I'm not a fan of digital brainstorming and organizational tools. I'm sure they work for someone, but to-date they haven't worked for me. Back in 2001 I tried a few attempts at computer-based notebooks that allowed a user to create outlines and notes and stories. Exporting them to MS Word was close to impossible and most of my writing (not that it was a tremendous amount) got stranded on these third-party apps.
Later I tried some programs like OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle. They seemed to be user friendly- but I didn't seem to have an idea in my head as to what I would do with them! So they sat on the computer unused.
Another C&I class wanted us to use Inspiration to put up our ideas. It was horrid. I think I perspired more than I was inspired trying to understand how to use the system. I never did figure out why you'd want to write on the lines.
This semester I decided to try Compendium because of the orientation videos we saw in class. There is still a steep learning curve and I really need to view the videos to figure out how do some basic things, but it appears to be useful in a way that other notetaking/mapping tools are not. I'm going to try to take the time to use it as a tool for my planning for a research project and see if it can be useful for me.
I'm still not sold on the idea of digital planning tools ... a steep learning curve makes them impractical for use in the classroom. With the current whiteboard technology that will allow students to draw, type and share in real-time, I'm wondering if the time for these software apps is past.
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