBridge (visit ThingLink blog for most recent information and updates). Marketers can also create links inside images to anywhere on the Internet and build custom, branded tags using ThingLink’s smart app developer tools. ThingLink tag supports the Open Graph API, enabling publishers of newspapers, magazines and blogs to feature content as rich media tags on interactive images. For web sites using Open Graph, ThingLink Smart Tags automatically convey a story post with a post title, image and source. 

Interact with the mind map
Mouse over the picture here below and discover an interesting way of interacting with a mind map. You will find various pieces of content I selected from my personal library and from some of my peers. Who knows? You might have been tagged! Check it and share it.

Interactive mind map with ThingLink

Click here if you want to access a larger version of the interactive map.

Add tags in a few clicks

Here are very simple steps you can use to turn your mind map into an interactive one:

1. Create an image file of your mind map;
2. Identify and collect the URLs of the different rich media enabled sites you want to embed (all URLs are supported but not all will reveal a rich media tag);
3. Sign up for ThingLink. It's free!
4. Upload your mind map image (from your drive, Facebook, FlickR or from a URL on the web);
5. Edit your tags. It is as simple as clicking the image at the exact place where you want the tag to appear and paste the associated URL. You can also add a description that will appear inside the bubble;
6. Save your tagged image on your dashboard;
7. Share your image with your network. You can also track the traffic it generates;

If you need more information about the type of tags that are supported, there is a presentation about Rich Media Tags on SlideShare or this video on Youtube. The support section on ThingLink website is also providing very good information and explanations.
I hope I could unlock some creativity blockers you might face. I'm sure you are now ready to achieve new things with your mind maps and bring them to a different level. Would you have examples you want to share, do not hesitate to post here below. Your feedback is appreciated. It's a very important support for going further and give you more articles like this one.

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The food pyramid revisited with a mind map

I revisit with this article the food pyramid with a creative mind map. I extended it to a new piece of educational content that you will be able to use for informing or teaching kids, students or patients. I offer you all the resources and explanations so that you can operate in the classroom or at home in the best conditions, with the maximum of efficiency and return. I propose to revisit with this article the food pyramid with a creative mind map. I extended it to a new piece of educational content that you will be able to use for informing or teaching kids, students or patients. As usual, I offer you all the resources and explanations so that you can operate in the classroom or at home in the best conditions, with the maximum of efficiency and return.

About the food pyramid

This triangle-shaped nutrition guide is divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. The most known food pyramid was introduced by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was established in 1994 to improve the nutrition and well-being of Americans, by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers. It was updated in 2005 with a program called MyPyramid, and then replaced in 2011 by MyPlate.

Many other countries and organizations have also published food pyramids with different purposes and alternatives (or controversy) in the sections and for different target audiences. Food pyramids are commonly used to teach individuals how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. It’s also widely used in schools under various formats (game, poster, etc) to inform and educate kids.

Although water is typically recommended in plentiful amounts, it is treated in very different ways by different food guides. Some exclude the category, others list it separately from other food groups, and yet others make it the centre or foundation.

Escape from the pyramid
Starting from the food pyramid illustration - the most widely used version of it, excluding water - I have imagined and designed a new creative mind map. Each portion is shaped by a freeform branch radiating from the centre and representing one of the food groups. Sub-branches provide additional information about the importance of a group, the products that belong to it and the role it plays in our daily diet.

The food pyramid revisited with a mind map

Beyond the nice and innovative representation of the pyramid, I have created a true digital mind map file which comes with the following benefits:

• Access, store and share easily
• Edit, modify and customize according to the needs and the audiences
• Ready-to use resource for interactive devices (whiteboard, tablet, projector)

The mind map, along the branches, lets you escape the pyramid while staying connected. As soon as you have this access to the white space, it’s an open door for generating more ideas and connecting more information.

You can download the mind map file for iMindMap from the Biggerplate platform.

