Inspriation
From LIS 460 Summer 2007
Contents |
What is Inspiration
According to their website: Inspiration Software®, Inc. is recognized as the leader in visual thinking and learning. We develop and publish innovative software tools that inspire learners of all ages to brainstorm, organize, plan and create. [Mission Statement]
This software 'inspires' students to improve their academic performance by strengthening organizational and thinking skills. Inspiration provides a product to help students work on their skills by using visualization techniques that involve images and graphics representations.
Their Products
Inspiration: This product is for grades 6 to 12. It focuses on honing specific skills for these grades: planning and organizing, researching and evaluating the information found, and comprehension and communication.
- Students create graphic organizers and expand topics into writing and are able to view their creations in both diagram (where they see graphic organizers and brainstorm) and outline views (where they integrate notes to further expand their ideas). Writing proficiency is increased with help from the Word Guide which helps students choose words with more precision. Also there is a contextual spell checker available. Plus students can transfer their project from Inspiration to their preferred word processor, or turn it into a web the site using Site Skeleton export tool.
- Library and Classroom Teachers can use Inspiration on their own to customize instruction, meet standards, and access student projects. The product comes with over 50 curriculum packets to help teachers integrate Inspiration into their personal teaching style. The packets address multiple learning styles with templates and exemplars. Also the packets come with standards-aligned supplemental instructional units for high-school level language arts, social studies, or science. And if the packets aren't enough Inspiration also gives teachers on-demand training videos.
Project Example
An example of a way to use Inspiration in the library is during a research project. If students are coming to the library to learn how to search for and organize the facts that they find then inspiration can be the perfect place for them to put all their ideas in order. Students can begin by using graphic organizers like idea clusters to start their brainstorming process. The librarian then could form a handout to guide students in their gathering of information. Then students could begin to put their information in order using the inspiration program.
[For more information and a free trial of Inspiration click here.]
InspireData™: This product is for grades 4 to 12. Listed as "The foremost tool to visualize, investigate and understand data" [InspireData product info] The specific skills this product hones are: strengthening the inquiry process, building data analysis skills, and improving data literacy.
- Students will formulate questions and then make connections between data and its visual representation thus interpreting information, solving problems, and drawing conclusions using the software. Students will move from data collection to analysis using the Table view (used to enter, import and customize data) and Plot view (used to visualize and investigate data). Multiple plot types (venn, stack, pie, and axis plots) encourage students to explore data in a variety of ways in the Plot view. Plus the Time Series animation represents data as it changes over time, helping students understand trends and make future predictions. Also a Slide Show feature allows students to put together a presentation where they can show their findings over time to complete a project.
- Classroom Teachers can use the Notes feature in InspireData to give student's feedback on their projects or just to give instruction. This product comes with more than 50 curriculum-based databases where teachers can start projects quickly with existing databases for science, mathematics, social studies and more. These databases and examples can be accessed easily at any time using Resources button on the InspireData Starter screen. Also InspireData comes with a Classroom Projects book. The book includes 10 projects complete with lesson plans to help teachers quickly start using InspireData.
Project Example
This product would be great for a science class. Students could perform an experiment, either as a whole class, small groups, or as individuals in a science fair like format. They could record their findings in one of the plot types offered and then at the end of the project they can use the slide show feature to present their findings over the course of the experiment. This way they have a visual diagram that shows the changing information so that when the present to the rest of the class or the teacher it looks professional and easy to understand.
[For more info about InspireData™ click here]
Kidspiration: This product is for grades k-5. Listed as "The visual way to think, write and comprehend". Kidspiration encourages students to: categorize and group ideas, express and organize thoughts, and comprehend and communicate.
- Students build graphic organizers by combining pictures, text and spoken words to represent thoughts and information. This develops early literacy skills for younger students and improves comprehension skills and organizational skills in writing for more advanced students. The combination of visual representations, textual outlines, and speech capabilities encourage multiple learning styles. Symbol Maker allows students to build early reading and writing skills by drawing to visually express their thoughts. The Writing View pairs words and symbols to make literary connections. SuperGrouper® shapes (symbols that represent main topics or concepts) give students a visual way to sort, group, classify and compare. In Picture View, they create graphic organizers to brainstorm and organize ideas.
- Classroom and Library Teachers can use any of the 75 built-in activity templates to create or add to lesson plans. Each of these templates help build standards-based skills throughout the curriculum. Plus using the Activity Wizard, teachers easily create or modify activities to match the learning needs of individual students. In the latest version of Kidspiration offers capability with interactive whiteboards and Tablet PCs. Shape and handwriting recognition make it possible to sketch symbols and write text directly on whiteboards so teachers can work efficiently and students can participate easily.
Project Example
This product would be great for an early Language Arts class. Because the product allows students to express themselves by combining text, spoken word, and pictures students will be able to express themselves more clearly and freely. In younger grades certain aspects of communication may not be fully developed (like their writing ability) this way either the students can choose what elements to combine to complete a project or a teacher could give them a picture, voice recording, or paragrah and allow the students to fill in the elements to create a story.
[For more information about Kidspiration and a free trial click here]
Inspiration for Handhelds: Listed as "Handheld power to develop ideas and organize thinking" and is for grades 4 - 12. Inspiration for handhelds works with Palm OS® and Pocket PC. This gives students and teachers greater access to the Inspiration product. Using a stylus, students can use Inspiration the same way they do on a computer. When they are finished they can transfer their project to a handheld word processor, sync to a computer, beam to another handheld or send the project directly to a printer.
[For more information on Inspiration for Handhelds and a free trial click here]
