September 3, 2010, 10:49 am

Power Brainstorming Products

Buy Power Brainstorming products here!

Newsletter Subscribers

Newsletters


Receive HTML?

Techniques & Tips
PDF Print E-mail

Special Offer from Novamind

A $375 Study Coach program Free with the purchase of a novamind license

Deadline Saturday August 14 (Australia time/date).

This excellent video-based training system has been on sale on the NovaMind web site for the last 18 months for US$375, but NovaMind have just negotiated an excellent deal with YourStudyCoach.com on your behalf...they have negotiated to buy you a place in the "Your Study Coach" training when you buy NovaMind, so you get the entire training course at no additional cost to you. This video course will teach you how to learn, and also very importantly, how to unlearn. The course teaches you:
How to correctly memorize information
How to read at greater speeds while still maintaining comprehension
How to switch on the thinking part of your brain
How to overcome any learning challenge
The course is designed to be applicable for students, parents, teachers, home school teaching, or anyone who wants to make the best and most efficient use of your brain. There is a video about the curriculum at the NovaMind Online Store.

A lot of the Learning to Learn and Learning to Unlearn tools have been used by individuals and featured in numerous schools, colleges and companies all over the world, for example: BBC, Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Apple computer and Oprah.
So What's The Catch?

OK, time for me to confess. Yes, there is a catch. You have to do some work to get the course. When you purchase your copy of NovaMind at the NovaMind Online Store, you have to click a button to add the Your Study Coach course to your shopping cart. That's it!
What if I already have a NovaMind license key?

I'm glad you asked. Consider this: if you purchase a NovaMind 5 Express license key, it will cost you US$49, and you get a course valued at US$375. Heck, even if you bought a Platinum license key at US$249, you would still be ahead of the game! And if you have no need for it yourself, it would make a great present for a family member, friend, colleague, or your favorite charity.
OK, so how do I get it?

Just go to the NovaMind Online Store, and make your purchase of NovaMind, and remember to click the button to add the course to your cart. When you check out, I'll buy you your place in the course, and you will receive your login information direct from the folks at YourStudyCoach.com.
How long is this available for?

On the web site, you will see that it is available today, but I have just been informed by NovaMind that it will be available until midday, Saturday the 14th of August AEST. Go grab your copy now!

 
PDF Print E-mail

Use Mind Mapping to organize a web site

The web site Information Tamers has a section called WikIT in which they explain how they organized their web site to make it easier to navigate by using a clickable mind map.  "One of the problems with wikis is that they are very text oriented. If you can't find the right hyperlink or think of the right word or phrase to search for, the information you want might just as well not be there."

 

 
PDF Print E-mail

Brainstorming Tips

This brainstorming tips page will be extended and added to including tips contributed by our visitors and readers. You can opt in to our RSS blog to be alerted when there is new content.


1. Questions are the best way to get brainstorming started. A question opens up the doors of thinking.


2. Use open ended questions so that you and all participants can let their thinking go in multiple directions.


3. Use one of the brainstorming questioning tools to inspire more questions and more ideas.


4. Start brainstorming sessions with one of the silent or on one's own brainstorming before opening up the brainstorming session to discussion and listening to others' ideas.


5. Once the sharing of ideas starts make everyone comfortable about using each others' ideas to extend and combine. Ideas are the result of the combined thinking rather than belonging to just one person.


6. During brainstorming put on hold all value judgments of ideas. Most of us know not to voice any negative comments because it stops the free expression. What some may not realize is that even complimentary comments can do the same thing. If someone says "Oh, what a great idea!" Others in the group suddenly compare their unspoken ideas to that one that was complimented or may feel like no more ideas are needed since a 'great' one was found.


7. Use a different brainstorming technique each time you get together to keep the sessions fun and productive.


8. Be sure all ideas are recorded. Even the ones that seem far fetched at the time can turn into something good later especially when thought about in other contexts or combinations.


9. Give everyone a small pad of paper and pen as they leave the brainstorming session. The process will continue to spawn ideas as your participants go on to their other tasks. Encourage them to keep writing down any ideas they get and to send them in or bring them to the next session.


10. Tell your participants to keep pen and paper and a small light (even one of those pens that lights up is a good idea) next to their bed. While a person sleeps, the brain is still sorting through thoughts and ideas and if he or she wakes up with an idea they need to write it down. We tend to think that the idea is so good we will remember it in the morning and that just doesn't happen. So write it down right away!


There is no end to new wonderful ideas.  Send us your favorite brainstorming tips so we can add them.

 
PDF Print E-mail

Tony Buzan brought mind mapping to public attention.


Mind Mapping has turned out to be one of the best tools for brainstorming.
Here is Tony Buzan himself speaking to you about the importance of learning how to use mind maps.

 

The great thing about using a mind map for brainstorming is that you are diagramming your ideas the same way the brain makes associations. Those associations are how a brain thinks and remembers. The drawing of the mind map draws out ideas from everyone participating because the process fits so naturally with how we think. Then it helps further with building more associations and memory.
The title's of Buzan's books give you a good idea how completely he believes in the connection between the brain and mind mapping:
The Mind Map Book (which I recommend as a first book to read on the subject)

The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential

Use Both Sides of Your Brain: New Mind-Mapping Techniques, Third Edition (Plume)

Mind Maps for Kids may be hard to find. I ordered 6 at a time and have given many as gifts.

Mind Maps for Kids by Tony Buzan

One More Thing:
Tony Buzon now has his own mind mapping software:
Mind Mapping Software called iMindMap.

 
PDF Print E-mail

Mind Mapping for Presentations

Everyone has their own way of putting together a presentation.  What is yours?

If you want your presentation to feel organized and have a clear flow of ideas and topics leading to a logical conclusion, it is a good idea to do the organization first before writing even one word, and definitely before you design even one slide.

So if you believe that, how can you organize your thoughts?

Start with writing a list of all the most important key ideas you want to cover.  Usually 3 or 4 is the maximum you can cover well in a single presentation.  More than that and your audience starts losing track.

Use a format that is comfortable for you.

My favorite is mind mapping because it is so easy to write down only the key elements and how you want to organize them.mind mapping for presentations example

 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>

Page 1 of 3