• Use webbing tools to turn bright ideas into organized plans.Bright bulb image by jaddingt from Fotolia.com
  
  Webbing tools, also called mind mapping tools, give people in classrooms or business settings a simple way to brainstorm and manage their ideas. The idea for webbing tools comes from the pen-and-paper variety of webbing, in which a person writes down an idea, and then creates a "web" of ideas that spring from that idea. This idea of mind mapping is often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. You'll find a number of these tools available for free or for purchase online.
  
  

ReadWriteThink

• The International Reading Association maintains their "ReadWriteThink" tool to help students manage their ideas while doing schoolwork. The free program is available online, and allows students to move their circle or box shapes to different parts of the page to rework their thought processes. Every "layer" of the thought process is designated by a different color.
  
  

MindMeister

• MindMeister is an online software that has been voted one of the most valuable tools for teaching and learning by the American Association for School Librarians in 2009. The basic edition is free online, and uses different fonts and colors to distinguish one section from another. Once you've created a map, you can export it as a .pdf to be used in a presentation. You can also look at past versions of your work, in case you've made some changes that you now want to take back.
  
  

MindMapper

• If you're looking for a software product as opposed to a program that exists online, MindMapper is one of the more affordable options. The program has many different versions, including a Junior Version designed for kids and a professional version that is compatible with Microsoft Office products. The Standard version offers features to make your maps into presentations, as well as a project scheduler and an audio feature. This is a software that costs money, but the most affordable option is only $20.