Some thoughts on Mind Mapping

I tend to be a "linear thinker." As such, graphic organizers tend to be frustrating for me. It's a system of organization that isn't aligned with my thought process.

However, creating a mind map was a different experience than creating a graphic organizer. As my topic, I chose to explore my journey to becoming a teacher. If I had started to write this autobiographical essay without some prior organization, the essay would be in danger of becoming a rambling dissertation with no flow or direction. By creating a mind map, I was able to pinpoint the major themes of the topic and focus on the details of these themes. The mind map is a wonderful tool for condensing and organizing information so that it can be manipulated into another product, such as an essay, story, or letter.

I will be certain to use the mind map in my future classroom as a tool to help my students organize their thoughts prior to creating a written product.