Mind Maps
Introduction
Mind mapping is a learning, planning and organisational tool which I have been using for almost 15 years. In the past five years it has become the tool which has helped me most both professionally and personally. It is a powerful life tool and I am a strong advocate of its use in any learning environment.
Mind mapping is a learning, planning and organisational tool which I have been using for almost 15 years. In the past five years it has become the tool which has helped me most both professionally and personally. It is a powerful life tool and I am a strong advocate of its use in any learning environment.
The ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of Thinking
Mind-mapping is a thinking tool invented by Tony Buzan. It uses both sides of the brain - right and left - to use imagination and association, to allow us to organise our thoughts with great clarity and insight - and so optimises the way that our brains naturally function.
Mind-mapping for me has been a revelation and has helped me to be more productive and creative. It is a time-saver and allows me to express my thoughts simply, clearly and quickly, while also allowing me to observe the small details, as well the overall bigger picture.
It is indeed, the ‘Swiss Army knife’ of thinking, as stated by Tony Buzan. Being multi-purpose, it can change and make our lives easier in the way we learn, work and live.
I use mind-mapping extensively in my working life, and without it I would be at a great loss. I encourage you to take a look and to see how it could make a difference to your life.
More about Mind Maps
Why Mind Mapping Works
How to use Mind Maps
How to Mind Map
Maximise the Power of Your Brain
Mind Maps Make You Smarter
Mind Map Gallery
Rules for Mind Mapping
Mind-mapping is a thinking tool invented by Tony Buzan. It uses both sides of the brain - right and left - to use imagination and association, to allow us to organise our thoughts with great clarity and insight - and so optimises the way that our brains naturally function.
Mind-mapping for me has been a revelation and has helped me to be more productive and creative. It is a time-saver and allows me to express my thoughts simply, clearly and quickly, while also allowing me to observe the small details, as well the overall bigger picture.
It is indeed, the ‘Swiss Army knife’ of thinking, as stated by Tony Buzan. Being multi-purpose, it can change and make our lives easier in the way we learn, work and live.
I use mind-mapping extensively in my working life, and without it I would be at a great loss. I encourage you to take a look and to see how it could make a difference to your life.
More about Mind Maps
Why Mind Mapping Works
How to use Mind Maps
How to Mind Map
Maximise the Power of Your Brain
Mind Maps Make You Smarter
Mind Map Gallery
Rules for Mind Mapping
English Language
English is the most widely spoken language in the world. One in six people speak English. It is the official language of 54 countries. 375 million people speak it as a first language and 1.2 billion people use it as second language.
The influence of the English language across the globe is significant in many areas such as aviation, education, medicine, science and more recently, the internet.
The following simple mind map gives a brief overview of the speakers of English and how the language has come to play a major influence in our modern day society.
English is the most widely spoken language in the world. One in six people speak English. It is the official language of 54 countries. 375 million people speak it as a first language and 1.2 billion people use it as second language.
The influence of the English language across the globe is significant in many areas such as aviation, education, medicine, science and more recently, the internet.
The following simple mind map gives a brief overview of the speakers of English and how the language has come to play a major influence in our modern day society.
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate
Facts about the Human Brain
The average human brain weighs three pounds. That is the same weight as one and a half bags of sugar! The brain is three per cent of our body weight.
Water makes up 70 per cent of our human brains.
Our human brains use 25 percent of our body's blood supply and oxygen.
Brains are like 'muscles'. If we use them more they become bigger and stronger.
Neurones are brain cells and we have 10-15 billion of them between our ears! It's not the number of neurones that matters more but the number of connections between them that determines our intelligence. Our brains have at least 10 trillion interconnections. The more connections we have the smarter we are!
Our 'triune' brain is made up of three parts:
1) The 'neocortex' which is the 'thinking' part of our brains.
2) The 'mammalian' brain which is responsible for remembering and long term memory.
3) The 'reptilian' brain which is the instinctive part of our brains and is responsible for heart rate and breathing, and our 'fight or flight' response.
When we experience negative stress we enter the 'reptilian state' and it is very difficult for learning to take place.
When we are relaxed and in the alpha state, learning takes place more easily.
The 'Lateralisation Theory' explained that we had two sides of the brain: right and left, and that they would function independently of each other. The right side was the 'aRt side and the left side was the Logical side of the brain. The right side was associated with imagination, creativity, pictures, rhythm and seeing the 'bigger picture'. The left side was associated with reason, language, order and seeing the smaller details. This brain theory is now said to be too simplistic and is now out of date.
However to increase our learning, combining the left and right sides of our brain can help us to increase our learning.
It is important that we have 'a healthy mind in a healthy body'. We need to eat well. That means eating a well balanced diet, eating a good breakfast, eating the right foods to give us the energy for our bodies and brains to use. We also need to exercise regularly. This helps to increase the blood supply and oxygen to our brains. Exercise also helps us to relax and to be more creative. Finally our bodies and brains need a good rest because during sleep our bodies rest and our brains process what we have learnt. Sleep deprivation will reduce our ability to learn and reduce our ability to retain information.
This mind map simply reviews the physical and physiological facts about the brain which you have just read.
The average human brain weighs three pounds. That is the same weight as one and a half bags of sugar! The brain is three per cent of our body weight.
Water makes up 70 per cent of our human brains.
Our human brains use 25 percent of our body's blood supply and oxygen.
Brains are like 'muscles'. If we use them more they become bigger and stronger.
Neurones are brain cells and we have 10-15 billion of them between our ears! It's not the number of neurones that matters more but the number of connections between them that determines our intelligence. Our brains have at least 10 trillion interconnections. The more connections we have the smarter we are!
Our 'triune' brain is made up of three parts:
1) The 'neocortex' which is the 'thinking' part of our brains.
2) The 'mammalian' brain which is responsible for remembering and long term memory.
3) The 'reptilian' brain which is the instinctive part of our brains and is responsible for heart rate and breathing, and our 'fight or flight' response.
When we experience negative stress we enter the 'reptilian state' and it is very difficult for learning to take place.
When we are relaxed and in the alpha state, learning takes place more easily.
The 'Lateralisation Theory' explained that we had two sides of the brain: right and left, and that they would function independently of each other. The right side was the 'aRt side and the left side was the Logical side of the brain. The right side was associated with imagination, creativity, pictures, rhythm and seeing the 'bigger picture'. The left side was associated with reason, language, order and seeing the smaller details. This brain theory is now said to be too simplistic and is now out of date.
However to increase our learning, combining the left and right sides of our brain can help us to increase our learning.
It is important that we have 'a healthy mind in a healthy body'. We need to eat well. That means eating a well balanced diet, eating a good breakfast, eating the right foods to give us the energy for our bodies and brains to use. We also need to exercise regularly. This helps to increase the blood supply and oxygen to our brains. Exercise also helps us to relax and to be more creative. Finally our bodies and brains need a good rest because during sleep our bodies rest and our brains process what we have learnt. Sleep deprivation will reduce our ability to learn and reduce our ability to retain information.
This mind map simply reviews the physical and physiological facts about the brain which you have just read.
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate
Multiple Intelligences
This mind map on Multiple Intelligences is based on Professor Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences which was published in 1983.
This mind map on Multiple Intelligences is based on Professor Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences which was published in 1983.
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate
The Happiness Advantage
The Happiness Advantage is a book written by positive psychology researcher Shawn Achor. He explains that society's formula for success is broken and that it is not working harder and becoming successful that will make us happier. He shows us that happiness is actually the precursor for success and that our minds work better when we are happier. Achor also discusses practical ways of boosting our happiness and consequently increasing our outcome of success.
I highly recommend Shawn Achor's book:
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work.
You can also see him give a talk on The Happiness Advantage at TED (2011):
The Happy Secret to Better Work.
The Happiness Advantage is a book written by positive psychology researcher Shawn Achor. He explains that society's formula for success is broken and that it is not working harder and becoming successful that will make us happier. He shows us that happiness is actually the precursor for success and that our minds work better when we are happier. Achor also discusses practical ways of boosting our happiness and consequently increasing our outcome of success.
I highly recommend Shawn Achor's book:
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work.
You can also see him give a talk on The Happiness Advantage at TED (2011):
The Happy Secret to Better Work.
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate
Learning
This mind map is an overview of the main ideas from Paul Hayden's excellent little book - The Learner's Pocketbook.
Some branches are closed and can be viewed better using this link:
Learning Mind Map of 'The Learner's Pocketbook'
This mind map is an overview of the main ideas from Paul Hayden's excellent little book - The Learner's Pocketbook.
Some branches are closed and can be viewed better using this link:
Learning Mind Map of 'The Learner's Pocketbook'
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate
8 Secrets of Success
In 2005, Richard St John gave a very short but wonderful TED talk on the subject of what leads to success. This mind map simply summarises his findings after his seven years and 500 interviews of successful people. Richard St John's talk, 8 Secrets of Success, is highly recommended and well worth watching.
In 2005, Richard St John gave a very short but wonderful TED talk on the subject of what leads to success. This mind map simply summarises his findings after his seven years and 500 interviews of successful people. Richard St John's talk, 8 Secrets of Success, is highly recommended and well worth watching.
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate
How to Nurture a Child in the 21st Century
Raising a child has never been any easy feat - you can ask any parent. And to raise a child in the 21st century is a responsible full time challenge indeed. The pace of change of life is ever increasing, and to prepare a child for the future, which is always uncertain, we must do our utmost as parents - to provide our children with the right character, soft skills and set of mental skills which will enable them to adapt to any situation they might face in their future lives. This mind map is an outline of my personal thoughts on how to advise any parents in the subject of child nurturing. I hope this mind map will serve parents well.
Raising a child has never been any easy feat - you can ask any parent. And to raise a child in the 21st century is a responsible full time challenge indeed. The pace of change of life is ever increasing, and to prepare a child for the future, which is always uncertain, we must do our utmost as parents - to provide our children with the right character, soft skills and set of mental skills which will enable them to adapt to any situation they might face in their future lives. This mind map is an outline of my personal thoughts on how to advise any parents in the subject of child nurturing. I hope this mind map will serve parents well.
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate
Thinking
This mind map gives an overview of the different types of thinking that we use everyday. Many of us do not really think about our thinking and it is something which is not really explored during our formal learning. I hope this 'Thinking' mind map, which is largely based on an excellent book written by Angelena Boden - The Thinker's PocketBook, will enlighten you and make you more aware of your thinking.
Most of the branches are closed in the image below so to view these branches fully opened you will need to go this link: 'Thinking' Mind Map
To see more mind maps click the link - Mr Richard's Mind Maps at Bigger Plate