Brainstorming is a great tool for educational situation where you want to develop and stimulate the creative process. The idea is that a shift in thinking can occur by collecting many ideas together around a particular concept. The process itself often spurs further ideas and so the process continues.
So if we have access to iPads then what apps are available for us to utilise the benefits of mind mapping. Here are a collection of apps that your students can use to create mind maps quickly and easily on their iPads.
Mindnode: $7.99
Mindnode is a very easy and intuitive application for collecting, organising and outlining your thoughts and ideas as mind maps. Mindnode makes creating mind maps on the iPad extremely easy. Drag out a node from the well and off you go.
iThoughts HD: $9.99 US $12.99 AU
A mind mapping tool for the iPad that allows you to visually organise your thoughts, ideas and information. Great for task lists, brainstorming, project planning, goal setting, concept mapping or meeting or course notes. One of the best respected apps.
Easily create, view, edit and share mind maps in this intuitive app. Seamlessly sync with your online account. Share maps directly from your device, full drag and drop support, edit colours icons and styles. Very intuitive to use, easily used by students.
Super simple interface allows you to move at the speed of your thoughts. Capture your ideas, sort them visually, and collaborate in realtime. You can also sign up for an online account with the app featured in “New and Noteworthy”and “Whats Hot”.
Maptini: $5.99
Maptini lets you build mind maps collaboratively on your iPad, syncing data in real time as you work from anywhere. It’s a simple and intuitive tool for organising and sharing your ideas from a lecture, a project, or a brainstorming session.
Mindo: $6.99
A mind mapping tool that allows you to organise your thoughts and ideas intuitively wherever you are. External VGA equipped for presentations. Create boundaries and collapse branches, assign priorities and attributes for maximum functionality.
Ideas Sketch lets you easily draw a mind map and convert it to a text outline and vice versa. You can use Idea Sketch for brainstorming new ideas, illustrating concepts, making outlines, planning presentations, creating charts and more.
Drag and drop mind mapping tool with templates and clipboard for brainstorming or thought structuring. Large mind map support only limited by memory. Download to desktop. Styles, colour changes and border all supported within the node well.
This app allows you to use Tony Buzan’s unique interface for creating mind maps on the go. This app is only available on the iPhone right now but an iPad version is due soon. If the desktop version is part of your workflow then iMindMapPro will appeal.
A elegant solution to mind mapping for the idevice. You can instantly create and share beautiful mind maps. Intuitive touch interface with automatic layout allows for mind maps with a few simple strokes. Great colourful mind maps for students.
Thanks for your post, there were a few products I was not aware of: Total Recall, Idea Sketch. I wll check both of these out further.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if the pricing for the apps is AUD or USD but some of the prices for the apps appears to be off. iMindMap Mobile HD is the iPad version of iMindMap it is currently 32.99 USD, was released earlier this year, but the iPhone version still refers to it not being available yet, but I can assure you it is available.
IThoughtsHD is currently 9.99 USD is my primary mindmapping tool on iPad due to its ability to be synced with multiple cloud storage solutions and export/import ability to a majority of desktop mindmap applications.
Hey Tony
ReplyDeleteYou are right, the first was a typo and iThoughts is priced differently in Australia - thanks for the head up on my error.
Excellent pieces. Keep posting such kind of information on your blog. I really impressed by your blog.
ReplyDeleteSimplemind also has a free version for OSX in the app store. Nice to see it available in different places!
ReplyDeleteMagicalPad is definitely one that you might want to add here. Thank you for the info.
ReplyDeleteAny of them have the ability to make a map structure with click-able links to bring up video, audio, or pdf files?
ReplyDeleteInspiration Software will be releasing Inspiration Maps in early April 2012.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they are for these applications because ipad is just what I was looking for, there is something similar for windows? Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteI will recommend idropmind for ipad.
ReplyDeleteI think MagicalPad would be a nice fresh addition to your list. check it out. MagicalPad http://www.magicalpad.com/ is a great new app that I use. It combines mind mapping, outlining and visual note taking. It also adds tasks to the mix all in a free-form moving pieces around. it has a basic doodle tool and have iPad and Mac version with sync. Lot of flexibility for 1/10 of what you pay for older apps.
ReplyDelete