Anyone use Inspiration or Kidspiration (graphic organizer)

[Misty]

Just wondering if this is something that has worked for your struggling learner.

 

Here's the link.. http://www.inspiration.com .. They have a 30-day free trial, but I haven't downloaded it yet.. Watch their video tour of the program.. It looks like something that would be quite helpful. What do you think?

[RamonaQ]

My son uses it. I have liked it very much, my son likes it sometimes ;-) We have used it for writing, and I can say it has a very positive effect. It has been very helpful to use as a systematic way to develop writing that is "on topic".

 

What he does is put the topic in the center bubble, and then put brainstorming ideas that relate to the center topic around it, connecting them with lines. Then I ask him to group, on the screen, the related bubbles (dragging them around with the mouse). Then I ask him to coalesce related bubbles to allow for richer sentences (instead of, for example, three bubbles stating the dog is brown, the dog is short-haired, the dog is short-- this becomes a single bubble-- The short dog is brown and short-haired--- or something of the sort.) Ds then uses the paragraph button that then turns the bubbles into an outline, which he can scaffold more writing using transition phrases and concluding sentence.

 

I think to be successful with this tool, it requires the child be able to keyboard. However, I do think it would also be helpful just as a visual when you are working together, if the adult did the keyboard/ scribing, and thus establishing a method for writing.

 

We have not explored any of the other functions in Kidspiration (I see there is math, etc...)

[Misty]

Thank you!! This is very helpful.. I have Aspies who are struggling with various issues and this looks like it would be helpful..

 

Thanks for your feedback!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[RamonaQ]

Shari,

 

DS just highlights the output, and copies it ( CTR-C) to paste it into a word processing document. It is one extra step, I guess.

[Alessandra]

We have Kidspiration and haven't used it as much as I thought we would, so I can't give you a detailed review. But two points:

 

-- it is visual, but it has a sort of old, early Windowy feel.

-- if I remember, you are buying a site license, not a software package, so it can be on only one computer.

 

-- it isn't "fun" enough to be really appealing to my dc, and typing is s l o w for some kids, discouraging.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Alessandra

[Misty]

Thank you ladies! This is all very helpful!!