Certification Mind Maps

drakhan2002

Have you ever heard of a mind map? It is a great tool used to study...or for that matter, remember anything.

It is very helpful tool - I've mapped the Security+ and VoIP. This web site specializes in IT and certification mind maps. Check it out - it may change the way you prepare and REMEMBER information technology.

http://www.mindcert.com/

sprkymrk

Very interesting. I think am going to try it. This video helped explain it pretty well.

http://www.mindcert.com/2007/03/11/mind-map-video-tony-buzan-on-mind-mapping/

JdotQ

I've never heard of it, but interesting concept. I noticed on their site, they had mindmaps for topics such as CEH, CISSP, etc.

Also came across this site for Mind Mapping software;

http://www.mind-mapping.org/

Has anyone on these forums created their own mind maps for studying? I'm interested in seeing other techniques (and their Mind Map maps) that people use.

Webmaster

MindCert.com is from Andrew Mason from Mason Technologies, which in the good ol' days had one of 'the' certification sites for Cisco studies. Their free stuff was one of the many guides I used to pass the CCNA exam years ago, nice to see him add something original to scene.

dynamik

Freaking sweet. I have ADHD, which is why I rely so heavily on interactive practice tests and hands-on exercises. If I look at a page with nothing but text, I'm pretty much guaranteed to enter daydream land and can kiss 15 minutes goodbye. I'll have to stop at an art store on the way home and pick up a large format notebook and a nice set of colored pens. I can't wait until my coworkers ask me what I did with my weekend. "Um... I made a pretty tree..."

JDMurray

I've heard of mind maps as a method for conceptualizing functional specifications in Agile programming methodology, but I've never seen an example of it. Mind maps also look great for realizing a database schema based on real-world objects.

Only I notice that the "mind maps" on mindcert.com don't embody the organic aspect described by Buzan in his video. In fact, they are an example of what Buzan says is wrong with traditional, rigid depictions of organization.

I'll try out mind mapping a small domain of the SSCP myself and see how well the information sticks in my brain. I'm guess that you draw the map as you read the material from the books and watch the video. The Wikipedia has a good article on mind maps that gives some guidelines for creating them.

TechJunky

You mean there is another method of thinking other than mindmapping? I have never heard of this before, but after reading, this is the exact same way my thought process works...

How else do you study or product manage?

I always thought this was common sense...

TechJunky

I always referred to this as analytical thinking btw..

sprkymrk

jdmurray wrote:

I've heard of mind maps as a method for conceptualizing functional specifications in Agile programming methodology,

Can someone explain to me what he just said? Conceptualizing function...ications...fast, no agile, method thingy what?
My brain hurts now JD.

JDMurray

Oh, sorry Mark. I live in a different professional world, ya know. The lingo is very different. "Extreme" versus "Agile;" how many "methods" do you need before you have a "methodology;" and the "what" of functional specifications as compared to the "how" of design specifications. I didn't invent this terminology; I just have to sound smart while saying it.

I was in a meeting today where comic book artists were trying to talk with software developers about the functional aspects of an application we are writing. The basic theme of the meeting was, "Huh? What did he just say?"

sprkymrk

jdmurray wrote:

Oh, sorry Mark. I live in a different professional world, ya know. The lingo is very different. "Extreme" versus "Agile;" how many "methods" do you need before you have a "methodology;" and the "what" of functional specifications as compared to the "how" of design specifications. I didn't invent this terminology; I just have to sound smart while saying it.

I was in a meeting today where comic book artists were trying to talk with software developers about the functional aspects of an application we are writing. The basic theme of the meeting was, "Huh? What did he just say?"

Cheers JD!

JDMurray

On LinkedIn.com I asked the question "Does anyone use mind mapping for serious, productive work?" People answered that they use mind mapping for project planning, assigning priorities, discussion brainstorming, discovering risks, etc. I'm surprised at the number of people who use a mind mapping software package rather than just pen and paper (or whiteboard and dry erase markers). I was playing with two mind mapping templates for Visio and found them not to be very useful. One of my LinkedIn contacts recommended the free package FreeMind, which is available on SourceForget.net. I'm giving it a try this weekend and using the final project of the business class I'm taking this quarter as a test subject.

dynamik

jdmurray wrote:

Only I notice that the "mind maps" on mindcert.com don't embody the organic aspect described by Buzan in his video. In fact, they are an example of what Buzan says is wrong with traditional, rigid depictions of organization.

I noticed that as well. If you look at the mind mapping tools page on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mind_Mapping_software ), there are a ton of packages available. The one that looks like it truly embodies the organic aspect of mind mapping is the HeadCase software package that's featured in the image on the right side.

From the wiki page:

Mind Mapping software has become something of an industry in itself in recent years. The term Mind Map has primarily been popularised by Tony Buzan. The market leader among commercial applications is MindManager, with 72.6% of users according to the recent survey by Innovation Tools.[citation needed] The next is an open source application, FreeMind, with 10.4%. Most of the software appears to be aimed at business users and does not conform to all of Buzan's Mind Mapping Laws, although HeadCase makes this claim.

I'm going to download all three and give it a shot. The full-featured HeadCase package is €50.00 EUR (~$90), but it's probably worth it if it lives up to it's claims.

Kaminsky

I used to do this a lot to get me through university about 15 years ago and from what I remember, the best way to learn it is to keep at it. Understand the sub topic and then map it. Plenty of colour and as mad as possible so the structure / images / colour stay in your head and hence the notes you attach to the branches. It really works.

