Thing 14

Well, I have to say I was surprised when I clicked on Thing 14 today to start working on it. I choose a mind mapping website called www.bubbl.us for my Website of the Day Project. I searched forever to find one I was happy with and finally found this site. Then low and behold, here it is in the 23 Things! I guess that can only mean one thing: It's a great tool! Anyway, back to the blog at hand. I love the idea of doing mind maps online. They are such a great tool for beginning research or for class discussions of certain topics. On Gliffy and Bubbl.us, you can share and collaborate with other users. This is ideal for both teachers and students. When you are using a mind map, it's a way to organize ideas in the form of a cluster. One idea can branch off of another and so on. You normally center around a main topic and map away! When using a flow chart, I believe there is a little more order involved. It can be used for step by step directions, floor plans, and other drawings. When you are using flow charts, each symbol stands for a specific action you need to take. This is especially nice for visual learners. Mind maps are more defined by the lines that symbolize relationships between ideas.
I think I prefer the mind maps. I think Bubbl.us was much easier to put thoughts into action. Flow charts are a little more time-consuming, but worth the work once you get the finished project. I created a mind map of my goals for this semester. My center bubble was "Goals" and I used each of my classes as balloons. It was a fun way to assess what I want to accomplish this semester and I can always return later and add or delete as I go along.

I think one of the benefits of using the online applications for these programs is the fact that it's so easy to make changes and alterations. We're done with erasing and rewriting and I couldn't be happier! What took so much time to do when I was in school can be finished in seconds on the computer! In the classroom, students would be able to work together to create flow charts or mind maps, and then compare their ideas with others. These are programs that could be used for almost any grade level. I think the students would love to work on them with the teacher too. It's a fun way to use technology to its potential in the classroom!