Brainstorming Digitalized

Brainstorming is a common classroom technique that encourages creative thinking.  There are many different purposes of brainstorming and many different ways that teachers can engage their students in brainstorming.  I recently read an article ‘Brainstorming Techniques for Left Brains and Right Brains’ and could see where students with different learning styles could definitely benefit from the use of brainstorming, especially if it could be digitalized to allow for easy manipulation of the ideas that are generated.

So, here we go:

Classroom Technique: Brainstorming
Purpose: To generate ideas about a topic, whether you are trying to solve a problem, write a story, create a list, or determine everything the class knows about a topic.

Ways to digitalize:

Brainstorm using Mindmaps:

There are many web 2.0 mindmap apps out there, most free and extremely easy to use. They also allow you to collaborate and share them so that more than one person can add and edit your mindmap. I like the idea of using mindmaps with our students. It gives students a visual for their ideas, which assists our students who are more ‘right brain’, as well as our visual learners.

How to do it?

Depending on your purpose, you could create a whole class mindmap by using a computer and LCD projector. Students could brainstorm lists individually or in cooperative groups,  then compile a class list together.  After the ideas have been generated you could then manipulate and analyze them. If you have access to laptops, or a computer lab individual students could create their own mindmaps on various subjects, again depending on your purpose.

Great web 2.0 apps to use:

I personally looked into three different ones available on the web.  All three are free, but the first two win my top votes due to the fact that the third is only free for a basic service (which doesn’t offer as much components as the first two).

BEST: Mind42.com
This is the mindmap I used here to create my brainstorm on mindmaps. This application is easy to use, free, easy to share and collaborate, can be exported easily and you can attach notes and links. You can go directly to the mindmap above by clicking here:Brainstorming

VERY GOOD: bubbl.us
This is again a very easy mindmap to use. I like the way you have more freedom to link ideas and manipulate them.  It is also easy to share and collaborate, can be exported easily, and you can set a print area.  Only downside is that you can’t attach links or notes to the ideas. (but for a classroom brainstorm where you wouldn’t need them this is a great application)

GOOD: Mindmeister.com
I liked this mindmap, the only reason it is last here is because only the basic service is free. As a free version you can only create and save three maps and you are limited as to the other features as well.  Of course, the educators fee level is quite low so if you don’t mind paying go for it.

Brainstorm using a ‘post-it’ wall:

Instead of using a mindmap, there are also web 2.0 apps out there where you can add ideas on a wall, then manipulate the notes.  My favorite for this is wallwisher.  I used this in a past post Integration Support, where others could add to my wall with their ideas.  This program also allows others to add links to their ‘notes’.

There is no doubt that brainstorming ideas is a great way to get students thinking creatively about a topic.  Taken a step further, creating visuals like mindmaps allow students to see relationships between ideas and organize them in a way that makes sense to them.  Good luck with your digitalizing and please add your other ideas below, I’d love to see how you use brainstorming in your classroom!