RamistThomist
Puritanboard Assessor
Knight, Kam. Mind Mapping.
Mind mapping is the most important skill I have learned in the past two years. Not only has it changed how I read books and take notes, it changed how I view knowledge itself. This book by Kam Knight, although extremely basic in its presentation, has the potential to revolutionize how you experience information. I know that sounds like an infomercial, but it is true.
Mind mapping is effective because it mirrors the associative nature of the brain (or mind). The brain connects new thoughts with older ones. Although Knight does not draw this out, it is similar to how the brain always seeks coherence and patterns with information. That is where mind mapping proves helpful, as we will see below.
There are other benefits. Mind maps employ the sense of sight, allowing the student to see the main points more rapidly than in a traditional outline. If possible, use a different color for a different branch, but use the same color within the same category, as shown below.
When beginning a mind map, place the main idea in the center, drawing a box (or circle) around it. From there, when you come across a subtopic, draw a branch. From the subtopic, draw other branches, and so on. It is important to move in a clockwise manner. There is no magic in that direction, but our minds are used to reading clocks and moving in that direction.
For Reading
Before reading, preview the material. This allows the mind to work naturally in an incremental manner (which is often how we gain knowledge). As you read, note the key words. Those will be your subtopics. After reading, you can make the mind map.
For Lectures
A mind map’s greatest strength, at least for me, is its use in lectures. Knowing the topic ahead of time, place the main idea in the center of the page (and it needs to be in the center, otherwise you will likely run out of space). Listen for audible transitions: “Next,” “moving on,” etc. These will be your subpoints. If the speaker introduces a new point, or if you run out of space, use a new sheet. Ideally, you should use a new sheet for new topics.
The following is a mind map I have made of the first half of the book:
Mind mapping is the most important skill I have learned in the past two years. Not only has it changed how I read books and take notes, it changed how I view knowledge itself. This book by Kam Knight, although extremely basic in its presentation, has the potential to revolutionize how you experience information. I know that sounds like an infomercial, but it is true.
Mind mapping is effective because it mirrors the associative nature of the brain (or mind). The brain connects new thoughts with older ones. Although Knight does not draw this out, it is similar to how the brain always seeks coherence and patterns with information. That is where mind mapping proves helpful, as we will see below.
There are other benefits. Mind maps employ the sense of sight, allowing the student to see the main points more rapidly than in a traditional outline. If possible, use a different color for a different branch, but use the same color within the same category, as shown below.
When beginning a mind map, place the main idea in the center, drawing a box (or circle) around it. From there, when you come across a subtopic, draw a branch. From the subtopic, draw other branches, and so on. It is important to move in a clockwise manner. There is no magic in that direction, but our minds are used to reading clocks and moving in that direction.
For Reading
Before reading, preview the material. This allows the mind to work naturally in an incremental manner (which is often how we gain knowledge). As you read, note the key words. Those will be your subtopics. After reading, you can make the mind map.
For Lectures
A mind map’s greatest strength, at least for me, is its use in lectures. Knowing the topic ahead of time, place the main idea in the center of the page (and it needs to be in the center, otherwise you will likely run out of space). Listen for audible transitions: “Next,” “moving on,” etc. These will be your subpoints. If the speaker introduces a new point, or if you run out of space, use a new sheet. Ideally, you should use a new sheet for new topics.
The following is a mind map I have made of the first half of the book:
