Using mind mapping to educate children at school is not a new idea. I used mind mapping as a study aid at school but I was only introduced to the idea when I was in secondary education.

I was recently informed that a local nursery in the West of Scotland was using mind mapping as an activity to educate the children from the ages of 3 and up.  Intrigued by the idea, I contacted the nursery manager, Wendy Blair, and asked them a few questions about mind mapping with children in the nursery.

Matthew: How did you find out about mind mapping?

Wendy: I found out about mind mapping by attending a conference by Tony Buzan.  I then researched mind mapping by visiting other nurseries and reading about it.  This was then fed back to staff at team meetings. We are still in early stages of mind mapping.

Matthew: What age are the children introduced to mind mapping?

Wendy: The children are introduced to mind mapping at the age of 3, although we are hoping to introduce this to some of the younger children on a smaller scale.

Matthew: What's a usual mind mapping session like with the children? Do they create their own mind maps or do they contribute to a single one?

Wendy: A usual mind mapping session with the children involves staff deciding on a topic i.e people who help us, and then allowing the children to decide what activities they would like to learn about.  This is then carried into the staff's monthly and weekly planning sessions to incorporate children's ideas.  The children's mind map is then placed on the wall in the playroom for the children and their parents to see.

Matthew: How do the children benefit from this kind of learning?

Wendy: Children benefit from this kind of learning as it allows them to practice using their imaginations and learn about things that are an interest to them, thus giving them ownership of what they are learning about.

Matthew: What's the feedback from parents like?

Wendy: Since using mind mapping, we have had had very good response from children and parents.  Children evaluate what they have learned by using facial expressions and the majority of response's are very good. Parents have commented that their children are now talking more about what they are learning at home.

Having seen examples of some of the mind mapping carried out by the nursery, it's a positive move to help start educating children using an alternative but extremely rewarding technique. Have you any experience or knowledge of using mind mapping as an education tool? Voice your opinions in the comments below! 

In the last couple of weeks you may have noticed a new mind mapping site in town.  MindMapArt is a new site by Adam Sicinski and Paul Foreman.  In order to get a better idea of I pitched a few questions to guys behind MindMapArt to see what it's all about.

So let's kick off with an easy one.  How did MindMapArt come about?

Adam: Initially when I was launching my Mind Mapping blog I was looking for interesting domain names. My first blog domain name was www.studymatrixart.com, however I was also considering naming it MindMapArt. I secured the domain, however didn't do anything until I started discussing a few ideas for a Mind Mapping website with Paul Foreman. I proposed that we could utilize the domain to showcase our own Mind Maps and those of other Mind Mappers. He liked the idea, and we began working on the concept.

The website was delayed several months because we couldn't find a suitable Blog template that would showcase these Mind Maps in an effective manner. Mind Mapping is very much a growing industry that is still relatively unknown to the majority of the population. We wanted to create a website that would be a little different to other Mind Mapping Galleries and showcase only the finest hand drawn and computer generated Mind Maps. No Mind Map software allowed! The MMA website is like an Art Gallery Showcasing the work of very clever and creative Mind Map artists.

Paul: Whilst there are many outstanding Mind Map galleries and directories on the web I found myself wading through dozens of Mind Maps and non Mind Map images to discover inspiring Maps both artistically and content wise. When Adam proposed the idea of Mind Map Art it was the perfect solution; highlighting creative and artistic Mind Maps in one place.

How can MindMapArt help others?

Adam: MMA showcases great creative works of wonderful Mind Mappers from around the world. It will help others in several ways. First by presenting them with wonderful creative mind maps, and secondly by presenting high quality content that can assist people in a variety of life areas.

The great thing about Mind Mapping is that it can summarize an extensive topic onto one reference single page. If you look through the categories on MMA you will see that we have Mind Maps covering a whole plethora of topics including Arts, Business, Education, Lifestyle, Offbeat, Science, Sports & Technology. Each of these categories have even more niche specific topics that help people learn about a variety of subject areas. Another great benefit of MMA is that the site links to other Mind Mapper's home pages and in most cases directly to High Resolution downloadable images of their Mind Maps. It is like a Repository or Hub for showcasing artistic Mind Maps.

Paul: MindMapArt shares best practice by exploring exciting Mind Map styles and different approaches and it highlights artistic creativity and flair from around the World. The site offers visitors high quality and visually stunning ways of presenting information in Mind Map form.

What do you hope to see in the future of MindMapArt?

Paul: I see MindMapArt as a portal for creative change and positive progress; encouraging new ideas and vibrant thinking.

