Using WikiSummarizer with PersonalBrain

When I think about the PersonalBrain I always think of it as an ideal tool for helping me to see relationships among the data points that I have added to the brain. The PersonalBrain is an ideal tool for storing all kinds of related information that you want to have at your fingertips. In this respect I decided to see what would happen if I imported the contents of WikiSummerizer, a new web based contextual summarization engine from Context Discovery, Inc.

If you have never tried out WikiSummarizer, it is a great tool to help you build background knowledge quickly on just about any topic that can be found in Wikipedia. Once the summaries have been extracted by WikiSummarizer you have two options to store the results. You can export the summaries as a RTF file and open it with any word processor or better yet you can save the summaries as a Mindjet MindManager file format (mmap) format and then import it into PersonalBrain. PersonalBrain gives you a rich environment that allows you to see the relationships between the keywords and summaries.

To get a sense of what you can do with PersonalBrain and WikiSummarizer take a look at the WebBrian that I developed by clicking on the image below. Now you can see just how fast you can go from a blank PersonalBrain to one that complete with chock full of information. This is an ideal tool for students and researchers that need a strategy to save and explore new information. With WikiSummarizer and PersonalBrain take your personal information management to a new level. For more information about WikiSummairzer click here.

PersonalBrain 6 is Officially Released Today

Marina del Rey, CA – October 5, 2010 – TheBrain Technologies, the leading provider of dynamic visualization and knowledgebase software, announced its newest release, PersonalBrain 6, which augments PersonalBrain publishing and provides synchronization of Brains across multiple platforms and machines.

Like the human mind, with PersonalBrain, users can make associative connections so ideas and files can be related to anything else. There is no limit to the number of connections an idea can have. PersonalBrain’s highly scalable user interface and database enable a virtually unlimited amount of information to be stored and visualized in a digital Brain. PersonalBrain has been downloaded by over a million users. Over half of the Fortune 100 organizations use PersonalBrain to organize information, brainstorm, manage projects and communicate complex ideas more intuitively.

PersonalBrain’s context rich interface provides an intelligent platform for sharing large information sets. Business managers, researchers, teachers, hobbyists and users worldwide publish their brains online at http://webbrain.com. PersonalBrain 6 takes Brain publishing to the next level by enabling one-step synchronization to WebBrain.com. Now users can share, backup, and synchronize across multiple platforms for universal access to their digital thinking.

“With PersonalBrain 6 you can access your Thoughts and information from the cloud or desktop,” said Harlan Hugh, Chief Technology Officer of TheBrain. “But what’s really unique is the desktop synchronization so whether you are on the road or even offline you can still take your Brain with you. With encrypted data transfer users’ mission critical information can be safely and quickly synchronized across multiple computers.”

PersonalBrain 6 has over 100 new features and enhancements including:

• One Click WebBrain Publishing – Share your Brain with the world on WebBrain.com. Users can publish publicly, unlisted or privately. Send links to key Thoughts or areas in their Brain and track comments from the WebBrain.com community. Published Brains can be embedded in blogs or Web sites and are searched and indexed by all search engines.

• Secure Synchronization and Backup – Get access to your complete digital memory and knowledgebase anywhere. Synchronize your Brain across multiple machines, platforms and location. One step WebBrain publishing gives users and their coworkers instant access to information online or offline on the desktop.

• Increased Performance – Work at the speed of Thought with twice the navigation speed powered by an augmented database backend. PersonalBrain’s dynamic user interface enables one to visually navigate across all relevant information quickly and intelligently. PersonalBrain 6 makes digital Brains even faster and more reliable. This increased speed further enhances the ability to easily create Brains with hundreds of thousands of Thoughts while increasing productivity.

• Transparent Visualization – Connect your thinking to your work patterns. With PersonalBrain 6’s transparent mode users can float their Brains over top of their desktop or any application while still working. This revolutionary view enables Thought visualization to be seamlessly integrated with any activity.

·         Windows Explorer Integration  – Organize files and documents under multiple topics so you can move beyond linear file folder structures. With PersonalBrain 6 in addition to easy drag and drop of files, users can now right click on any file and use the “Send To” command to instantly add it to their Brain. Now, no file is more than two clicks away from your Brain.