Suggestions for home or classroom workshops
I’m offering to you a digital resource that you will be able to operate in various ways, according to your objectives and your target audience (age, business activity ...). Here are a couple of suggestions how to use it in workshops:

#1 - GUESS THE PYRAMID
From an empty picture (only the pyramid outline where all keywords and images are deleted), invite students to guess what are the food groups, what are examples of associated products and what could be the role of each group in the diet. If participants don’t know, you can propose to use the mind map for brainstorming for a while, generating ideas, presenting their findings, dialoguing with the rest of the group, completing the mind map. As a facilitator, your role is to guide them toward the right answers and to ensure they leave the exercise with the expected knowledge and interest. According to the technology installed in your classroom, you may ask the participants to work on the mind map with an interactive or smart device (whiteboard, iPad, laptop, etc), using iMindMap software. If it is not (yet) possible, I hope you will be inspired by the approach for proposing the same kind of exercise on paper. Your audience will remember this moment of collaborative research, interactive content creation and creative learning with a new type of education material.

#2 - THE PYRAMID PUZZLE

For younger audience, organise a puzzle activity that consists to place each food products in the correct food group. I designed the pyramid with a set of product images (all coming from the public domain and royalty free, mainly downloaded from the openclipart.org). Place all the images outside the pyramid and remove the sub-branches. Ask the participants to drag and drop the products on the appropriate section (branch) of the pyramid (map). If you have a projector and a magnetic board in your classroom, you can prepare magnets that can be placed on the projected pyramid (for your paper cut, you can download the collection of images here). If you can project on a table, it’s even better. Ask the kids to bring samples of food or empty package from home. Then ask the participants to place them on the pyramid. You can also use fake products usually coming with a grocery toy. Throughout the game, you will provide additional information about the different food groups and their role. This unique experience will have a higher impact on your participants thanks to the support used (both hardware and software), the visual and kinesthetic learning offered by the approach and the collaborative dimension of the activity.

#3 - PRESENT THE PYRAMID

Another possibility is to use the creative mind map as a support for your lesson or explanation. With projection facilities in your classroom and the presentation mode offered by the iMindMap application, you audience will benefit from a rich content with an engaging support. You may present and discuss the pyramid step by step (branch by branch) without revealing the whole content at once. The creative and artistic side of the pyramid should trigger more interest and arousal than a usual material, which will stimulate the acquisition, the retention and the recall of the lesson.

The future of digital curriculum
I was not surprise and even pleased to hear last week that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has received $1.5 million to support a new centre seeking to integrate the arts into university curriculum and research. It matches pretty well my vision of the future of educational and entrepreneurial worlds. I’m using this triangle of art, science and technology in each piece of work I’m delivering throughout this blog.

From an artistic point of view, I’m always adding a creative dimension to the mind maps, as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and ideas, offering you a mean for exploring and appreciating the material. From a scientific point of view, I will more and more explain the mental processes behind the mind mapping activity and how it relates specifically to pedagogy science. Finally, from a technology point of view, I always put my work in perspective with the world of software (e.g. iMindMap) and hardware (e.g. interactive devices), offering opportunities to use the material with the latest technologies with a minimum of investment. 

My goal (and challenge) is to invite you to consume a new, innovative and creative educational curriculum, made of ready-to-use mind map resources that you will be able to operate within this revolutionary digital world and create unique experience with your audience. Do not hesitate to share some of your success stories and feedback with me and the community. Your ideas about topics that I could revisit are also welcome.

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Dot to Dot puzzle with iMindMap

Discover another unexpected and out-of-the-box usage of iMindMap. Offer to your kids a great interactive application for solving dot to dot puzzles. It's a fun and educative way to introduce iMindMap to children before they start to draw mind maps.

Connect the dots, also known as dot to dot or join the dots is a form of puzzle made of a sequence of dots, labelled with numbers, letters or other symbols. In order to discover and reveal the final picture (outline) you must connect the dots with a line in the right order. Dot to dot worksheets are a fun way for kids to learn their numbers and their alphabet. It’s also an efficient way to improve hand-eye coordination. Connect the dots puzzles cover a wide range on fun themes and range in difficulty from preschool to grade school level. It’s possible to go beyond a standard numbering and propose to count by 2, by 5, by 10 or to count with Roman numerals. Teachers may also like to include them as part of their curriculum.

