Mind mapping software is very useful represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around key words or idea.
Here is an example of a mind map that I created to keep track of my online applications and resources…
Mind Map
July 11, 2010
How We Learn
I have come across a few resources that do a nice job of explaining not only how the brain works, but how its processes are related to learning – sensory input, short term, and long term memory.
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Brain Basics: Know Your Brain
- http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/know_your_brain.htm
This site describes the parts of the brain and how they connect to each other to process and store information.
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How does short-term memory work in relation to long-term memory?
- http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-short-term-memory-to-long-term
An easy to read article that discusses memory formation. One among many articles in the “Mind and Brain” category at Scientific American Online Magazine.
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Memory Loss and the Brain
- http://www.memorylossonline.com
This is an online newsletter of the Memory Disorder Project at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. It has some interesting articles on current topics and you can subscribe to the newsletter for free.
July 2, 2010
Instructional Technology Resource Sites
Here are three good resources that I use to help learn about new innovations in technology and education…
A great resource for teaching technology is www.classroom20.com.
Classroom20.com is a social network for those interested in Web 2.0 and Social Media in education. This social network is created by Ning – an online application to create your own social network. Ning was co-founded by Marc Andreessen, the co-developer of the Mosaic and Netscape browser. Because it is a social network, you can join it and be a member. If you are not a member, you can still benefit from the information.
There are four different blogs that you can subscribe to. Each member can create their own blog within the network also, so there is a lot of discussion going on that you can benefit from. But, you need to be a member in order to post a comment and to receive email notifications!
What I like about this social network is the great online events that they offer – http://live.classroom20.com/calendar.html. These events are mainly webinars on useful educational technology concepts and live interviews with experts in the field, but they do hold workshops and conferences. You can be notified of each week’s events by email if you are a member. They have several events each week, and many are recorded, so this is a great ongoing resource.
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Another good resource is Free Technology for Teachers - www.freetech4teachers.com
This is actually a Blogger blog (owned by Google), so you can subscribe to it and post comments by validating with either your Google Account or OpenID. They do have a lot of information on great free online tools for use in education and instructional technology!
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Another good resource is www.EduTechie.com.
This is a WordPress blog, developed by an Instructional Technologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It has a lot of nice categories to learn about technologies related to this field. You can comment as a guest or with account validation.
What I personally like about this blog is that the author is a fan of Google applications and their use in education. Google is one of my favorite technology companies, along with Apple.