·         More Tools for Getting Things Done  -  Get complete task management and mental clarity by creating Thoughts for all key tasks and projects in your life. Action-oriented PersonalBrains enhance productivity. With PersonalBrain 6 users can gain control of projects and to-dos with checkbox lists in notes, a more powerful calendar, and Google calendar synchronization.

·         Augmented Thought Type Visualization –  Create key information types and tag information with a wide variety of attributes to further delineate information and contextualize tasks. PersonalBrain 6’s new Thought Type display lets you visualize relationships between types and centralizes management of types.

PersonalBrain 6 Pricing and Availability

PersonalBrain 6 is a complimentary upgrade to registered PersonalBrain 5.0 users who purchased after February 1, 2010. Upgrades are $119.95 for other PersonalBrain 5 users. Upgrades can be purchased online at http://www.thebrain.com/purchase

PersonalBrain 6 is offered in three editions: Free, Core, and Pro (the most powerful edition). PersonalBrain Free is offered at no charge. The Free edition does not expire and lets anyone link ideas and Web pages on their desktops. Pro and Core editions are priced as follows: PersonalBrain Pro $249.95, PersonalBrain Core $149.95.

PersonalBrain 6 is cross platform and runs on Windows, Mac OS and Linux machines and is available in 7 languages. English, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Dutch.

WebBrain Services Pricing

WebBrain.com is a hosting service for PersonalBrain users. You can share your Brain online or browse other published Brains at http://webbrain.com.

WebBrain Free Services – Users can publish Brains for free with WebBrain Free Services which includes:

§  Publish Brains to share with the world

§  Unlimited Thoughts including support for Web link attachments

§  Brains can include Thought images/icons, notes, custom colors, and wallpaper

§  Brains cannot include file attachments

§  Upload as many Brains as you want

WebBrain.com Premium Services – Enables users to securely synchronize their Brain across multiple machines and publish publicly or privately. This service includes all types of file attachments – up to 50 MB each

§  Use your online Brain as a back-up – you can download it whenever and wherever you need offline access to it

§  Upload as many Brains as you want – up to 10 GB total

§  Subscriptions are $7.95 monthly or $74.95 annually.

About TheBrain Technologies
TheBrain® Technologies helps people see, share and find information faster. TheBrain’s Enterprise Knowledge Platform, BrainEKP™,  provides a complete knowledge management solution for companies that includes visual search, content management and powerful access control for mass Thought collaboration. TheBrain’s PersonalBrain™ Software helps users organize and capture ideas, projects and information on their desktops and synchronize their digital knowledge hubs online or to any machine cross platform.

Over half of the Fortune 100 use TheBrain, now downloaded by over a million people. TheBrain’s Government customers include the Department of Defense, Navy Special Warfare, as well as multiple state and municipal organizations. Everyone is encouraged to download PersonalBrain at http://www.thebrain.com to visualize their thinking or e-mail info@thebrain.com for more information.

TheBrain, PersonalBrain, BrainEKP and WebBrain are trademarks or registered trademarks of TheBrain Technologies LP. All other corporate names or trademarks stated herein are the property of their respective companies. Copyright © 2010 TheBrain Technologies LP.

PersonalBrain 6 and Moodle Perfect Together

Over the years I have been a big fan of the PersonalBrain and having used the PersonalBrain 6 Beta Release, I am really impressed with the feature set and the direction of the product. I  have used the PersonalBrain as a way to store and easily find information that is important in the work that I do in the field of assistive and educational technology. The PersonalBrain is a great way to visually store information and see the relationships of the data and thoughts that are embedded in your brain. I particularly like the fact that the PersonalBrain is a flexible tool and one that never locks you into a corner. If you want to keep your PersonalBrain structured by all means do so, but if you want less structure just feel free to drop information into your brain and everything is automatically indexed. Using the Search feature or the Advanced Reporting feature allows you to have the information you need at the tip of your fingers.

The PersonalBrain 6 is very tightly integrated with the WebBrain making it very easy to synchronize your brains to the web and back them up. I was particularly interested in the embedding function since my college is in the process of moving our Learning Management System over to Moodle. The question I had, would it be possible to embed one of my brains into Moodle so that students could visually search the database and use it as part of one of me courses? One of the things that I really like about Moodle is how it handles embedding code. I have successfully pasted embedding code from other sources and was able to render videos and flash objects without a hitch. I decided to see how well the embedding code worked and if I could integrate a Webbrain into one of my Moodle courses. This was a lot easier to do than you would think and within minutes I had my Webbrain working with my Moodle course.

