Mind Manager Basics Podcast #4 Is Up

The fourth of the series of podcasts is now up and available. The audio portion can be found here as Podcast #4. The student maps and syllabus and other materials have been stored here as Supplemental Material .

The series assumes you have access to a computer that has Version 7 or Version 8 installed, either the product or the trial version. The trial is only good for 30 days.

In this fourth episode I continue the example of Igor’s Balloon Factory. The example discusses using Mind Manager to help organize your thoughts for a Paper or Report. I use writing a business plan as the target paper.

A key point is that there are two maps involved. One is audience analysis and paper objectives. The second is the paper content and organization.

We work some more with topic formatting, using boundaries and color. We explore Growth of Subtopics, which drastically alters the look of the map. And we work a bit with Callout topics.

I’m interested in your opinions. Write a comment to this blog post or drop us a note at Podcast =(at)= piqueroinc.com .

UPDATE (Oct 2009) Looks like my file names like Pod#1 cause problems with some applications, and in particular hyperlinks in Ver 8. All files have been changed to reflect this change (Pod#3NAICS.xls ==> Pod3NAICS.xls etc.). So when you “hear” Pod #2 in the podcast think Pod2 .

Productive Week-end

Got Pod#4 recorded. Still have a number of files to package and need to make updates to the web site. Should be up by Tuesday night.

This one is getting closer to what I envisioned. A little theory and a little instruction. Ran about 22 minutes. That’s about the length I’m aiming for.

Mind Manager Basics Podcast #3 Is Up

The third of the series of podcasts is now up and available. The audio portion can be found here as Podcast #3. The student maps and syllabus and other materials have been stored here as Supplemental Material .

The series assumes you have access to a computer that has Version 7 or Version 8 installed, either the product or the trial version. The trial is only good for 30 days. (So you may want to wait until additional podcasts are posted if you’re going the trial route.)

In this third episode I introduce Igor’s Balloon Factory. I need a business example to weave a story line through the other podcasts. The goal is to show how maps can be used in a business context, not just features of a software product.

This episode ran a little longer than I anticipated (about 31 minutes). I took a simple map built using the start-up defaults and then added more color and formatting. The episode also looks at hyperlinks and connecting to internet sites.

I’m interested in your opinions. Write a comment to this blog post or drop us a note at Podcast =(at)= piqueroinc.com .

UPDATE (Oct 2009) Looks like my file names like Pod#1 cause problems with some applications, and in particular hyperlinks in Ver 8. All files have been changed to reflect this change (Pod#3NAICS.xls ==> Pod3NAICS.xls etc.). So when you “hear” Pod #2 in the podcast think Pod2 .

Reuse Lessons

Starting to piece together Podcast #3. I’m not an audio engineer but I’m starting to hear distortion. Particularly when I combine music and voice.

What I think is happening is the sample rate for my MP3 components is too small for reuse. Storing it at 48 kbs sounds OK as an MP3, but then sweeping it in to reuse for the podcast gets a little fuzzy. I suspect it is like the echoes and ghosts you get on the four or fifth generation of a paper copy.

I re-recorded one of my voice overs and stored the whole works at 128 kbs, for the reuse MP3. Seems to have cleaned it up. But then I may have been hoarse when I recorded the original.

Weak Excuse

Has visitors over Labor Day, wife giving her "old" truck to her niece. Decided to get sick the next week-end. And now I've got a research proposal review due on Friday (9/18).

Picking away at it, but Episode 3 isn't ready yet. Hope springs eternal for this week-end.

Mind Manager Basics Podcast #2 is Up

The second of the series of podcasts is now up and available. The audio portion can be found here as Podcast #2. The student maps and syllabus and other materials have been stored here as Supplemental Material .

The series assumes you have access to a computer that has Version 7 or Version 8 installed, either the product or the trial version. The trial is only good for 30 days. (So you may want to wait until additional podcasts are posted if you’re going the trial route.)

