Inspiration - Getting Started

Anastasia Trekles MilliganClinical Asst. Professor

Purdue University Calumet

Trekles@calumet.purdue.edu

What is Inspiration?

• Concept-mapping and visual learning software

• Helps students:• Brainstorm• Make connections between ideas• Develop understanding of concepts• Outline and plan

• Inspiration is for grades 5-12 and beyond

Ideas for Use - Language Arts

• Outline and gather resources for papers• Understand letters, sounds, sentence

construction• Match vocabulary words to pictures• Put vocabulary words into categories• Create digital stories and detail concepts of

literature and story construction

Ideas for Use - Social Studies

• Create timelines of events in history• Associate names to pictures or audio of

historical places, people, or events• Create flowcharts and organizational charts to

illustrate government concepts• Identify symbols and resources related to

different cultures and nationalities

Ideas for Use - Science

• Categorize animal and plant species• Illustrate the parts of the human body• Provide illustration to explain the periodic

table of elements• Create models of the Solar System and the

universe, with hyperlinks• Detail lab procedures and findings

Ideas for Use - Math

• Illustrate and lead students through formula steps

• Visually demonstrate concepts like fractions, making change, many more

• Categorize numbers and math symbols• Relate mathematical concepts to the world

around us

Getting Startedhttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire1.htm

• Two “modes” - Diagram (pictures) and Outline (text)

• As you create in one mode the other is automatically formed

• New documents open in Diagram mode• Tools are available at the top, symbols

at the left (diagram mode only), and text/color settings at the bottom

Diagram Mode Basicshttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire2.htm

• Click in a node to type ideas• Click Create to make new ideas• Use Link to connect them any which way• Use Arrange to arrange them• Rapidfire is excellent for Brainstorming• Notes lets you add side notes to any node• Hyperlink creates a link to a URL or another

document• Transfer sends the map to a Word document• To the left is the Symbol pane - change any node to a

symbol or just insert pictures to spice it up

Outline Mode Basicshttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire2.htm

• Click Outline to move to outline mode; click Diagram to go back

• Text-only mode; use Topic and Subtopic to add new ideas

• Use Left and Right to demote or promote outline items

• Notes, Hyperlinks, Spelling, and Transfer work the same as in Diagram mode

More About Notes and Hyperlinks

http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire3.htm

• Notes can be almost as long as you want - allows content depth without filling up the node and can be hidden

• Hyperlinks can go to a Web site, email address, another file, or a new Inspiration document• Note that any linked file has to be in the

same folder with the Inspiration document if you intend to take the project elsewhere

Converting to Other Formatshttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire4.htm

• Inspiration 7.6 can convert diagrams to Word, PowerPoint, HTML, AppleWorks, and plain text

• Pressing the Transfer button will automatically go to your default word processor (Word in most cases)

• Click the File menu and choose Export or Export to HTML to select other formats

Images and Colorhttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire5.htm

• Images come mainly from the Symbol library (Diagram mode)

• Symbol library/palette contains dozens of clipart separated into categories

• Select anything on your document then click a picture and it’ll appear!

• You can also click the Edit menu to Insert your own graphics, or Paste them in

Images and Colorhttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire5.htm

• You can change the color of your symbols and fonts from the tools at the bottom of the Diagram window

• Font sizes and styles can also be manipulated

• You can even draw your own shapes• Note that Text and Symbol effects can also

be achieved through the Text, Symbol, and Effect menus at the top of your screen

Importing Your Own Graphics to the Symbol Library

http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire6.htm

• Click the Utility menu and choose Edit Symbol Libraries

• You can import files or paste graphics into any category or make your own categories

• Once you have clicked OK the pictures will be part of your Symbol Palette for use anytime

Sound in Inspirationhttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire7.htm

• You can record sound and add it to any node• Click the Tools menu, drag down to Sound,

and click Record• As long as you have a microphone handy you

can add your own voice or something else• The node with the sound displays with a

small speaker icon next to the symbol

Working with Templateshttp://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials/inspire8.htm

• Templates are stored in the Inspiration Templates folder with the Inspiration application

• You can download and install new ones• http://www.inspiration.com• http://www.mindservegroup.com

• You can also create your own - click the Utility menu and choose Template Wizard

Help and Resources

• Inspiration’s website: http://www.inspiration.com

• TechHelp Tutorials site: http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Tutorials

• Some general Inspiration templates: http://technology.usd497.org/ctr/Inspiration.htm

Help and Resources

• Suggestions for Inspiration use in the classroom: http://www.bcps.org/offices/oit/PDF%20Files/Inspiration_Use.pdf

• Teachers using Inspiration: http://www.lakelandschools.org/EDTECH/Inspir.htm

• Many more Inspiration/Kidspiration examples: http://www.spart5.k12.sc.us/TechTraining/InspirationMatrix.htm

Help and Resources

• Many teacher-created, Indiana Standards-based PowerPoints can be found at our workshop site: http://literacy.calumet.purdue.edu:8282• Login name: eastchicago • password: teacher

• Staci’s website: http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/Faculty/trekles

Thank You!

To find out more about Graduate Studies program and license renewal options,

please visit http://www.calumet.purdue.edu/educatio

n/grad