I'm sure you want to know how I did it so here are the steps.

1. Log into your account at WeBbrain.com and open the brain you would like to embed.
2. Click on the Share icon on the top right of the Webbrain screen.
3. Copy the Embedding Code from the dialog box
4. Open your course in Moodle and Click on Compose a Webpage
5. Name the Resource and then Click on the icon <> Toogle HTML Source in the Compose a Web page section and past the embedding code
6. Save the page and watch how your WeBbrain is automatically rendered

Once you get the steps down there is no telling what you can do and how you can use PersonalBrain 6 to enliven your courses using Moodle.This is a wonderful way for me to share information and I for one know that I will take advantage of this synergy when using Moodle in the courses that I teach.Here is a sample brain for you to look at.

TheBrain Expands Worldwide

FYI:

TheBrain Expands Worldwide through Rapidly Growing Partner Network

A Complete Turnkey Affiliate Program and Global Alliances with Top Tier Resellers Augment PersonalBrain’s Market Reach for Growing User Community of Dynamic Mind Mapping.

Marina del Rey, CA.—August 25, 2009—TheBrain Technologies announces the expansion of the PersonalBrain product line, securing key partners in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific.

The company reseller program now in full swing makes its acclaimed PersonalBrain software available for resellers to pass on to their clients. With PersonalBrain any idea or file can be linked to anything else. Users can connect their ideas associatively and create networks of information that concretize thinking, illustrate complex relationships and visualize business processes. In contrast to static mind maps or folder structures, PersonalBrain’s dynamic visualization shifts contexts, enabling multidimensional data organization. The program’s fluid interface and unlimited linking capability is popular with Fortune 1000 companies due to its context rich view and scalability.

TheBrain Affiliate Program and Reseller Network

TheBrain offers several programs for both small and large resellers. TheBrain’s affiliate program offers a turnkey purchasing system that allows participants to receive commission for users who purchase from their web site. This highly accessible program makes it easy for anyone with a web site to sell and market PersonalBrain. Additionally software resellers gain access to latest product releases, special marketing and training. Although the program has just started the company has signed up key partners worldwide including: SHI, Creation Engine, Mindsystems Pty Ltd Australia, Dynamic Logistics Systems GmbH Germany, Boss Japan Co. Ltd. Japan, Olympic Limited and Draughtmark Limited both in the United Kingdom.

“TheBrain has enabled Olympic to offer a powerful alternative to the current choices for information mapping applications,” said Nigel Goult Managing Director of Olympic Ltd. “TheBrain’s unique way of navigating and representing information makes it a popular consideration for customers who value simplicity and speed when it comes to organizing and accessing data.”

Benefits of TheBrain Partner Program include:

• Increased market distinction by providing award-winning knowledge management software
• New powerful solutions to help customers succeed who are struggling with organizing and accessing information
• Access to TheBrain Partner Network which includes: marketing materials, updates on product releases and go-to market sales tools
• Training on how to organize information and implement visualization software

“We are thrilled with our new partners and the traction our affiliate and reseller programs have gotten” said Shelley Hayduk, Vice President of Marketing of TheBrain Technologies LP. “This program underscores the worldwide demand and need for solutions to overcome information overload and provide a more intelligent context for information organization and delivery.”

For more information on TheBrain Partner program potential partners can go to http://www.thebrain.com/partners to apply online or email dberman@thebrain.com.

About TheBrain Technologies
TheBrain Technologies helps people see, share and find information faster. TheBrain’s PersonalBrain™ dynamic mind mapping software helps users see and organize their information the way they think about it. TheBrain also offers an Enterprise Knowledge Platform, BrainEKP™, which combines a natural language search engine with a compelling visual display of topics so users can see and discover critical information relationships. TheBrain’s customers include: Encyclopædia Britannica, Navy Special Warfare, Tyco, Accenture, Park Nicollet, Medtronic, US Department of Defense, California Casualty Insurance, a leading media research company, retail chain, financial services company and other Fortune 500 organizations. Download PersonalBrain at www.thebrain.com or e-mail info@thebrain.com for more information.

If you are interested in learning how theBrain can help you or your business, please consider contacting me for a free on-line session. If you decide to purchase theBrain from this link I will provide you with a free 1-1 on line session to get you started.