As you know, the digital world is growing at a phenomenal rate. This means that the coming generations of children will probably use less and less paper and might clearly prefer to work on digital devices. Whether we like it or not, it’s the reality and we must prepare ourselves and our progeny to cope with this change. This said, it would make sense then to look for dot to dot interactive websites or software applications that kids could use with a stylus or their fingers directly on the screen. Of course they exist and you may have to pay for it or support obtrusive ads online (check Google Play or  iTunes apps libraries for some examples). However, I have a better proposal, probably unexpected, but more creative and more flexible: use iMindMap software from ThinkBuzan.

iMindMap is indeed a mind map software. But it is also one of the most intuitive application for drawing art lines (branches) from dots (connection points), which is the primary and unique goal in a connect the dots puzzle. It’s a future-proof (and still evolving) application, delivering a well designed environment for touch screen and smart devices. Your kids like to play with the iPad or any other tablet or smart phone then have a look at iMindMap Freedom, the latest product from ThinkBuzan (access all your maps wherever you are). Why not introduce iMindMap interface to children with this fun and educative exercise? I am sure they will amaze you with their facility to interact with the device and with the software in order to solve the puzzle. Later you will have no problem to move forward with the creation of true mind maps. Here is the one created by my 8 years old son.

All you have to do is to find a suitable dot to dot worksheet. Thousands of fun and educative resources are available online (check useful links here below). Then proceed with the following:

• Open “Dot to dot” iMindMap template I created for you (click here to download from Biggerplate) 
• Select freehand branch tool (Home->Draw->Freehand) 
• Switch off SmartLayout (Format->SmartLayout settings) 
• Check that the graphic format of your branches is set to “Fun” or "Dot to dot" (Design->Graphic ->Fun) 
• Set the zoom level (bottom right) below 50% (otherwise there will not be enough space between some pair s of dots for drawing a branch) 
• Import (copy and paste) the dot to dot image you selected into the iMindMap environment (right click the white background and then paste) 
• Enlarge the image so that it fits your screen (as large as possible) 
• Drag the image so that the central idea (small single dot I created) is aligned with the first dot of the graph (e.g. the dot labelled with “1”) 
• Centre the map on your screen (View->Fit map) 

Your puzzle is now ready. Offer it to the kid. Explain the rules, the goal and how to draw a branch between two dots. If you want to go further, you can prepare a multi-colours/multi-segments picture. Indeed, from any branch you can start another graph (with another sub-branch) using a different colour, and maybe using different symbols. Check this video and see how unexpected and creative it is to use iMindMap as a dot to dot interactive environment. I hope you will be able to re-create it without pain and have some fun with your kids. Do not hesitate to share your feedback.

Useful links for dot to dot worksheets

http://www.kidsrcrafty.com/dot-to-dot.htm
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/fun_activities/dot_to_dot/
http://www.activitypad.com/dot-to-dot.html
http://www.printactivities.com/ConnectTheDots.html
http://www.dottodotpuzzles.com/
http://www.connect-the-dots.info/

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Geography: A (mind) map of Belgium

With a mind mapping approach, your lesson is quicker and better assimilated. It however requires to respect a couple of important steps that will increase your chance to succeed. Using a concrete example, this article will explain to you how to use mind mapping in order to efficiently memorize a lesson. You will also learn what and where are Belgium provinces. Whether you created a mind map for preparing a presentation, summarizing a book or memorizing a lesson, the final result is far less important than the mental process that led to it. A mind map is a tool that can quickly become useless without good techniques. With a concrete example, this article will explain to you how to use mind mapping in order to efficiently memorize a lesson.

Define the purpose
Each mind map must be built with a purpose in mind. In the present example, the goal is to memorize how Belgium is divided in provinces, where they are located and what are their respective chief town. It’s a lesson from the 3rd year primary school program. This means that 8 years old students must learn by heart the name and the position of 20 elements on the map. Using a traditional approach, including intense and repetitive efforts, the child will finally remember the lesson. But for how long? There is no guarantee that the whole information captured will be recalled properly when needed. It all depends on the efficiency of the memorization process. With a mind mapping approach, the lesson will be quicker and better assimilated as well as more accurately recalled. In case of a lesson, the central idea usually represents the subject to be learned.

Work with the end in mind
At the very beginning of the process, there is no other choice than analysing the material which is given to you and which explains the lesson. If you want to create a mind map, you must extract the central idea  from the content as well as some topics for the first level of branches (Basic Ordering Ideas). Looking at the example of Belgium provinces, it’s very easy to build a mind map with a branch for each province and a sub-branch for each chief town.

But do you think this mind map is adapted to the initial goal? Does it provide a mean to remember the position of each element? Don’t you think this mind map is a bit boring to be easily memorized? Beyond the content, you must also think about how to draw a remarkable mind map. The first version of the mind map does not include a spatial representation of Belgium and it is also very poor in colour and images. With a bit of creativity, it’s possible to imagine the Belgium map split by provinces, each of them linked with a branch to a central idea. Each province area can also be filled with a colour in order to better identify and remember them among each others. 

If you are interested in discovering more why colour matters, you can visit ColorMatters.com, a nice website about the subject.

Personalize with storytelling
If a mind map has a purpose, it has also a beneficiary (one that benefits from the mental process of mind mapping). It can be the author him/herself or a different person. Here in the example, the ultimate user is the student who must learn the lesson. If you draw the mind map for someone else (like I'm doing), this person must absolutely be involved in the whole process, from the very beginning. Selecting colours, defining keywords and adding images must be the result of personal choices. The memorization process starts with the creation of the map and is reinforced during its completion. Once the mind map is completed with the keywords (provinces and chief towns), it’s important to enrich even more the map with images, colours, rhythm, spatial elements or with any other memory or mnemonics techniques (visit Mnemotechnics website for some of them). One way of selecting images that will fix the information in the brain is to grasp visual assets from stories that the mind map user would tell you or invent about the keywords used. I did the exercise with my son who gave his personal interpretation of the different elements. Here are a couple of sentences that came out of the discussion:

• Luxembourg is the province we cross when we go to France. Arlon is the city where “cat” aunt is living;
• Liege (cork in English) is the material used for wine bottle cap;
• Gand (glove in English) is what your hands need when it’s cold outside;
• Bruges has a famous football team;
• Namur includes the word "mur" (wall in English);
• ...

By analysing the content, the mind mapper may discover other characteristics that are worth to be highlighted. For example, my son noticed that some provinces and chief towns share the same name. Therefore, I added a "2x" logo where it applies. All those visual and emotional associations multiply the chances to remember the whole lesson as it should be. All combined, the final result is this lovely creative and inspiring map of Belgium.

Creative mind map of Belgium

Practice and memorize the mind map
Numerous studies show that physical or emotional stimuli essentially creates the same physiological condition that heightens memory retention. It’s obtained by exciting neuro-chemical activity that affects areas of the brain responsible for encoding and recalling memory (Source: Wikipedia). The emotional content and state (mood) are also very important to consider because it can have a powerful impact on memory (see Fiona McPherson article: The role of emotion in memory). Practically, the best way to memorize the lesson and the related mind map is to decompose the process in 3 main activities, ideally executed at different moments.

