The following is a guest post from 11th Grader, Amy Mack:

The Value of Mind Mapping

When it comes to mind mapping, there is no limit to what you can do. I first learned about mind mapping in home school when I was about five. I have been actively mind mapping since I was seven and this is something I have learned over and over again through the years I have used this method. As a high-school student who is constantly working on projects and writing reports, I often need a way to process my thoughts into a plan of action. I have found that mind mapping has allowed me to be far more successful in my projects.

My first encounter with the Mindjet MindManager software came when I was eleven in a unique way. My sister and I had been part of a robotics team for many years and we were disappointed because our team had never won the Champions Award (the highest award possible). We had just received sponsorship from this company called Mindjet who had also given our team several licenses to their software. I have to say that I wasn’t exactly thrilled. I had no idea what this software was about and didn’t think it was important. However, my father (our team coach) convinced us to give it a try. So we all gathered around the computer to begin a mind map that would change our team.

We created two maps that day. The first map showed all of the qualifications that needed to be accomplished before a team could win the Champions Award and the second map showed all the things our team needed to do to become a top-award winning team. By the end of that day we had a plan of action (though the team was doubtful if would work).

For the next several months as we got ready for the competitions, we worked off our mind maps and followed our plan to the letter. That year, from the different competitions, we walked away with not one Champions Award but two! For the three years afterwards our team did exceptionally well because we now knew how to be a winning team.

Since that time I have used MindManager frequently to help me in my work and projects. It has become a standard item in my “software toolbox.” I have also learned that mind mapping isn’t just for adults or businesses, but also for children as well. I have seen my grades in school rise once I had a structured plan, and I am certain that it will work for other students as well.

I hope you find this information useful and inspiring. If you want to see our robotics blog, visit http://www.icarobotics.com/lego. The site has been retired but there’s a lot of good information there about robotics and how we used mind maps.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Lego Presentation
• LEGO Video Outline

Also, my father’s blog, http://www.EricMackOnLine.com has many articles on mind mapping.

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Tags: Education