Erika Roach, Kendra Genkinger, MacKenzie Spilman, Hana Jacoby, Joseline Umulisa
What is Inspiration?
Inspiration is a software program that allows students and teachers to create visual thinking and learning strategies to increase academic performance for students.
By providing multiple mediums for representation, expression and engagement, Inspiration Software tools help students visually organize and outline ideas to structure writing and improve communication and expression. All this while learning skills that enhance and make learning fun and engaging.
With Inspiration Software's tools, students brainstorm using symbols and images to represent and sort their ideas, and create visual diagrams and graphic organizers to break work down into manageable sections. Visual learning engages students of all abilities as they work together and contribute at their individual levels.
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Get Inspiration in the Classroom
Inspiration Software is easily integrated into any subject content. Students can brainstorm ideas, create visual diagrams and graphic organizers to be able to mentally grasp the concept being taught. This software provides teachers access to templates that will provide clear guided instructions that help enhance their students learning. Students are also able to use the tools given, like symbols and images to help scaffold new ideas and help make connections for future activities.
There are different strategies used on Inspiration Software, such as, Visual Learning which is a strategy as well as a learning style. For some students it is easier to see ideas, words, and concepts. Some strategies of Visual Learning are:
Graphic organizers: organizes ideas to show relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas. Graphic Organizers are meant to guide the learner in his/her thinking process.
Concept mapping: organizes knowledge within a subject or topic.
Mind Mapping: organizes a topic with complex information. It is used as an overview or summary.
Webbing: organizes relationships of different categories. Shows how each category relates to the other. (Compare and contrast)
Outlining: organizes written work. Outlining is used as a summary with headings and subheadings.
Plots and Graphs: organizes sets of numbers using coordinates.
Language Arts
Here is a lesson plan for Language Arts using Brainstorming visually.
http://www.inspiration.com/sites/default/files/filemanager/file/Brainstorming%20Visually.pdf
Visual brainstorming is a planning process in which students are able to map out their ideas using the Inspiration program. Using the features, students are able to visualize, to help create a better understand the concepts as well as add detail.
We could use this brainstorming lesson plan to demonstrate how to plan and organize our thoughts before getting started on a final project. Brainstorming and planning help layout the foundation of how to organize the thinking process.
Social Studies
Here is a lesson plan for Social Studies using Concept Mapping.
http://www.inspiration.com/sites/default/files/filemanager/file/Concept%20Map%20Creation(1).pdf
A concept map is a graphical tool used to record and link concepts to show relationships between those concepts.
Concept mapping can be used in any subject, but to specify for social studies it could layout the life of a historical figure, event, or even geographical landforms.
Science
Here is a lesson plan for Science using Mind Maps, which can be elaborated into a graph.
http://www.inspiration.com/sites/default/files/filemanager/file/Classification%20Mind%20Maps.pdf
A mind map is a way to graphically represent ideas and concepts. It is a visual thinking tool that structures information. Mind maps are commonly used to take notes. The mind map is structured to resemble how your brain works.
With so many different ways to classify something, this mind map lays out what is being classified and how the classifications connect with each other.
Here are a view other links to show how Inspiration has been integrated into the classroom
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/inspiration.html
http://www.wtvi.com/teks/02_03_articles/inspiration.html
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How to Get Started with Inspiration
Download the 30 Day Free Trial: http://www.inspiration.com/freetrial
Purchase and Download Inspiration: http://store.inspiration.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=3
References
Website for Software: http://www.inspiration.com/
Title Image: http://pjhsjacks.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/2/8/10280567/142573_orig.jpg
Mind Map Image: http://www.inspiration.com/visual-learning/mind-mapping
YouTube Video Tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPTZh13OTLU
Inspiration Lesson Plans: http://www.inspiration.com/lessonplans/inspiration
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