• Build the mind map: create, enrich, review, update the mind map. Talk about its content, about its format, about its appearance. It absolutely essential that you enjoy the process and deliver something you like. 
• Re-explain the mind map: without looking to the map, tell a story about what the mind map contains, why it's built that way, what are its specificities, what are the images that have been added and their meaning. According to your preferences, you can re-draw the map, speak out loud or even play with your hands to reproduce virtually the mind map in the air. Check what you missed and adapt the mind map if needed. 
• Test your knowledge: several times before the exam (before sleeping, during your breakfast, in the bus, ...) take a look at your mind map and check whether you still master it, meaning that you can perfectly recall each branch and sub-branch as it should be. You can also ask someone to simulate an exam in order to test your memory and your knowledge in a different context. 

Recall information
According to the levels-of-processing effect theory suggested by Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart, memory recall of stimuli is also a function of the depth of mental processing, which is in turn determined by connections with pre-existing memory, time spent processing the stimulus, cognitive effort and sensory input mode. In other words, the ability to recall correctly and efficiently the lesson totally depends on what happened during the mind mapping process. The mind map itself is not enough.

Many scientists believe that nothing is ever entirely forgotten. With the correct trigger you can remember things you thought to be long forgotten. When recalling the lesson, the first trigger is to remember the purpose and visualize the central image as well as the different branches that radiate from it. The second trigger is to select a specific branch corresponding to the piece of the map you must complete. Think back the direction of the branch, the way it is curved and colorized, which illustrations you added at the end and on top of it. With all those elements back in mind you should be then able to recall the ultimate piece of information you were looking for, the keyword written on the branch.

Learning styles

I'm not an expert in the domain, but I must at least admit that my article does not fully apply to all categories of learners. One of the most popular models of learning styles is Fleming’s VAK/VARK theory. This theory separates modes of learning into four categories: Visual, Auditory, Reading and writing, and Kinesthetic. Even though VAK is one of the most widely known learning styles, many different models have been discussed in the literature. What is important to note here is that the technique I’m teaching mainly focuses on the visual dimension. I’ve already started to work on studies that will demonstrate how mind mapping techniques can also be used for other categories of learners.

Willing to hear from you
Don’t hesitate to test the technique and share your experience here. I’m also interested to read professional’s feedback (teachers, psychologists, ...) and get their recommendations to go further in my studies. I plan to post more articles about successful mind mapping experiences. if you are interested, we can easily stay connected via different channels:

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 Philippe Packu on Facebook

 Philippe Packu on Linkedin

For those who are interested in the iMindMap file, it is uploaded on the Biggerplate platform and accessible on http://www.biggerplate.com/mindmaps/7RmsW9LA/philippe-packu-how-to-memorize-a-lesson-belgium-geography 

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Watch my map and map your watch

This article illustrates again how flexible iMindMap software is. Discover new creative mind maps and a unique interactive clock. Use this nice interface for delivering exercises when teaching how to read a clock. For young people and kids, a computer is not a new technology. It’s just a technology because they are born with it and it’s part of their life from the first day. This is not surprising if kids take more pleasure in doing their homework on a computer. My son is not an exception and I will show you in this article what kind of computer based environment I have developed in order to teach him how to read a clock. 

Some people forget (or never learn) how to read an old-fashioned, mechanical analogue clock. My son is currently learning it at school and has homework about it. Although it seems obvious, he has still some difficulties to tackle all the possible cases. I looked at the lesson he received. No much to say about it except that it is not very colourful and creative. When we were doing the exercises together, I also saw the limits of working on paper. I had to use many times the eraser and duplicate (redraw) several times a blank clock.

Learning how to read a clock is a typical case where you can use a tool to stimulate children attention and pleasure. You can find many books or small toys that propose to play with a physical support with needles. It’s more efficient than a sheet of paper and a drawing. You can scene as many cases and you want.

I could not find back such a toy at home and I was not really motivated to build it myself. I was wondering instead if I could not find websites that were providing a similar support in a digital environment. But before I even started to search for it, another idea came to my mind. Why not do it with iMindMap, the mind map software.

Looking back to a previous post I wrote about creating a timeline, I remembered that it was possible to create sharp lines. I was even more convinced when I thought about graphs that my peer Hans Buskes usually draws with iMindMap. Indeed, the short and the long hands are simply two straight branches radiating from the centre. If you add a clock in the background, you get an interactive clock. Children can play with it on the computer indefinitely. 