Adam: As we move into the future we will be improving the usability of the site with a number of handy additions that will showcase specific Mind Map artists, their Mind Maps, and provide Mind Mappers a means Feature their work. Additionally, we would like to encourage more Mind Mappers to contribute their Mind Maps to the site.

At the moment we have 21 Mind Mappers contributing over 140 artistic Mind Maps. My hope is that the MMA site will be a key factor in helping to bring Mind Mapping into the spotlight around the web. Also as we move into the future, we plan to make the site a little more interactive (we already have the Star Ratings implemented, allowing people to rank each Mind Map out of 10). There are other plans, however we are keeping a tight lid on them for the time being.

We have also created a Mind Map Creation Service for those people who would like us to create Mind Maps about niche specific topics for their business, projects, presentations, etc. Mind Maps can be created in A4 or A3 sizes, and customers can select either Paul's hand drawn mind mapping style, or my computer generated mind mapping style. Where this Service will progress in the future, I am uncertain at this time.

What attracted you both to Mind Mapping?

Paul: For me, Mind Maps present a creative outlet to explore and share my experience and knowledge. They enable me to clarify my thinking and expand my ideas and also consolidate years of self-investigation and contemplation. When I create Mind Maps that help others it is an added bonus and incredibly rewarding.

I am absolutely certain that Mind Maps hold the key to solving many problems both on an individual level and on a worldwide scale. My hopes and visions for the future are that Mind Mapping springboards projects for achievable World change – I am certain this will happen.

Adam: When I was at University I wanted to find shortcuts that would allow me to study more efficiently. I came across Tony Buzan's Mind Mapping Book and started drawing my own Mind Maps by hand . They didn't contain many pictures, and they looked pretty bland, however it got me started and moving on the right track.

A few years later after obtaining my Life Coaching Qualifications, I decided to create computer generated Mind Maps that would guide me in my Life Coaching work. At the same time an Education Company here in Australia came across a few of my very early computer generated Mind Maps (which look nothing like I produce today) and asked me if I wanted to create A2 Educational Mind Map Posters for their students summarizing English Study Texts that students were learning in Year 12 at High School. One thing lead to the next and before I knew it my entire world was encapsulated within Mind Maps.

What's the best mind map you have seen?

Adam: For me, Mind Maps are not only about design but also about great content that can inspire and educate. There are many Mind Maps by great Mind Map artists that fall into this category.

To pick just One is very difficult to do. If I was to pick one based purely on design than it would have to be the Laugh Mind Map by Baby Orchid . This is a cleverly designed Mind Map that utilizes colors and shapes in a creative way. Other Mind Maps that impressed me most from a design and content perspective, are Luis Garcia's Brain Metaphor Mind Map , Paul Foreman's De-Clutter Mind Map and Taming Your Gremlin Mind Map .

To be brutally honest, all the Mind Maps on MMA are very impressive, otherwise they wouldn't be on the site. Each of them have something special from a design perspective that makes them standout in their own unique way.

Paul: There are dozens of wonderful Mind Maps around the World all helping to combat information overload. Among my favourites are Tony Buzan’s Exercises for Relaxation, Luis Garcia’s Brain Metaphor Mind Map, Adam Sicinski’s In Pursuit of Happiness Mind Map. Adam’s Mind Maps are particularly inspiring and it is difficult to single out one favourite. I find his Maps refreshing and I am always keen to see what he comes up with next.

Out of all the Maps I have seen so far, my all time favourite and one that really fired me up to explore Mind Mapping further is Creative Intelligence by Alan & Emily Burton which I feel is simply stunning both artistically and in its effectiveness in delivering information; for me it is the perfect Mind Map and one to aspire to.

Do you have any tips for people looking to improve on their mind mapping technique?

Paul: Make your Mind Maps personal to you; keep them simple and easy to understand. Review, revisit, incubate and revise. Have fun making your Maps, make them diverse and enjoyable to create and continually experiment and expand whilst learning from other Mind Mappers who inspire you.

Above all else aim to create Mind Maps that have value and work; the goal of any Mind Map is that it achieves what it sets out to do. If you create an artistic Mind Map and wish to share your idea and help contribute towards a timeless legacy of creative talent, you may like to submit your work to MindMapArt for consideration.

Adam: Study the Mind Maps on MMA, paying particular attention to the shapes, colors, use of images, white space, content, word spacing, branch connections, and overall design of each Mind Map. Then develop your own style of Mind Mapping that possibly molds different design techniques of other Mind Mappers - creating something unique and eye-catching that we can display on MMA!