Inspiration
Adding pictures off the Internet ............................................................. 4
Adding Text Hyperlinks ............................................................................ 5
Adding Topics/Subtopics ........................................................................ 5
Arranging Ideas .......................................................................................... 6
Brainstorming ............................................................................................. 2
Changing Inspiration Properties ........................................................... 6
Changing Symbol colors ......................................................................... 6
Create tool .................................................................................................... 2
Draw link ....................................................................................................... 4
Exporting diagrams and outlines .......................................................... 7
Exporting to a Word Processor ............................................................. 6
Inspiration Templates on the Web ........................................................ 7
Inspiration Tutorials on the web ............................................................ 7
Link text ........................................................................................................ 5
Link Tool ....................................................................................................... 4
Listen Tool
................................................................................................ 6
Note tool ....................................................................................................... 5
Outline View................................................................................................. 5
RapidFire tool.............................................................................................. 2
Record Your Voice ..................................................................................... 6
Replacing symbol
s ................................................................................. 3
Save your Document ................................................................................. 3
Templates ..................................................................................................... 7
Using the Picture Symbol Libraries ...................................................... 3
Zoom tools ................................................................................................... 6
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Inspiration
Inspiration is excellent software for brainstorming ideas, mapping relationships
of ideas, organizing thoughts, and outlining information. Visual learning helps
students comprehend and internalize their learning. A 30 day trial for pc or mac
can be downloaded from www.inspiration.com
Adding new symbols
There are five different ways to add new symbols
1. Main idea
Inspiration opens with a symbol in the center
of the page. This is the main idea. Begin by typing in a topic that
you teach. E.G. Cells
2. Create tool
This tool is located in the toolbar at the
bottom of your screen. You can choose which direction to create a
new symbol. Click on the oval that points in the direction that you
want. The oval will turn green as you hover over it with your mouse.
Choose an oval from the create tool and type in 2 more words
describing your main idea. E.G. Cell membrane and nucleus.
3. RapidFire tool
This is an easy and fast way to quickly
record ideas. This tool is excellent for brainstorming. Click on your
main idea symbol (Cells) so that 4 white handles show around it.
Then click on the RapidFire tool and you will see a red lightening bolt
appear after your main idea. Type in words describing your main
idea and hit return after typing each one. E.G. cell wall,
mitochondrion, and endoplasmic reticulum.. Notice that each time
you hit return a new linked symbol is created automatically.
4. Brainstorming This is a way to brainstorm without connecting the
ideas. The ideas can be linked later if you want. Click anywhere on
the screen and type in 3 words describing your main idea E.G.
chloroplast, cytoplasm, and vacuole
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Using the Picture Symbol Libraries
Inspiration has over 1300 picture
symbols that are categorized in
libraries to organize them. One can
use the picture symbols provided or
use any pictures or animations off the
Internet. To view the picture symbol
libraries, click on the blue down arrow
located in the Symbol palette located at
the left.
1. Drag and drop
One method of using picture symbols is to drag and
drop the pictures by dragging the picture from the menu to above,
below or to the side of the word you want the picture to describe. The
disadvantage is that if you move your words, the picture is not linked or
connected to the words so it has to be moved separately.
2. Resizing symbols A picture symbol can easily be manipulated to be
bigger or smaller. Click on the symbol so that the 4 white handles
show and then drag any corner.
3. Replacing symbol
s Another method is to replace the
oval symbol with a picture. Click once on one of your ideas and then
click once on a picture in the symbol palette. The picture you chose
should replace the oval.
Save your Document Make sure you save often. One way is to click on the file
menu and choose save. The easiest method is to use the shortcut Apple+ S to
save.
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Adding pictures off the Internet
1. Get on the Internet using a browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, or
Firefox)
2. Type in www.google.com and click on images
3. Type in a word like nucleus
4. Click on the image you want.
5. Click on the link at the top that says “See full-size image.”
6. Hold down the CTRL key while clicking on the picture. A menu will
appear. Choose download image to disk or download image to the
desktop.
6. Switch back to Inspiration. Click on the cells box so that 4 white
box handles show.
7. Click on Edit and choose insert graphic. Find the image you
downloaded to the desktop. It will replace the Inspiration clipart
picture.
8. Click on the white handles and drag using your mouse to resize the
image.
Adding Animations
1. Get on the Internet using a browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, or
Firefox)
2. Type in www.animationlibrary.com and type a broad search word like
cell in the search box.
3. Hold down the CTRL key while clicking on the picture. A menu will
appear. Choose download image to disk or download image to the
desktop.
4. Switch back to Inspiration. Click on the cells box so that 4 white
box handles show.
5. Click on Edit and choose insert graphic. Find the image you
downloaded to the desktop. It will replace the Inspiration clipart
picture.
6. Click on the white handles and drag using your mouse to resize the
image.
