Mental maps
The Mental Map is a tool that allows the memorisation, organisation and representation of the information with the purpose to facilitate the processes of learning, administration and planeación organizacional as well as the taking of decisions. What does different to the Mental Map of other technicians of legislation of information is that it allows us represent our ideas using of harmonic way the cognitive functions of the cerebral hemispheres.
The technician of the Mental Maps was developed by the British Tony Buzan with the object to strengthen the connections sinápticas that take place between the neurons of the cerebral bark and that make possible practically all the intellectual activities of the human being.
When using the Mental Map produces an enlazamiento electro-chemical between the cerebral hemispheres of such form that all our cognitive capacities concentrate on a same object and work harmoniously with a same purpose.
How they work the Mental Maps?
Thanks to that the Mental Map reproduces the natural process by means of which operates the intelligence. All the cerebral activity makes by means of connections electro-chemical designated sinápticas. By means of these connections the neurons communicate between himself forming a network of storage and processing of information. Every time that incorporate new data by the road perceptual or reflexive the connections sinápticas form “circuits of link” by which flows the new information and connects with the already existent information to be able to be “comprised”. By means of this network sináptica the brain associates the new mental contents with all the bagaje of previous knowledges attaining the assimilation of the new data to our already established diagrams. It is thus that a boy will not be able to understand that Gasparín is a friendly ghost if no before knows what is a ghost and what is the friendship. All new knowledge involves the previous knowledges.
Of equal way, when we study a subject or when we plan an activity, all the information that incorporates or produces has to be associated to a central idea or general aim as of this depends that the parts involved in the process are useful.
An isolated knowledge represents a partial knowledge whereas a reflexive knowledge, associated to other knowledges, represents an integral knowledge, much richer, easy to remember and especially useful.
To the equal that the brain, the Mental Map proceeds by means of the association of ideas: once situated the central idea give off of her by association “branches” to all the ideas related with her showing the different dimensions or appearances of a same subject. In the planeación a mental map can help us to represent gráficamente all the activities tendientes to the realisation of an aim showing us besides the “microactividades” that give off of each activity. Likewise, in the taking of decisions all the appearances to consider can be represented easily by means of a Mental Map.
How elaborate a Mental Map?
We follow these brief instructions:
1. It uses a minimum of possible words. Of preference “keywords” or better still images.
2. It initiates always of the centre of the leaf planting the central idea that will owe always develop to out of way irradiante.
3. The central idea has to be represented with a clear and powerful image that sintetice the general subject of the Mental Map.
4. It situates by means of the rain of ideas (brainstorming) the ideas related with the central idea.
5. By means of branches links the idea or central subject with ideas related or subtemas.
6. Guide you by the sense of the hands of the clock (Timing) for jerarquizar the ideas or subtemas.
7. It uses the espaciamiento (Spacing) to accommodate of way balanced the ideas or subtemas.
8. It underlines the keywords or shut them in a círculo colourful to reinforce the structure of the Map.
9. It uses letter of mould.
10. It uses the colour to differentiate the subjects, his associations or to highlight some content.
11. It thinks of three-dimensional way.
12. It uses arrows, icons or any visual element that allow you differentiate and do clearer the relation between ideas.
13. No you atores. If they exhaust you the ideas in a subtema happens to another immediately.
14. Plasma your ideas such cual arrive, do not judge them neither treat to modify them.
15. You do not limit you, if it finish you the leaf hits a new your mind does not guide by the size of the paper.
16. It uses to the maximum your creativity.
17. Involve you with your Mental Map.
18. Amuse you.
Which are the uses of the Mental Maps?
Notes: The Mental Map help to organise the so prompt information like this initiates in a form that is easy for the brain assimilate it and remember it. With a Mental Map is possible to take notes of books, conferences, meetings, glimpsed and telephone conversations.
Memory: Since the Mental Map represents and organises the so prompt ideas as they were appearing spontaneously, is easy to remember them when we resort to the Mental Map only with looking the icons or the keywords.
Development of the Creativity: Due to the fact that the Mental Maps do not possess the linear structure of the writing, the ideas flow faster and relate more freely developing our capacity to relate them of new ways.
Resolution of Problems: When we confront a personal or labour problem the Mental Map allows us identify each one of his appearances and how these relate between himself. The Map shows us different ways situate the situation problem and the tentativas of solution.