Embedding your WebBrain in Your Blog

I recently posted about how you can post your PersonalBrain 5 to the web with WebBrain with a click of the mouse. Well pretty close to it. One of the really exciting features of the WebBrain is being able to have access to your links and attachments as if you were working with the PersonalBrain 5 on your desktop. Think of all the possibilities! This is a very powerful feature and one that I will certainly use when I am planning my workshops. Think about giving your attendees a simple URL to your WebBrian that they can access that would allow them to jump to web sites and have access to your attached handouts. That is really an outstanding feature.

WebBrain is evolving as we speak and I just learned that you can now embed your WebBrain in a blog or website by simply clicking on the Share button and copying the embedding code from the Webbrain site. If you click on the Customize option you can change the dimensions to suit your need. I should mention that you can also upload your PersonalBrain 5 files and keep them private so that only you can access them over the web. Likewise you can determine which Thoughts to keep private so that they don't appear when you upload them to WebBrain by marking them as Private thoughts in the PersonalBrain 5. If you have any questions or ideas on how you would use WebBrain - please leave me some comments.

Brain Technologies Unveils WebBrain Beta

One of my favorite features of the PersonalBrain 5 is the ability to create a SiteBrain from your PersonalBrain. I have used this feature many times in my workshops as a way to give my participants and easy way to move about various resources that I would provide. In the past you would need to Export your Brain as a SiteBrain and then upload it to your ftp site. Now with the release of the WebBrain Beta you can quickly upload your BrainZips and share your Brains with others. Once you sign up for a free account you can upload your BrainZip files and determine whether you want to make your Brain-Public or Private. You can also set the permission to share your Brain by sending a link via an email. I have posted one of my Brain files to show you how it looks on the web. The ability to share your Brain's on the web is a killer feature and one that I will begin to use more and more. You will find find this feature to be invaluable whenever your want to have access to your Brain data when you are connected to the web. So if you are a PersonalBrain 5, please take a look at the WebBrain- you will be glad you did.

Download a Free Trial Version of PersonalBrain 5 by Clicking on the Link Below
Windows
Macintosh

To purchase a copy of the PersonalBrain 5 click here. If you need training or support on how to best use the PersonalBrain send me an email

PersonalBrain 5 Released

PersonalBrain 5.0 Released: Dynamic Mind Mapping Software Helps Users Take Control and Leverage Information by Visualizing Connections and Capturing Users’ Thoughts

PersonalBrain 5.0 Offers: New Visualizations, Import of Many File Formats and Augmented Mac OS Integration

Marina del Rey, CA.—Jan 6, 2009—TheBrain Technologies announced that PersonalBrain 5.0, the latest version of its powerful information visualization and organization software is now available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. PersonalBrain 5.0 will be unveiled at Macworld 2009 at booth #3419, North Hall.

PersonalBrain’s award-winning dynamic interface enables users to link all ideas, files, and Web pages so people can better understand their information, see hidden connections, and liberate themselves from linear file organization.

Current systems such as folders, search lists, and email fail to connect different concepts, people, projects and their digital information associatively. PersonalBrain gives users a conceptual space that puts ideas at the forefront, creating a dynamic network of visually connected Thoughts that represent the user’s mind.

Designed for people who need to analyze, brainstorm and synthesize a wide variety of information both on their local computer and on the Internet, PersonalBrain lets users express key relationships across all information sources, so underlying thinking and key ideas are instantly visible. All files, documents and web pages can be instantly recalled and retrieved with PersonalBrain and displayed with all related connections so key information is easily discovered.

PersonalBrain 5.0 Feature Highlights

• Powerful “outline” view enables a broader view while retaining the flexibility of a networked structure
• Visual tagging gives another way to find information and enhances the ability to use PersonalBrain for Getting Things Done.
• Presentation mode enables full screen visualization that easily avoids the tedium of slideshow presentations
• Save customized layouts created in the “expanded” view
• Import of outlines and mind maps created in many other programs lets users upgrade their existing data into a scalable associative network

• Augmented Mac OS X Functionality
• Spotlight integration enables searching of information in the context of how it’s all connected
• Address Book, iCal, and Apple Mail integration enables users to tie all the information on their Mac together seamlessly
• QuickLook integration enables users to instantly preview attachments
• Specially created Mac OS X look and feel fits in seamlessly
• Enhancements throughout PersonalBrain make everything from scrolling through information with the mouse wheel to creating reports faster and easier.