Link Tool This makes it easy to link symbols. Click once on your main idea
(Cells) so that 4 white handles show. Then click on the link tool . Next
click on a symbol that is not linked. E.G. Chloroplast. Click on your main idea
again and then on your other idea that is not linked. E.G. vacuole. Click the link
tool to stop linking.
Draw link
One can also draw links between symbols. Click on the symbol you
want to link. Then click on the white diamond handles and drag to the main idea
(Cells).
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Link text
Links have text boxes too. You can add text to a
link to state the relationship between the symbols. Click on a link between 2
symbols and add text describing the relationship.
Note tool
This is great for adding more information
about an idea. This note will show up in the outline view too. To
add a note, click once on the idea you want to add a note to.
Click on the tool. Add a note to one of your ideas. For example,
click on Cell wall and add a note that this is found in plant cells.
Close the note by clicking on the box in the top left corner. To
see the note again, click once on the idea (Cell Wall) and then
click on the note quick control icon in the top right corner.
Adding Text Hyperlinks Words can be linked to websites or a file
such as a powerpoint or word document. Highlight the text you want to link such
as your main idea (Cells). Click on the hyperlink tool. Choose Webpage and type
in or copy a web address from a browser. (E.G. http://www.cellsalive.com/).
Click once anywhere on the white background and then click on the link to test it.
Outline View
This shows your document as an outline. One can
easily switch back and forth from outline view to diagram view with the click of a
button. Notes will appear in outline view but the pictures and linked text won’t.
Adding Topics/Subtopics in Outline View One can add notes, topics or
subtopics in the outline view. Click on a topic such as Nucleus and click the
subtopic button located in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Type in a
subtopic like nueleolus. Notice that you have right and left buttons to easily
move words to topics or subtopics.
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Arranging Ideas Ideas can be arranged various ways. The default
configuration is the top down tree. Make sure you are in diagram view and then
click on the arrange tools and tryout the other choices.
Zoom tools
The Zoom tools are located in the bottom left
corner. The tools look like mountains. Click on the left mountains to zoom out
and the right mountains to zoom in or type in a percentage.
Changing Symbol colors
First Click once on the symbol whose colors
you want to change. The blue color represents the outside color and the light
green represents the inside color. Click on the colors and choose another color
to highlight a particular symbol(s).
Changing Inspiration Properties Click on the Utility menu and choose
Application Properties where one can change the Inspiration defaults.
Listen Tool
The listen tool will read words to students. This can be a
great plus for ESL students. Click on the Listen tool and then click on a note or
words to hear them read to you. Click the Listen tool again to turn it off.
Record Your Voice Most MAC computers have a built-in microphone located at
the top center. Click on a symbol, and then go to the Tools menu and choose
Sound and Record. After you have recorded, an Audio Quick Control will appear
on the symbol. Click the Quick Control to play the sound.
Exporting to a Word Processor Click on File and choose Transfer to Word
Processor. The diagrams are saved as pictures that can’t be changed but the
words can. To change whether it saves to Word or Appleworks, click on the
Utility Menu and choose Application Properties.
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Exporting diagrams and outlines
Inspiration documents can be saved as
picture files (JPEG and GIF) as well as a webpage. Click on File and choose
export as webpage. Save it and then drag this file to your Homepage folder in
your FirstClass email and you have created a webpage that students can access.
http://jfhmsfc.rockingham.k12.va.us/~abair Replace jfhms with the initials of
your school (bhs, shs, tahs, mtc, ems, jfhms, mms, wspms, ees, fres, jcmes,
jwes, mes, lses, lees, mves, oes, pes, pves, pkves, sres) and the abair with your
email username. Double-click on the file and it will open on the web.
Templates
1. Click on the File menu and choose open template.
2. Click on a category and choose one of templates. If you make a
Inspiration, please share it by emailing an ITRT (Doris Gardner, Alice Bair,
Obe Hostetter, Kevin Perkins, Dennis Durost, or Lynn Pike) and we will
gladly post it on the Inspiration Template webpage at
http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/resources/inspiration.htm
Inspiration Templates on the Web
1. Load up a browser like Safari or Internet Explorer
2. Go to http://www.google.com
3. Type in the phrase or word you want to search for followed by
inspiration e.g. cell inspiration
4. Add filetype:ins or filetype:inf after “cells” This will then find only
Inspiration templates on the web for you.
5. Download the links by holding down the CTRL key while clicking on a
link
6. Choose Download linked file or save link as
7. Double-click the file on your desktop
Inspiration Tutorials on the web
http://www.learningelectric.com/inspiration7.htm This website has Inspiration
Movie Tutorials by topic.
1. Load up a browser like Safari or Internet Explorer
2. Go to http://www.google.com
3. Type in the phrase or word you want to search for in quotes e.g.
“Inspiration tutorial”
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