In this second episode I step back and look at the layout and structure of the user interface. Why are the functions arranged the way they are? What’s a Ribbon Interface? Where did my “File” commands go? And other mysteries of the universe.

I’m interested in your opinions. Write a comment to this blog post or drop us a note at Podcast =(at)= piqueroinc.com .

UPDATE (Oct 2009) Looks like my file names like Pod#1 cause problems with some applications, and in particular hyperlinks in Ver 8. All files have been changed to reflect this change (Pod#3NAICS.xls ==> Pod3NAICS.xls etc.). So when you “hear” Pod #2 in the podcast think Pod2 .

Mind Manager Basics Podcast #1 is Up

The first of a series of podcasts is now up and available. The audio portion can be found here as Podcast #1. The student maps and syllabus and other materials have been stored here as Supplemental Material .

The series assumes you have access to a computer that has Version 7 or Version 8 installed, either the product or the trial version. The trial is only good for 30 days. (So you may want to wait until additional podcasts are posted if you’re going the trial route.)

I’m trying to break the material up into 20 to 30 minute episodes. Sometimes less. I will also try to give the student an assignment, like finish the map we started. The actual time you spend on each episode will be more than the audio run time.

In the first episode we jump right in to build a simple business map. I walk you through step-by-step. Not a lot of tricky formatting (that comes later). I even tell you what the end result looks like (it’s in the supplemental material).

Why a podcast and not a video on YouTube? Well, the quick answer is I don’t have video capability. But whenever I watch video tutorials I’m watching and not doing. That means furious note taking and then going back and trying it myself. I’m hoping with a podcast that you can listen and perform the actions in the tool yourself. And as a result get a better learning experience.

I’m interested in your opinions. Write a comment to this blog post or drop us a note at Podcast =(at)= piqueroinc.com .

UPDATE (Oct 2009) Looks like my file names like Pod#1 cause problems with some applications, and in particular hyperlinks in Ver 8. All files have been changed to reflect this change (Pod#3NAICS.xls ==> Pod3NAICS.xls etc.). So when you “hear” Pod #2 in the podcast think Pod2 .

"Houston We Have Ignition"

The web site and the blog have been updated. The next two posts will be the individual episodes.

Notice I've put the Podcast and Supplemental Material links over on the right hand column of this blog.

The web page, with the same links, is stored under the E_Papers section of the Piqueroinc.com website.

I've set an informal target of doing a new episode every two weeks.

Progress Report

I’m about 90% of the way through Episode Two. Recorded the instructional portion last night. Thought I’d review my checklist.

• Audio Capture and Editing Went with Audacity. Getting better with practice.
• Find music for (a) Free and (b) Useable for (marginally) commercial purposes Located a music site that has Creative Commons music. SectionZ has some useable techno music. Found some that is reminiscent of disco music. Took some 15 and 30 second bumps.
• Podcast Hosting (other than piqueroinc.com [bandwidth]) Using Ourmedia and the Internet Archive for the audio files. I think I’ve figured out how to link to the MP3.
• Examples and Student Map hosting (maybe/maybe not piqueroinc.com) Going to store the supplemental files under the E_Papers section of the Piqueroinc web site.
• Framework for a Series Syllabus ( segment topics/features covered) I’ve mapped out 10 episode. Slightly different sequence than the Fundamentals class outline.
• Create a new company for series examples (Igor’s Balloon Factory(IBF)) Not much progress other than planning on IBF as the example.
• Revise the Student Maps to reflect my objectives Ongoing as I develop each segment.
• Build a Knowledge Management Map to keep track of components Ongoing but started with first two episodes.
• Script the episodes using Mind Manager (and save as Show Notes) Ongoing. I’ve scripted the first two.
• Record and edit the materials Pod#1 complete and Pod#2 is 90% complete.
• Build a better references list of resources for follow-up information Ongoing. Updated my master bibliography, still more work to go.
• Treat This As A FUN Thing to do, once I commit. (like now) It is fun to solve problems.