Webspiration: Online Visual Thinking Tool | myWebspiration via kwout

myWebspiration is very robust and the most fully featured of the three mind mapping applications. The list of it’s capabilities is impressive and includes the ability to:

• add hyperlinks
• images
• color changing
• clip art (although I am against such things, but I am a graphic guy which makes me very picky)
• converting lists to mind maps
• line customization
• collapsible maps
• collaboration
• notes for specific bubbles
• etc.

So what’s not to like with this fantastic application that seems to do everything? Although it may seem like everything to everyone and has all the functionality of the first two I reviewed and more, all the functionality comes at a big cost, usability. It is, by far, the hardest application to use of the three and surprisingly doesn’t have a very robust export or embed feature. If you are OK with an extra 10 minutes of learning time though you can unlock much of the power of myWebspiration and create great mind maps.

My pick for best Mind Map tool is (drum roll can be heard in background) Bubbl.us! Why? It is the best blend of incredible ease of use and its collaborative nature. There may not be all the bells and whistle but it looks good and when I invite someone to come and use it I know they will be able to figure it out with little to no instruction.

How can mind maps be used in education?

1. quickly mapping out complex plans like websites, marketing plans, business plans,
2. A more visual way of representing a idea
3. Give an overview of a plot line of a story
4. show relationships between groups or individuals
5. show relationships between almost anything i.e. (galaxies, solar systems, planets, moons, asteroids) or (the food chain).
6. show a business hierarchy or any hierarchy for that matter.
7. Mind maps can increase creativity for any area (even mathematics) by helping you think outside the box and make associations that you may not have thought about before.

What are your ideas for how to use mind maps?