MindNode – Mind Ma‪p

MindNode – Mind Ma‪p is an app for mobile and Mac iOS that can help students organize their thoughts into simple visual concept maps. The main screen is a blank canvas with an empty "node." Tap on it to give it a title, and it becomes the central idea or topic. Then create "child" nodes that branch out from the main idea as you start to include details. Students can tap and drag nodes to move them, group them in different ways, and create cross connections.

There are lots of ways to enhance the mind map. Include stickers or images with the text. Type up notes or include URL links for the nodes to flesh out the basic text. Add tasks to create a checklist of things to do. Change the overall style so that it looks exactly how you want it to. Export mind maps to view as read-only in a variety of different file formats, or share through the device's sharing options. Creating a basic mind map is free, but the extra features are available only with a subscription.

Using MindNode - Mind Map requires some level of ease with written language and with using digital tools. There's a short tutorial to go through upon first opening the app, but it's very basic. Beyond that, there's lots of how-to support to tap into if teachers or students want to learn about all the different features. The free version can easily stand on its own, but extra features require a subscription.

MindNode - Mind Map's strength is that making the most basic kind of map is pretty straightforward -- and it all looks good. The app wasn't designed specifically for use in the classroom, and it certainly wasn't designed with kids in mind. Though the developers offer a handful of real-life examples of how people can use a mind map, there are no clear examples for how making one, or using this particular app, can be useful -- that'll be up to teachers to figure out. That said, the interface is clean, and if students stick to the most basic functions, it's also relatively easy to use.

As students branch out and look to the various icons, menus, and submenus to create more complex maps, things can get more complicated. The developers have lots of support, including a massive user guide, but not all teachers and students will have the patience to learn all the nuances. If teachers stick to the free version, many of those other features are actually not available, which helps keep students to the basic features. But, on the other hand, that also keeps the maps quite simple, and limits the ways that students can personalize their ideas and their visuals. In general this digital mind-mapping tool has potential for being a flexible way for students to organize their ideas -- that is, if they can figure out how to use it.