Why MindMapping works

In these two films you can listen to Tony Buzan explains MindMapping. Tony was the inventor of MindMapping, so you cannot have a better explanation.

The DailyMotion film here is a different interview, from a slightly different standpoint. Together, these films will rapidly give you what you need to start MindMapping. With practice and adherence to the principles,  practice will perfect.

Used properly, MindMaps can produce enormous benefits. Used electronically, with metada, notes, attachments and hyperlinks, they have become more powerful than ever.

Get the right answers by asking the right questions

I attended a networking lunch last week. I can cope with such situations, having learned the hard way over the years, but am not a natural. The "hard way" was asking questions that were too philosophical for the event (stick to the footy or Master-chef) and taking corporate clients to the cricket: a long haul if the client is not talkative.

If you suffer that awkward feeling when you don't know anyone in a room and you appear to be the only one, here are some tips: Find out who will be there beforehand (phone the organiser of the event if need be). If there is someone you particularly want to meet, you can ask the organiser for an introduction. Set an achievable target as to how many people you intend to meet.

If you find someone at the event who is alone, speak to them. Ask them "what brings you here today?" or simply, "do you mind if I join you?" It can be challenging breaking the ice, but you will be glad you did!
If you can get involved with the organisation of the event, do so. It will give you a role and reason to talk to people and need not feel awkward.

A great skill to have is the art of good conversation. Conversation, even so-called "small chat" is important to make others feel at ease and communicate with the world.

Here is a great article called "The one conversational tool that will make you better at absolutely everything".

Really, it will.

Link here.

Thanks to the Fast Company blog.

Learn online, for free - many courses now available

One exciting trend is the development of courses online.

My post below: "Learn to code, online, for free" mentioned Codecademy, a site where you can learn to program.  I am enrolled, learning, progressing (the site provides motivation as well) and enjoying it.

In his blog, Clay Shirky wrote about online education and outlined, in his erudite style, the model, dynamics, economics and issues around free open online courses.  He discusses the arrival of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and compares them to education currently available.

There are criticisms of online courses (Shirky refers to this article in the New York Times) and there are questions about the things that online courses cannot provide, such as the strength of face-to-face social networks and the compelling immediacy of a good lecturer (filmed lectures can have a disconnected, other-worldly quality).

All that said, the fact is that online courses are a boon for the lifelong learner, providing resources to learn new fields.

Here is a list of sites where you can get online education:

• Open Culture list of online courses
• Udacity
• Coursera
• Peer to Peer University (P2PU)
• University of the People
• Codecademy

So what is all this information doing to you?

A view from the ABC's Catalyst program:

"On October 29th, 1969, the world's first internet message was sent between two computers in California. It consisted of the letter 'L', followed by 'O'. Then the system crashed..."

The report takes up the story forty years later at: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3613311.htm (eight minutes).

Edge.org

Food for thought at Edge.org
Each year, they ask a panel of "sophisticated minds" a question and then publish the answers. In previous years, they asked:

• what are you optimistic about?

• what questions have disappeared?

• what scientific concept would improve everybody's cognitive toolkit?

• how is the Internet changing the way you think?

This year's is "What should we be worried about?"
It sound like a grim read, but it isn't.  It is interesting.
Then again, if you are sleeping too soundly...give it a try.

Learn to code, interactively, for free

"When human beings acquired language, we learned not just how to listen but how to speak. When we gained literacy, we learned not just how to read but how to write. And as we move into an increasingly digital reality, we must learn not just how to use programs but how to make them."
The opening lines to Douglas Rushkoff's book Program Or Be Programmed.

On his blog, Daniel points to Codecademy, a website you can use to "learn to code, interactively, for free".  I have tried it.  It is a great resource.

www.codecademy.com

Thinking outside the box

Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.

Attributed to Martin Mull (and several others), this simile conveys the point well and even tempts you to try to express yourself this way.

On the other hand, today I heard:

In order to think like a graphic artist you have to think outside the box. 

Think outside the box is a cliche and, as such, expresses thinking within the box and not even your own box, at that.

Think outside the box. What does it mean anyway? If you want to say unusual, unconventional, abstract, counter-cultural, experimental or imaginative, then say so. Words have a clean, freshly-minted quality about them. Hackneyed phrases have baggage. They look the part and then you notice the tired lines under make-up.

Think outside the box. Starting with that phrase.