In order to package both theory and exercises all together, I also created two additional mind maps. The first one is about reading the hours. On most clock faces, there are two hands, and one is longer than the other. The short hand tells you what hour it is. Here is a creative map showing the different positions of the clock hands. 

How to read a clock (hours) - mind map

The second mind map is about minutes and more specially quarters of hour. There are twelve numbers on the clock face, and each number represents five minutes. Beginning at twelve, count five minutes for every time the long hand passes a bigger number. If the long hand is on the 3, it is 3 x 5, or 15 minutes past the hour (one quarter). In the meantime, the short hand is also moving proportionally between two hours (a quarter of the distance between 2 numbers). If the long hand is on the 6, it is 6 x 5, or 30 minutes (half an hour) and the short hand is exactly between the two numbers. When the long hand move on the 9, it’s 45 minutes past the hour (three quarters). If the long hand is on 12, it’s the exact hour and the small hand is exactly showing the number. 

How to read a clock (minutes) - mind map 

If you need to know the time more specifically, some clock faces have four markers between each number. Each marker signifies an additional minute. If there are no markers, look at where between the numbers the long hand is pointing. 

So, on top of the theory, I also prepared some exercises you can do with your kids. It’s basically a list of empty clocks where both short and long hands must be adjusted in order to reflect the time indicated below. In order to proceed, the user grasps one of the branches end point (blue circle) and move it wherever it should be. Once completed, you can review, correct and comments. You can also change the value in the different text boxes in order to create additional exercises. Here is a video of the exercise in action. 

As you can see, it’s another out-of-the-box usage of iMindMap. No need to search the web for specialized websites, because with a bit of creativity, it’s possible to do it with this unique mind map software. I particularly like this approach because it creates again strong associations in my son’s head. Using colours and branches re-enforce the message for a better memorization and recall. He also likes to play with the computer and therefore homework becomes more pleasant. Being able to move the clock hands wherever you want, as much time as needed, is less restrictive than on paper. The human-machine interface has not been specifically designed for that purpose but it works fine. I hope you will enjoy this quite innovative handbook on how to read a clock. Do not hesitate to tell me what you think about it and how it works for you if you decide to test it. 

For those who are interested by the iMindMap file, it is uploaded on the Biggerplate platform and accessible on http://www.biggerplate.com/mindmaps/4QQcVcxR/philippe-packu-how-to-read-a-clock-creative-handbook

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Map your organisation with a chart in iMindMap

Discover how you can quickly create a nice looking organisation chart with iMindMap from ThinkBuzan. The tool will also allow you to present your charts and store them centrally. Throughout my explanations, I will highlight the different features you will use in order to get a professional result.

In this article, I will explain how you can quickly create a nice looking organisation chart with iMindMap from ThinkBuzan. The tool will also allow you to present your charts and store them centrally. Throughout my explanations, I will highlight the different features you will use in order to get a professional result.

I must admit that conventionally we use poor organisational chart diagram in order to present the composition of a team, a department or even a company. On the market, you will easily find software’s that support this type of diagram. If you plan to use iMindMap or if you are already using it, this application can support the diagram as well. The easiest approach is to build the diagram from left to right instead of bottom to top. Indeed, from a mind map perspective, it’s easier to connect texts at the right (or left) of the central idea. Let me explain you how to exploit one by one some of the key features of the application (you can find here a full list of iMindMap features and details).

Box Branches and “Speed Mind Map”

In a standard organisation chart, elements are usually represented by boxes. In order to create your mind map with such boxes, you can use box branch. This branch type has also the advantage of supporting multi-lines. If you need to type both the team name and its leader for instance, it’s possible by adjusting the box width accordingly. You can also force the return line feed with <CTRL> + <ENTER> inside the box.

