Class #7: Inspiration Software

Class number 7 was focused on Inspiration Software. I cannot believe all the great improvements this program has gone through in such a short time! During this class, we had the opportunity to work in groups to create a word web, which is great to help minimize the complexity of any reading on virtually any topic.  Tonight's class forced me to find out more information about Inspiration. This is what I came up with.

To start, here is a video on how to use Inspiration for Mac:

For visual mapping, outlining, writing and making presentations, use Inspiration® 9, the ultimate thinking and learning tool. Brainstorm ideas, structure your thoughts and visually communicate concepts to strengthen understanding with the Diagram and Map Views. To take notes, organize information, and structure writing for plans, papers and reports, use the integrated Outline View to focus on main and supporting ideas and to clarify thinking in written form. With Inspiration's Presentation Manager, transform your diagrams, mind maps and outlines into polished presentations that communicate ideas clearly and demonstrate understanding and knowledge.

Visualize & Develop Ideas. Understand & Retain Concepts.

Create webs, idea maps, mind maps, concept maps, graphic organizers, process flows, and other diagrams for thinking, organizing and writing. Use these proven visual thinking and learning techniques to brainstorm ideas, explore and explain relationships, and integrate new knowledge with what you already know. Inspiration® encourages deeper, more critical thinking and that improves creativity, comprehension and retention.

• Brainstorm and capture ideas quickly with RapidFire® tool.
• Represent information and trigger memory with symbols and images. Choose from Inspiration®’s Symbol libraries with 1+ million images, searchable by keyword, or import your own.
• Jumpstart the writing process by adding notes to symbols.
• Highlight key concepts and group information with different text and link colors and font styles.

In Diagram View:

• Add symbols and images in multiple ways. Point and click to place them, use the Create tool, or drag and drop from the Symbol palette. Choose the method that works best for you and your project.
• Show relationships between ideas with links.
• Explain the relationship between ideas with linking phrases – choose from a list of common phrases or write in your own.
• Organize ideas effortlessly using the Arrange tool or to create various tree charts and webs.

In Map View:

• Expand your central idea by adding new topic and subtopic branches.
• Rearrange and connect ideas easily by dragging branches into place.
• Use the Relationship tool to show connections among branches and topics.
• Branches and their sub-branches automatically maintain the same color to visually keep related thoughts together.

Plan & Organize Written Work

Organize ideas and think through projects and assignments more effectively using Inspiration’s Outline View. Structure your work for planning and writing. Learn how to brainstorm and create essay outlines to support the writing process. Gather and keep track of research information and develop a logical flow for written and oral communication. With Outline View, you can quickly develop main and supporting ideas and add detail helping you write to a purpose. Outlining, paired with the integrated visual views, lets you move seamlessly between visual and written expressions of your thinking to expand and refine ideas and produce quality work.

In Outline View:

• Transform diagrams and mind maps to outlines with one click.
• Continue the writing process by adding topics, subtopics and notes text. Diagram View and Map View update automatically.
• Organize ideas and information with power outlining tools:
  • Rearrange topics simply by dragging. Subtopics and notes move automatically. 
  • Change idea hierarchy, split or combine topics, transform lists to topics and subtopics, and demote and promote groups of subtopics to fine tune your work.
• Manage your outline structure and order by hiding or showing subtopics and notes.
• Keep visual connections intact. See associated symbols and linking phrases from Diagram View in Outline View.
• Meet word and page count requirements with Word Count.

Improve Communication & Build Presentations

Improve communication and share what you’ve learned with Inspiration’s Presentation Manager. Use the content you’ve developed in Diagram, Map and Outline Views and expand your work into more thoughtful and compelling presentations and final projects. Inspiration provides all the tools to create organized, polished, formal presentations that convey ideas clearly and demonstrate your understanding and knowledge. Use the FREE Inspiration Presenter to show your presentation easily on any Macintosh® or Windows® computer.