Cmap Tools

CmapTools

The Cmap Tools application is a powerful thinking tool that enables students to create, publish, and collaborate on mind maps. Students in my ARW classes in Fall used Cmap Tools to summarise and react to course readings- mind maps were an alternative to written read-react journals. The benefits I observed included:

• Cmap Tools mind maps had more ideas per page compared to thinking recorded in sentence form


• Cmap Tools encourages brief, clear thinking.


• Cmap Tools prompts students to connect their ideas (summary & reaction)- to create a more unified, coherent model of knowledge.

This semester I want to explore the use of Cmap Tools to support online collaboration (pairs, small group, whole class)- to share, create, comment on, and edit work. To me, this is the possibly the most exciting aspect of Cmap Tools. I would also like to encourage students to integrate their mind maps into larger projects.

Example of Student's Work (with permission)












Getting Started
If you are interested in using Cmap Tools with your students, the instructions I sent to my classes may be useful.

About Mind Maps & Cmap Tools
This semester you need to submit a minimum of two mind maps of texts in the ELP Reader. Cmap Tools can help you create a mind map. Building a mind map is a critical thinking activity- it requires you to reflect on your reading- to analyse and critically evaluate the ideas and issues in the text. Cmap Tools is therefore a tool for thinking. An effective & valuable mind map will summarise the MAIN POINTS and your REACTIONS and show the CONNECTIONS between these ideas. Cmap Tools will support you in making a valuable record of you understanding and reactions: it will encourage you to be brief but comprehensive and to connect all your thoughts.
Getting Started with Cmap ToolsGo to this website http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/index.php
Choose the correct version for your computer (Mac or Windows).
Download the program to your computer desktop.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you are connected to the Internet BEFORE you click on the Cmap Tools icon to start the program.
Click on the download icon on your desktop and follow the installation instructions carefully. Cmap Tools is now ready to use!
Spend sometime learning to use the program- it is easy to learn the basics and kind of fun to play with too. And don't worry, you cannot break anything!
More help? Don't worry if you have a problem, email me or come & talk to me and we will fix the problem.

Links
Cmap Tools homepage http://cmap.ihmc.us/
Download application http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/
Help http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/Help/
Owen’s homepage Cmap Tools index for students/teachers http://okoj.net/moodle/ - see left sidebar

DigitALL hopes you may have found this useful & hopes you will join in future discussions.

Digital Textbooks

Hello Everyone & happy New Year! Following up the earlier message regarding digital textbooks, DigitALL has made a first attempt to put one together on Bioethics & Visions of the Future for ARW/RCA. It blends a mix of resource types from a variety of online sources, but it is very much a work in progress & would benefit hugely from your input. As always you are always invited to float new ideas and offer your expertise in any way.

To VIEW (Ctrl + click to follow links)

ARW RCA Bioethics VOF Textbook

Differences: Traditional & Digital Textbooks
I refer to Dave Cormier:

In addition to the freshness of the material, the multiplicity of voice and perspective and the fact that your textbook will never be out of date, one of the first things that would happen is a decentralization of the instructor. While the instructor would usually be responsible for the basic set of links (although I believe I’m going to be in a class soon where we start with none) gone will be the rabbit out of a hat magic that comes from controlling the flow of knowledge. Students will actually be able to add to that flow of knowledge as their research brings up new sources of course material.

Dave's view that the instructor will be decentralized may unease some of my colleagues, but it really depends on how you wish to manage such a resource. Nevertheless, the concepts he alludes to; collective intelligence & reciprocal apprenticeships, are empowering & digital textbooks may encourage greater engagement by some learners (& teachers?).

Getting started First, you will need to set up some websites to provide the content for a textbook. The ARW RCA Bioethics VOF Textbook is seeded by selected RSS/XML feeds from accounts set up at del.icio.us (various selected resources, including pics from Flickr), flickr (bioethics & future pics fed into delicious), and blogger (Owen's shared class blogs), as well as a feed from Ray Kurzweil's futurist blog. This resource & participant content is aggregated at Suprglu as the ARW RCA Bioethics VOF Textbook (you can find what content comes from where easily by going to SOURCES on the right side of the textbook).

Do not worry that you have to use the above sites, you don't at all, any website carrying an orange RSS/XML tag can be used to populate your Suprglu textbook (or any webpage displaying forever updated content).