Thinking Maps

show your thoughts, so you know your mind, write it down

I was first introduced to the Thinking Maps (tm) a couple of years ago and found them to be very valuable in the classroom. I liked them so much in fact, I became a certified Thinking Maps (tm) trainer. The purpose of Thinking Maps (tm) is to provide a “common visual language” in your learning community for transferring thinking processes, integrating learning, and for continuously assessing progress. They are based on fundamental thinking process:

• Defining in context
• Describing
• Compare and contrast
• Sequence
• Classifying
• Cause and effect
• Whole to part or Part to whole
• Seeing analogies

The Thinking Maps provide a visual scaffold for thinking.

• 90% of all information that comes into our brain is visual.
• 40% of all nerve fibers that connect to the brain are connected to the retina.
• 36,000 visual messages per hour may be registered by the eyes.
  • From Brain Based Learning, Eric Jensen, 1996

The Thinking Maps (tm) provide teachers an explicit way to teach thinking skills to students. In addition, the thinking maps provide students an explicit way to show their thinking. They provide a common language for thinking and thinking skills.

Each map has a consistent graphic primitive and the maps are flexible and can be structured into different configurations (i.e. The Flee map -- a tree map and flow map).

My introductory presentation on Thinking Maps.
This is a short introduction and not the complete Thinking Maps (tm) training.

Thinking Maps (tm) Gallery for SmartBoard.
To download, right Click and choose "Save Target As (IE)" or "Save Link As (FireFox)." Import into your Notebook software using the Gallery.

Thinking Maps Websites

• Thinking Maps
• Thinking Foundation
• Designs for Thinking -- Map the Mind

If you are interested in Thinking Maps (tm) training for your teachers, please contact me at madzander (at) gmail (dot) com.