REFLECTION

How Mind Mapping as a tool can improve Critical Thinking skill in  Secondary Students?

Challenge    In my 20 years of teaching learning career, I found my biggest challenge in guiding

students to improve their critical thinking Skills. Understanding the speciﬁc demands of

the questions and drafting answers accordingly in other than native language is like a

walking on a thin rope. When the answers need a balanced approach, relevant eﬀective

arguments using appropriate vocabulary and concepts the task in real become boring

and tiring. Developing balanced thinking approach is diﬃcult for the students belongs to

non-english speaking students due to poor reading writing habits. Above all, the practice

of the exam centred education system encourages the students to memorise instead of

developing thinking skills. Student also face problem in aligning arguments eﬀectively due

to missing culture of focus on multidimensional studies. They face challenge in

deciphering supporting or counter arguments in accordance to the question’s

requirement. Writing essays using subject speciﬁc vocabulary and concepts is non

existent in such an environment due to weak vocabulary. It a challenge for the teacher to

promote critical thinking skills which can prepare young mind for the VUCA  world.  1

Keeping all these challenges in mind, future generation need to be nurtured today in the

most eﬀective manner using diﬀerent techniques like visualisation, story telling, mind map

and learning launch.

Selection  Out of above mentioned four techniques, I found mind map approach more promising than to

others. Mind map technique allows students to get involve in the process of assimilation  of

multidimensional knowledge, helps to prepare a roadmap to present the concepts, ideas the

arguments in coherence. It categories the answer in accordance to the speciﬁc requirement of the

questions based on command terms like discuss and evaluate. It allow student to work in groups

and to promote their views in speciﬁc patterns. Excellent students can use visualisation, story

telling or learning launch but mind map is a ray of hope with below average and moderate

students. During testing of this technique, I found many student group applied the visualisations

techniques to mind map sheets and have been successful in presenting their ideas in appealing

manner.

VUCA stands for the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, a term ﬁrst used by Bennis  1 and Nanus in leadership theory in 1987.

Application

Initially, I divides young learner in the groups consisting student with diﬀerentiated learning

capabilities which provides conducive environment of auditory, visual and kinaesthetic learners.

Student groups are challenged to work on the real-world issues. They are tasked to ﬁnd an

appropriate strategy or solution to the speciﬁc problems. Using mind map student are

encouraged to brainstorm the various argument. Groups are allowed to work speciﬁcally designed

mind map. I have notices the students were able to understand the speciﬁc requirement the

questions due the their practice on the speciﬁcally designed worksheet based on mind map

techniques. Increase in average score for the critically thinking question validate the importance of

practicing using mind map techniques. Some of the problems identiﬁed by the students for critical

thinking are like: Eﬀective method to provide food packets to the Cov19 houses in the society.

Eﬀective protective measure for taxi drivers and autorikshow drivers in Cov19 areas.

Insight

Mindmap technique helps the student cohorts to identify the real-world issues and allow them to

brainstorm the solutions. This technique makes discussion more focused easy to compile the

arguments eﬀectively. It also allow each member of the group to participate eﬀectively. I applied

this technique to student of secondary and senior secondary students and found encouraging

results in term of improvement in creative thinking. It improve the level of self motivation to

empathise the problems faced by the society. This technique helped to improve the level

coordination among the students which is very important to prepare the prototype and testing the

hypothesis regarding the product.

Approach

Mindmap techniques is very helpful in preparing blue print and in most collaborative manner. On

the other hand story telling and visualisation process can help improve the independent self

learning by making them more empathetic to the real world issues. I would like to use the

technique that could combine the visualisation and story telling in order to prepare student for

developed independent self learning.


REFLECTION How Mind Mapping as a tool can improve Critical Thinking skill in Secondary Students ? Challenge In my 20 years of teaching learning career , I found my biggest challenge in guiding students to improve their critical thinking Skills . Understanding the speciﬁc demands of the questions and drafting answers accordingly in other than native language is like a walking on a thin rope . When the answers need a balanced approach , relevant eﬀective arguments using appropriate vocabulary and concepts the task in real become boring and tiring . Developing balanced thinking approach is diﬃcult for the students belongs to non - english speaking students due to poor reading writing habits . Above all , the practice of the exam centred education system encourages the students to memorise instead of developing thinking skills . Student also face problem in aligning arguments eﬀectively due to missing culture of focus on multidimensional studies . They face challenge in deciphering supporting or counter arguments in accordance to the question ’s requirement . Writing essays using subject speciﬁc vocabulary and concepts is non existent in such an environment due to weak vocabulary . It a challenge for the teacher to promote critical thinking skills which can prepare young mind for the VUCA world . 1 Keeping all these challenges in mind , future generation need to be nurtured today in the most eﬀective manner using diﬀerent techniques like visualisation , story telling , mind map and learning launch . Selection Out of above mentioned four techniques , I found mind map approach more promising than to others . Mind map technique allows students to get involve in the process of assimilation of multidimensional knowledge , helps to prepare a roadmap to present the concepts , ideas the arguments in coherence . It categories the answer in accordance to the speciﬁc requirement of the questions based on command terms like discuss and evaluate . It allow student to work in groups and to promote their views in speciﬁc patterns . Excellent students can use visualisation , story telling or learning launch but mind map is a ray of hope with below average and moderate students . During testing of this technique , I found many student group applied the visualisations techniques to mind map sheets and have been successful in presenting their ideas in appealing manner . VUCA stands for the volatility , uncertainty , complexity and ambiguity , a term ﬁrst used by Bennis 1 and Nanus in leadership theory in 1987 . Application Initially , I divides young learner in the groups consisting student with diﬀerentiated learning capabilities which provides conducive environment of auditory , visual and kinaesthetic learners . Student groups are challenged to work on the real - world issues . They are tasked to ﬁnd an appropriate strategy or solution to the speciﬁc problems . Using mind map student are encouraged to brainstorm the various argument . Groups are allowed to work speciﬁcally designed mind map . I have notices the students were able to understand the speciﬁc requirement the questions due the their practice on the speciﬁcally designed worksheet based on mind map techniques . Increase in average score for the critically thinking question validate the importance of practicing using mind map techniques . Some of the problems identiﬁed by the students for critical thinking are like : Eﬀective method to provide food packets to the Cov19 houses in the society . Eﬀective protective measure for taxi drivers and autorikshow drivers in Cov19 areas . Insight Mindmap technique helps the student cohorts to identify the real - world issues and allow them to brainstorm the solutions . This technique makes discussion more focused easy to compile the arguments eﬀectively . It also allow each member of the group to participate eﬀectively . I applied this technique to student of secondary and senior secondary students and found encouraging results in term of improvement in creative thinking . It improve the level of self motivation to empathise the problems faced by the society . This technique helped to improve the level coordination among the students which is very important to prepare the prototype and testing the hypothesis regarding the product . Approach Mindmap techniques is very helpful in preparing blue print and in most collaborative manner . On the other hand story telling and visualisation process can help improve the independent self learning by making them more empathetic to the real world issues . I would like to use the technique that could combine the visualisation and story telling in order to prepare student for developed independent self learning .