“PersonalBrain enables us to take control of the volumes of information that we are inundated with and organizes ideas and content based on our unique thinking and perspective,” said Harlan Hugh, Chief Technology Officer of TheBrain. “PersonalBrain 5.0’s new importing features make it even easier to get started. Powerful new visualization and tagging features give users an increased level of semantic meaning in their Brains to see and discover key information relationships and capture critical thinking.”

Pricing and Availability

PersonalBrain 5.0 is offered in three editions for immediate download: Free, Core, and Pro. PersonalBrain Free is offered at no charge and lets anyone link ideas and Web pages, images and notes. Pro and Core editions are priced as follows: PersonalBrain Pro $249.95, PersonalBrain Core $149.95. PersonalBrain 4 users can upgrade to 5.0 for $74.95. The upgrade is free for users who purchased PersonalBrain 4 after June 1, 2008.PersonalBrain runs on Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, Mac OS X 10.4+, and many flavors of Linux.

PersonalBrain 4.5 Released

I have written a great deal during the past year about the PersonalBrain and I am glad to announce that PersonalBrain 4.5 was released today with a slew of new features. Here are are new features that you will find in the PersonalBrian 4.5:

PersonalBrain 4.5 helps people mind map their Thoughts, ideas and information with new visualization, searching and editing features. New features include:

• Increased Performance - PersonalBrain's dynamic user interface enables one to visually navigate related information. All operations are now faster, from loading to creating information and navigation is up to 30 times faster. This increased speed opens up the ability to easily create Brains with hundreds of thousands of Thoughts.

• Advanced Search and Indexing - PersonalBrain features a powerful search that lets users shift focus to anything that comes to mind in seconds. Live search results appear as users type, prioritized based on usage data. Version 4.5 intelligently interprets requests so the initials of a person can be used instead of their full name for example.

• Superior Distant Thought View (http://www.thebrain.com/site/video/pbViews.html) - PersonalBrain's exclusive display engine makes it a powerful visualization tool for concept and mind mapping. The engine continues to evolve in version 4.5 with an optimized view of second generation Thoughts for easier reading and an even more intuitive visual browser.

• Merging Brains and Copying Thoughts - Users can now easily merge the contents of one Brain into another and use sophisticated copying functions to leverage a set of Thoughts and relationships in different contexts.

• Excel and Word Relationship Import (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV533xqxQl4) - Information structures from Word, Excel and other applications can now be imported into PersonalBrain. Outlines constructed outside of PersonalBrain are easy to import and are automatically visualized. The imported structures can be left as is or leveraged with the sophisticated tools available in PersonalBrain. Conversely, information can also be exported back out of PersonalBrain just as easily.

• Complete Undo and Redo Editing - PersonalBrain's intuitive drag and relate technology lets users create and link numerous ideas and Thoughts in seconds. Now with complete undo and redo capabilities, users can make connections even faster. If a change is made and then reconsidered the multiple level undo buffer makes going back a one step process.

Pricing and Availability

PersonalBrain 4.5 is a complimentary upgrade for all registered PersonalBrain 4.0 users. PersonalBrain is offered in three editions: Free, Core, and Pro (the most powerful edition). PersonalBrain Free is offered at no charge and does not expire. Download your PersonalBrain at http://www.thebrain.com/download. (http://www.thebrain.com/download) Using the free edition anyone can link unlimited ideas, notes and Web information on their desktops. Pro and Core editions are priced as follows: PersonalBrain Pro $249.95, PersonalBrain Core $149.95.

PersonalBrain 4 is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Awarding Winning Technical Support

If you have not experienced the PersonalBrain you really owe it to yourself! Here is a link to the Press Release.

Interview with Shelley Hayduck of Brain Technologies

I had the pleasure today of interviewing Shelley Hayduck from Brain Technologies, the developer of the PersonalBrain and BrainEKP. During the interview I had the opportunity to ask Shelley about the PersonalBrain and how it is being used to help solve real world problems. The PersonalBrain is a very unique software application that is ideal for information and knowledge management. The underlying technology allows you to create linkages to your thoughts, files, folders, and URL's in a very quick searchable database. If you would like to try out the PersonalBrain just go to their website and download the free version. I hope you enjoy this interview!

If you are interested in meeting Shelley, she will be presenting at the IQ Visual Mapping Conference on October 2-3, 2008. If you are a PersonalBrain user then please consider attending the conference, and who knows maybe there will be some new announcements:-)

INTELLIGENT VISUAL MAPPING CONFERENCE

INTELLIGENT VISUAL MAPPING CONFERENCE:

October 2^nd and 3^rd 2008

AT:

COLLEGE of ST ELIZABETH, MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY

·Become a more visually-oriented systems thinker, decision maker and problem solver.

· Increase your worth value to your clients, colleagues and employer.

· Take your information management strategies to a higher level of effectiveness.

· Streamline your business processes and procedures, becoming lean and effective.

· Discover how to develop a comprehensive and effective marketing plan utilizing visual mapping.

· Network with and learn best practices from visual mapping thought leaders.

· Realize your information management potential and conquer information inertia.

· Become a superior business manager who can utilize and integrate linear and non-linear information.

· Understand the monetized value of your business information economy.

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO EXPERIENCE THIS SUCCESS:

DON’T REGISTER AT: https://www.regonline.com/checkin.asp?eventid=608611

Why I'll Be There!

Thanks for all of your interest in the upcoming October 2-3, 2008 Intelligent Visual Mapping Conference to be held in the Greater New York City Area. What better way to express to you why you should attend the conference then by putting the reasons in a visual mind map. I would like to thanks two of my presenters Wallace Tait and Chuck Frey for putting this together.




If you have been thinking about attending the conference now is the time to register to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration discounts. At this time we have firm commitments from TPAssist 2007, Mindjet, CS Odessa, PersonalBrain, and Simetech that they will be exhibiting as well as presenting on their products and solutions. It is going to be a wonderful conference- so stay tuned for some really exciting announcements in the next couple of weeks.

PersonalBrain 4.5 beta is now available

FYI:


PersonalBrain 4.5 beta is now available you can download it at
http://www.thebrain.com/download.

It is a free upgrade for all PersonalBrain 4 users.

New features include:

. Increased performance on all platforms
. Complete undo and redo support
. Paste outlines for easy importing of content
. New SiteBrain features
. Timed events and reminders
. Merge Brains command
. Copy and paste improvements

PersonalBrain 101 Web Classes

If you are just getting started learning how to best use the PersonalBrain then you should consider signing up for the free PersonalBrain Webinar's that are held every Friday. Both Matt and Shelley do a great job of explaining the basics and will quickly get you up to speed on how to best work and design your brain using the PersonalBrain. I have participated in these webinars and have always found them to be very informative and worthwhile. So if you are just getting started using the PersonalBrain then you should consider signing up for the free webinar this Friday. The webinars are every Friday, 10:00 AM Pacific Time / 1:00 Eastern Time

Inside the Mind of an Educator: Using the PersonalBrain

Just a reminder join me for :Inside the Mind of an Educator: Using PersonalBrain for Your Classroom, Studies and Beyond
Special Web Event with Dr. Brian S. Friedlander

When: Thursday, April 17th at 11:00 am Pacific / 2:00 pm Eastern Time

What: Students and teachers deal with complex issues and concepts that have many relationships and connections. PersonalBrain offers a new and exciting way to bring your content to life and foster a deeper understanding of your subject matter. Teachers and school administrators can use PersonalBrain to organize lesson plans and activities. Students and instructors can organize key topics and ideas to see the big picture on key ideas and simplify complex topics to drive understanding and new insights.

Who: Dr. Brian S. Friedlander is a certified (licensed) school psychologist with expertise in assistive and educational technology. He maintains an assistive technology practice that provides assessments, workshops and individual trainings. His columns can be read at: http://vietnamtech.blogspot.com Dr. Friedlander is also an Assistant Professor of Education at the College of St. Elizabeth in New Jersey, where he teaches graduate courses in special education and educational technology.

