“…a stimulation of the intellect or emotions to a high level; a sudden, creative idea or act…”
That is how Webster defines Inspiration and that definition seems to hold true for the software title of the same name. Inspiration is a software package which enables persons to visually develop ideas and concepts. Inspiration has many applications within a number of environments. It can be used by people of all ages and abilities. The software provides the tools that let you create a picture of your ideas or concepts in the form of a diagram. It also provides an integrated outlining environment for you to develop your ideas into organized written documents. Use the diagramming part to play with your ideas, to clarify your thinking. Use the outlining part to organize your ideas in outline form. The outlining part is perfect for creating structure for written documents, speeches and plans.
The Diagram view of Inspiration can be used to create diagrams to plan a vacation, or develop an understanding of a challenging concept; design a concept map to illustrate time lines or hierarchical information; generate idea maps during brainstorming sessions; develop a web to illustrate how different pieces of information are related to one another; and represent ideas with a storyboard.
The Outline view can be used to develop a structure for a written report, story or plan, organize notes, or write instructional materials. An outline provides a framework for your ideas and lets you order the flow of information. The true beauty of the program is that ideas can be expressed in a visual format and then within seconds converted to a text-based outline. Once the visual map is complete and an individual is satisfied that she has expressed all of her ideas, she can simply point and click and an outline is generated! It truly is as simple as that!
LINC has Inspiration at the lab for both Mac and PC formats. Members are invited to visit during Open Lab hours to give it a try. ©
•To purchase a copy of this software contact, Inspiration Software, Inc. at 503-297-3004 or at http://www. inspiration. com.
•For more ideas on how to use Inspiration in the classroom, visit these websites:
Mapping Toools - Inspiration - Louis Loeffler
Using Inspiration in Your Classroom - Memphis City Schools
Going Visual with Inspiration