The second web 2.0 tool I chose to explore was XMind which can be found here.
XMind is a mind mapping tool which allows you to make mind maps or other charts to organize information or brainstorm ideas. Users can also share the mind maps on the XMind share section of the website.
This tool has great educational potential. Mind maps could be used as end of the chapter review materials to help students connect concepts both in mathematics and science. Mind maps could also be used to brainstorm ideas for essays or projects.
This tool can remove barriers for numerous students. It could help students with organizational difficulties bring content material together in a concise and organized manner. XMind could also be used to by a teacher to create a mind map for students who have difficulty processing text. A XMind would help them target key areas when trying to learn or study without having to dig through or decode a lot of text. A XMind mind map may not help students who need context in order to remember information and creating a XMind mind map may be difficult for students who are not adept at using a computer.
XMind can be used to target the UDL principles multiple means of representation and multiple means of action and expression. You could have your students create an XMind to demonstrate their learning as part of an assignment instead of explaining by text.
XMind, the basic version, is an open educational resource and the code is licensed under the GNU lesser general public license which allows distribution and copying without alterations. There are also paid subscriptions if you would like more features ranging from 79-129 USD per year and there are educational discounts. The code for the paid versions cannot be distributed or copied. You have to be 18 or 13 and older with parental consent to use this software.
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