Topics Covered:

• An introduction to visual learning and PersonalBrain for education
• Visually mapping and organizing ideas for enhanced understanding
• Classroom brainstorming techniques and creating interactive Brains
• Example Brains on lesson plans, research and course material from both student and teacher perspective

Register by clicking here

Webinar: Using PersonalBrain for Your Classroom, Studies and Beyond

Come join me for a free webinar on Thursday, April 17 11:00 am Pacific Time / 2:00 pm Eastern Time hosted by TheBrain as I discuss innovative ways to use the PersonalBrain in the classroom. During the webinar I will be focus on the following topics:

• An introduction to visual learning and PersonalBrain for education
• Visually mapping and organizing ideas for enhanced understanding
• Classroom brainstorming techniques and creating interactive Brains
• Example Brains on lesson plans, research and course material from both student and teacher perspective

If you have never used the PersonalBrain then come learn how this powerful organizational tool can be incorporated into the classroom. All attendees who participate in the seminar will receive a free electronic issue of Inclusion Times, which is an educational technology newsletter published by yours truly.

If you have the chance please download a free copy of the PersonalBrain before the webinar so that you have a frame of reference for the program. Here is a link to TheBrain March 2008 Newsletter which is chock full of great information. Click on this link to Register for the Free Webinar.

Web Event: PersonalBrain on My Mac

For those of you who are interested in learning about PersonalBrain for the Mac plan on attending this special webinar. I have written about the PersonalBrain and you can access my blog posts here.

http://vietnamtech.blogspot.com/2007/10/using-personallbrain-for-upcoming-web.html
http://vietnamtech.blogspot.com/2007/09/personalbrain-4-on-web.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Web Event:
PersonalBrain on My Mac
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

PersonalBrain 4.0 is cross platform for all PC, Mac and Linux users! The software is used by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who need to analyze, brainstorm, and synthesize a wide variety of information both on their computer and the Internet. Learn how PersonalBrain can help you link and organize all your files and Web pages on Mac OS X.
Topics Covered Include:

• Using PersonalBrain and Safari Browser to add Web pages and Thought icons
• Integrating files and folders from your desktop
• Taking notes to capture key ideas and concepts
• Moving quickly between different Thoughts with Instant Activation
• Editing and changing your Thoughts
• Working across platforms and exporting your Brain to HTML

Date
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Time
11:00 AM Pacific, 2:00 PM Eastern

Date
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Time
11:00 AM Pacific, 2:00 PM Eastern

Using The PersonalBrain for Upcoming Web 2.0 Workshop

As I thought about a Web 2.0 workshop that I will be doing at the Middlesex ETTC, East Brunswick, NJ on October 19th, I wanted to harness the power of the web and share with teachers the changing landscape. I have been trying to move away from paper handouts when I do presentations and have everything accessible on the web. As I was planning the workshop I thought about how I could do this in the most user friendly and accessible way and decided to use The PersonalBrain to put together my presentation. Here was my thinking. I could easily add URL links to my web as well as PDF files that my participants could access. Similarly, once I put together my Web 2.0 presentation in the PersoanlBrain I could easily export it to a Sitebrain HTML and put it up on web. One of the key benefits to this strategy is that my participants can quickly go to sites on the Internet as well as download PDF files that I have embedded in my PersonalBrain. After the workshop, my participants can access the site and dive deeper into exploring the material that I put up. If you would like to see the Web 2.0 Brain that I posted click here.

The PersonalBrain 4 on the Web

I have had the opportunity to use the PersonalBrain 4 for the past couple of weeks and have found it to be extremely useful for organizing my materials and ideas. I do want to thank Shelley, Harlan, and Matt at theBrain Technologies, LP for their help and giving me the opportunity to work with their fine product. In fact, I have been using the PersonalBrain 4 more and more to organize my ideas, for my blog and for my newsletter, Inclusion Times. One of the really neat features of the PersonalBrain which may be overlooked is the ability to export your brain and publish it on the web. From the File menu you simply select Export-- and then select Site Brain HTML with XML Data. The PersonalBrain 4 opens a dialog box and prompts you to save the exported files. Once the files have been transferred to your hard drive you simply upload them to your server and they are ready to go. What is really exciting is that all of your notes, URL links and documents can be accessed from within your PersonalBrain on the web. Within minutes ,I had my PersonalBrain 4 on the web. If you want to see one of my PersonalBrain’s on the web click here. Remember that all of the information is hyperlinked so that clicking on an item allows you to jump to related information. If there is a link or note or a file attached to the item you can click on it in the bottom portions of the screen to access it. Give it a try and let me know what you think. The PersonalBrain 4 is a great tool to quickly put up a website for a presentation or even for a class complete with links, documents and attachments.