I remember a college assignment that required the creation of a mind-map. Once students got past worrying about whether they were doing it “right” or “wrong”, it was actually pretty fun to create. Mind-mapping can be a useful tool, because it helps us see the forest – the big picture – the macro-view. It’s about being aware of the connections and the inter-relatedness of things.
I think visualization tools like this can be especially useful when we’re trying to understand things that are really, really big. As many of you know, I have a strong interest in Wikipedia, the user-created online encyclopedia. I came across an amazing Wikipedia visualization this morning. I would love to see the 5′x5′ version and will probably buy the poster when it becomes available (you MUST check out that ‘buy the poster’ link – nerdy nirvana!).
Brenda Hough is the Continuing Education Consultant at NEKLS. You can reach her by email (bhough (at) nekls.org), phone, or on several instant messaging platforms (look Brenda up by her email address). Visit the 
