Earlier this week, a reader emailed me asking for suggestions for online mind mapping tools that students could use this fall. My preference is to draw the mind map by hand and then digitize it by taking a photo with Google Keep or the OneNote mobile app. But that doesn’t apply to everyone. So, if you want to do the mind mapping process in a completely digital format, take a look at these options:
Canva Whiteboard Templates
Canva’s whiteboard templates include mind mapping templates that teachers and students can use individually or collaboratively. Watch this video for an overview of how to access and use the template.
Google Jamboard Template
Google Jamboard doesn’t offer pre-made mind mapping templates like Canva does. However, Jamboard makes it easy to create and share your own mind map templates. This short video shows you how.
google drawing
Long before Google offered Jamboard, I used Google Drawings to create mind maps to share online. This is still a viable option for Google Workspace users. Here’s a demo on how to do this:
Transno
Transno is an interesting mind mapping tool as it creates a mind map based on the written outline. Watch this video to see it in action.
Pocky
Forky is a minimalist mind mapping tool. I like its simplicity compared to other mind mapping tools you can use. It offers online collaboration options for those who want to use it. See Forky in action in this demo.
GitMind
GitMind is another mind mapping tool that creates printable outlines based on mind maps. Here’s a quick demo of it.
paddling
Last but not least is Padlet. I’ve been using Padlet for mind mapping longer than any of the others on this list. If you want to include multimedia elements in your mind maps, Padlet is the tool for you. Take a look at my demo to see how it works.