Think of it this way, your mind does not remember lists at all well but we all remember colour, sounds, noise, sound, taste really really well. Mind mapping is just an extension to this.

When I was learning it all that time ago there was a shopping list excercise where you had to remember 10 items. To this day I can still remember most of them even though I never practiced it for 15 years. Dental Floss, Spoons, Eggs, Bananas, Toothpaste, Glasses, Roses, Tomatoes and I can't remember what else. Not bad for a shopping list after 15 years!!!

Tony Buzan also does memory techniques, speed reading and other such things. He never invented them. He was a British television interviewer and interviewed this guy once who had initially developed the concepts and he just took them further and is now probably a billionaire.

Why schools still teach lists instead of these techniques is beyond me. I am starting to teach my young kids these techniques now they are starting to grow up a bit. Their teachers don't like it at all! A friend of mine at university all those years ago had a mother who had taught him to think this way from early as a child. We had to drag him to his final exams and he never revised. Just had lots and lots of pictures dotted around. Came out with a first with honours.

Just keep at it and it is so helpfull. Like having the books in the exams with you if you do it well.

Personally, I found using a computer program to make these maps, although neater, was stiffling the flow and creativity. Far better to use cheap printer paper with lots of coloured pens. When you have finalised your map and it is working for you, then maybe computerise it.

bighornsheep

I've been taught Mind mapping ever since I was a kid. Hmm...didnt realize that this was techy-related. When learning to write an essay, I've always used a mind map to literally draw out my ideas and what I want to write about. The one thing new for me though, is the "artsy" feel to these mind maps, and I guess the point about curvy lines instead of straight ones.

jd, could you elaborate a little bit more about XP and agile programming, from my understanding, they differ from classical software engineering by focusing less on documentation because of frequent changes? In school, they've really been drilling the IEEE software documentation standards down on us, but seeing how people do not program in this way in the working world, how practical would you say it is to do this?

I mean, are companies actually producing 500-1000 page project plans, another 500-1000 page design specifications, and yet another 500-1000 page requirement specifications?

deneb829

I think I am going to go ahead and try this. I like how it starts out general and works its way down to more detailed. I think it will really help with the security protocols.

drakhan2002

JDMurray wrote:

One of my LinkedIn contacts recommended the free package FreeMind, which is available on SourceForget.net.

FreeMind is the only mind mapping software I use. If you want my Security+ or VoIP maps, I'll email them to you...

malweth

Interesting... I'll have to try it!

It's very similar to how I'm studying with Supermemo, the two may complement each other! Supermemo has an interface that lets you create a hierarchy (I'm using the CCIE blueprint hierarchy) and attach (html based) slides. You can generate flash cards from your slides very quickly and easily by selecting a word or phrase to remove from a sentence as the answer. Flash cards are given to you with ever increasing gaps (unless you get the answer wrong). -- Unfortunately it's pay-for software, but under the $50 mark

JohnDouglas

Hi Guys

I've been studying for CCNA this year as it's time I sorted my career out. Been working on an IP planning team for a few years. But no formal qualification.

So, I need to take the exam soon. I've ready the Sybex book - one chapter per week. I understood most of it but I've not exactly internalised it! Now I'm trying to memorise it all. I've recently started making notes on the CCNA Fast Pass book. The thought of going through the main sybex book was a bit daunting. So figured going through the smaller book will give me the core of knowlege I need. The I'll flesh it out with the larger book, the odom books and of course simulator practice & exam question practice.

Anyway, to finally come to the point of this post: I've been creating mindmaps.

I've now mindmapped the first chapter of the ccna fast pass book. Not sure how useful it'll be to other people. Maybe it'll be of some use. Perhaps I'll get some webspace to embed all the mind maps. I'm also putting together a mindmap of cisco ccna resources. I'm finding it hard to keep track of everything I find on the web - hopefully this will help.

so - summary of ccna resources
https://www.mindomo.com/view?m=d4b0d7d8c3d4bea3318a0c1a0ff84dba


Chapter 1 of Sybex's CCNA Fast Pass - click on teh world gif's to move between mind maps. World gif at teh core of each map will return you to the main chapter 1 overview.
https://www.mindomo.com/view?m=c905b03e220466d09c9c336984c1e2b7

Like I say, perhaps this will be useful although I realise alot of the note taking, abbreviations are necessarily specific to me! But perhaps in future better mindmaps/notes can be done.

Anyway, good luck to all those studying.

JD

JDMurray

I really like your CCNA maps. I'm taking a CCNA prep class right now and you maps certainly detail all of the topics that I'm working on. I want to do mind mapping for the SSCP exam, but so far I've only managed to map out something that looks like a book's table of contents. I also like to use mind maps for creating Work Breakdown Structures.

And thanks for showing us the Mindomo mind mapping site. What a great idea to have online, Web-based mind mapping. I've been schlepping my FreeMind mind map files between computers using a USB flash drive. It'd sure be handy to have all my work available at a central Web site. I wonder how Google didn't think of that idea first?

JohnDouglas

Work Breakdown Structures looks interesting - will have to check that out.

Good thing about Mindomo is it's free - only reason i went for the premium membership is that i didn't want the adverts. As i use it at work i wanted it to look like an app and not a website. it neatly solves the problem of having some stuff on a work pc and other stuff on a home pc. another site is mindmeister - it didn't seem as advanced as mindomo.

I bet mindomo hopes they'll be taken over by google or microsoft! I'm sure google will be happy to add them to their ever increasing list of services.

oh well, back to the grindstone and chapter two of fast pass

see you

john