Inspiration

This eighth edition of the popular classroom brainstorming program makes it easy to drag and drop icons, words, pictures or even movies onto a Mac or Windows computer screen, where they can be used to connect ideas, or perhaps a web of ideas. The program now has a track record of making the writing and organization process more fun and efficient for students. New features for version 8 include a starter screen, the ability to search the clip art library by keyword, video and sound integration, more drag-and-drop features, a word guide (an integrated dictionary/thesaurus) and a handy "AutoArrange" option that tidies up a cluttered screen, for more professional-looking results. The program is also better integrated with the Internet, with built-in web links, (you can program symbols to jump to web sites), and the ability to search a library of additional symbols. It is always nice to see a good program get better. Inspiration is great software for assisting students in organizing their thoughts. Students and teachers can make their own graphic organizes for topics or use the templates that come with program. Templates include topics for many subjects such as writing, language arts, science, social studies, and general skills. Graphic organizers can be easily converted into an outline with the push of a button and then converted into a Word document. This allows students to continue their work even if they do not have the program at their home computer.