Because the layout is secondary at this stage, you should focus first on the content. Your central idea represents the top of the organisation you are drawing. With the “speed mind map” mode, you will create your chart in just a few seconds. By exclusively using the keyboard, enter the hierarchy of people. If you want to create a child box branch, hold the <SHIFT> key and press the <TAB> one. If you want to create another branch at the same level (when entering team members for instance), hold the <SHIFT> key and press the <ENTER> one as many times as needed.
SmartLayout and Clean Up

You can now arrange the layout. Move all the branches on the right (or left) side of the central idea. In the Format->Layout menu, adjust the SmartLayout settings. One way of doing is to turn SmartLayout on and set all cursors to the right. You will get straight lines, spaces between boxes and auto-adjustment while updating the chart. Personally, I prefer to keep some flexibility on the layout so I recommend to turn-off auto-condense (last cursor on the left) and keep branch curve (first cursor half way).

In order to get your mind map quickly and automatically re-arranged, you can use the Clean up feature. It’s in the Format->Layout menu. The software will use the SmartLayout settings and will apply it to all your branches, delivering a clear and well formatted diagram.

Control Points, Branch Pins and Expand/Collapse

If you don’t like the branches radiating around the central idea, I propose that you use the first control point of each main branch and drag it outside the box at mid-height. You will flatten the first level of branches and the diagram will look more like an organisation chart.

If you want to protect your layout against unintentional changes, you can pin some of your branches so that it sticks to the board and they cannot move anymore. You can unpin a branch at any time. Both functions are available in the Format->Layout menu.

You will also notice the +/- icon on your branches. It allows you to expand and collapse the underlying level of branches. This can be very useful especially when you have modeled a big department with many teams and members. You can hide the Expand&Collapse icon (and several others) with the View->Show & Hide menu.

Styles

Using the Design menu, you will benefit from additional functionalities that will enhance the look and feel of your chart. You can use predefined layout but this can damage the layout you have already put in place. Instead you can adapt several dimensions using the top right menu. Indeed, you can change the Font option (e.g. Calm), the Colours scheme (e.g. Decorous) and the Graphics style (e.g. Fun, which will increase the width of your branch and drop a shadow). If you want, you can also create and save your own options in each of the category.

Sketch

Now that your chart is finished, why not adding some pictures to it. The box branch supports an embedded sketch. I recommend that you prepare member's photos outside iMindMap, using another editor. Once your photos are ready, ideally with a consistent shape and format, you can simply paste them on the different boxes. You can also edit the central idea picture in case you need to add photo there as well. To do so, you will select the central idea and use the Insert->Sketch menu.

Organisation chart with iMindMap

MultiMaps and Relationships

Why not using the limitless workspace within iMindMap to manage several departments and teams simultaneously and still maintain the clarity and ‘whole picture’ effect. Your maps can be as elaborate and as large as you decide because you can create as many central ideas on your canvas as you wish.

Relationships can also come in very handy when you’re working with MultiMaps, acting as an anchor between connected maps. You can document your organisation with high level views and more detailed ones, using relationships for navigating among the different levels or divisions of your company.

Presentation view

You may need to present your charts from time to time. iMindMap can animates your map branch by branch and takes your audience on a journey through your teams and team members. The screen will pan around your map, zooming in and out on branches, showing your elements growing and taking shape. You will keep your audience engaged with a presentation that not only looks great, but gets the message across clearly and logically.

ThinkBuzan Cloud (Beta)

Organisation charts are typical assets that evolve in time. Ideally, it should be stored and accessed centrally. You can simply save your diagrams in the secure ThinkBuzan Cloud and you will be able to access them from iMindMap desktop or iMindMap Online on any other computer. Once safely tucked in the ThinkBuzan Cloud your maps will be automatically synced whenever you work on them.

As you can see, iMindMap proposes many features for designing and maintaining professional diagrams. A mind map is not an organisation chart but reversely, you can draw such a diagram with a mind map tool. Let me know if you tried yourself. Share your experiences and comments with me and others here on the blog.

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