Topic
I am having to explain computational thinking all the time. My chapter 1 deals heavily with CT so I decided to create a mind map to show the levels and connections
Tool Selected
I decided to use GitMind because it was one of the least irritating. Most tools for this purpose seem keen on trying to upsell in the most irritating EdTech way possible. GitMind sounded like GitHub which I like so…. tried that one.
Challenges Faced and Overcome
I needed to take a very hierarchical taxonomy and create a nice flow and some useful connections. The tool was web-based and easy enough to use. This sort of thing isn’t all that challenging as far as tech tools go. Just irritating in an EdTech sense. I like the no-nonsense Audrey Watters take on EdTech.
Recommendations
This was the most painless tool I could find for mind mapping. I honestly think white boards or chalk paint on table tops are a better way to do this sort of visual thinking. But this one was not painful to use.
Reflection
I personally like analog solutions for this sort of visual thinking. Mind mapping is not a technique I thoroughly enjoy. In fact, I have some reservations about the theoretical underpinnings of mind mapping as knowledge creation. That being said, this was a moderately useful task to perform. And I have a nice graphic to use if needed.