Planeación: When it plans an activity already was personal or labour the Mental Map helps us to organise the notable information and to situate the needs that have to satisfy as well as the resources with that explain. With the Mental Map can plan from the structure of a book, a thesis, a program of sales, the diary of the day and until the holidays.
Exhibition of subjects: When it has to present a subject the Mental Map can be used like guide in the exhibition. His use is highly favourable since it allows him to the expositor have the complete perspective of his subject of organised and coherent way in an alone leaf.
The Mental Map is an effective cognitive tool
That develops the capacities of the thought.
Use it.
Conceptual maps
The Maps Conceptualis are a technician used for the graphic representation of the knowledge. As it sees , a conceptual map is a network of concepts. In the network, the nodes represent the concepts, and the links the relations between the concepts.
Advantages of the conceptual maps
Significant learning
The conceptual maps were developed by the Professor Joseph D. Novak Of the University of Cornell in the years 1960, basing in the theory of David Ausubel of the significant learning. According to Ausubel "the most important factor in the learning is what the subject already knows". Therefore, the significant learning occur when a conscious person and explicitly links these new concepts to others that already possesses. When it produces this significant learning, produces a series of changes in our cognitive structure, modifying the existent concepts, and forming new links between them. This is because said hard learning more and is better that the simple memorisation: the new concepts take more time in forgetting , and apply more easily in the resolution of problems.
According to Novak, the new concepts are purchased by discovery, that is the form in that the boys purchase his first concepts and language, or by learning receptivo, that is the form in that they learn the boys in the school and the adults. The problem is that the greater part of the learning receptivo in the schools, is that the students memorise definitions of concepts, or algorithms to resolve his problems, but fail in purchasing the meaning of the concepts in the definitions or formulas.
Active learning
When it makes a conceptual map, forces to the student to relate, to play with the concepts, to that soak with the content. It is not a simple memorisation; has to loan attention to the relation between the concepts. It is an active process
Uses of the Conceptual Maps
The conceptual map can have several purposes:
.- Generate ideas (brain storming, etc.);
.- Design a complex structure (long texts, hipermedia, big web pages, etc.);
.- Communicate complex ideas;
.- Contribute to the learning integrating explicitly new and ancient knowledges;
.- Evaluate the understanding or diagnose the incomprensión;
.- Explore the previous knowledge and the errors of concept;
.- Boost the significant learning to improve the success of the students;
.- Measure the understanding of concepts.
How build a conceptual map?
1. Select
After reading a text, or selecting a concrete subject, select the concepts with which goes to work and do a list with them. Never they can repeat concepts more than once in a same representation. It can be useful write them in Post-itsTM to be able to play with them. For example, to do a simple study on the living beings:
Important note: when they use the mental maps to do summaries, the important is to familiarise with the text, and have very clear the concepts that go to use. It is necessary to encourage and avoid go back to the text one and again to measure that goes doing the list of concepts. Can go back to the text, once concluded the first selection to see if we have happened any by high.
2. Group
Group the concepts whose relation was next. Although there are places where recommends order (happen number 3) before that group, is preferable to do it first: to measure that group, there will be concepts that can put in two groups at the same time. Of this form appear the concepts more generic.
3. Order
Order the concepts of the most abstract and general, to the most concrete and specific.
4. Represent
Represent and situate the concepts in the diagram. Here the Post-itsTM can speed up the process, as well as the possible corrections. In this case, it does not do fault, since they have represented the concepts from the beginning.
5. Connect
This is the most important phase: to the hour to connect and relate the different concepts, checks if it comprises properly a matter. Connect the concepts by means of links. A link defines the relation between two concepts, and east has to create a correct sentence. The direction of the arrow says us how forms the sentence (p.And. "The cow eats grass", "The dog is an animal",...).
6. Check
Check the map: see if it is correct or wrong. In case that it was wrong to correct it adding, removing, changing of position...The concepts (another task that facilitate the Post-itsTM).
7. Reflexionar
Reflexionar On the map, and see if they can join distinct sections. It is now when they can see relations before no seen, and contribute new knowledge on the matter studied. For example, we darse of as the animals and the plants are related, since the cow eats plants.
