Mindtools for Learning

OpenOffice is a free productivity software suite that is comparable to Microsoft Office and can be found at http://www.openoffice.org/. It is in an open source format which means that the community gets to contribute to the development. OpenOffice.org comes with a word processor, spreadsheet, database, drawing program, and a very useful equation editor. In addition to being free, OpenOffice is compatible with all Microsoft Office file formats and files can also be saved in “open” format which allows for access across multiple platforms that may not use Microsoft file extensions. Another nice feature of OpenOffice is the ability to convert a file directly to a .pdf without special plugins. This has been available through OpenOffice for years but has just recently been added as a tool in the Office productivity suites (2007 and newer). This is a great resource for individuals and corporations that are operating on a tight budget but still need the compatibility with Microsoft Office.

XMind is a free concept mapping tool that can be found at http://www.xmind.net/. There are multiple templates available to choose from, including concept map, brainstorm chart, and flow chart. XMind is a tool that is designed to be used for students and adults as there are many tools that meet the organizational needs of business. Once a template is open, the user simply double clicks to add content and can arrange the information on the page in almost any way they see fit. For students, this would be an easy to use tool to organize content for projects and papers.

Inspiration and Kidspiration are both concept mapping tools that are similar to XMind and can be found at http://www.inspiration.com/. The tools each have similar features but Kidspiration is geared more towards the K-6 learner while Inspiration was developed to be used by 6-12 graders (or higher). The downside to these tools is that they are not free. Each product can be purchased in a digital-download form for $69 which is not too pricey for what you get. They come with basic templates and users can create concept maps, diagrams, and outlines or download a large array of content specific templates. As is true with most pay software, there are a few more option available with Inspiration/Kidspiration than XMind, but most users will not have a need for a lot of these features and can get by with the free alternatives. XMind is a great alternative to Inspiration/Kidspiration along with another free concept mapping tool CmapTools (http://cmap.ihmc.us/) which is not quite as polished as XMind.