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Inspiration/Kidspiration™ Learning Tool
There are many types of software designed to help students and teachers organize thoughts, ideas, and projects. Inspiration™ is an idea-diagramming program that can be used to support brainstorming and the development of flowcharts, concept maps, or mind maps. Inspiration (and Kidspiration for younger students) can be used across the curriculum in many ways to support learning. See the Educator's section of the company's web site, including searchable examples and lesson plans, or the Inspired Learning Community for cross-curricular integration ideas for K-12 classrooms.
Assignment
For this project, you are expected to integrate the use of Inspiration™ (or Kidspiration) software into your planned thematic unit. To do so, identify one of the stated objectives from your thematic unit description that could be supported through the use of Inspiration or Kidspiration software, then create a visual learning tool to support that outcome (or some aspect of it). Consider three different types of learning tools that you might create:
Teacher Demo –This format is used primarily by the teacher to demonstrate relationships between topics or concepts.
Examples Worksheet Completion – This format includes blank spaces for the students to complete. It would essentially be a "fill in the blank" activity. However, this doesn't imply that it be an assessment or test. Your assignment is to create a "learning" tool, so think about how you could encourage students to use inquiry or collaboration skills as they seek to learn more about a topic. The use of notes or hyperlinks within the learning tool might encourage this, for example.
Examples Interactive – This format is designed to engage learners and enourages them to rearrange or otherwise manipulate the visual elements. It may involve grouping symbols by moving them around on the screen or showing relationships between concepts by inserting links between symbols. Inspiration & Kidspiration provide several interactive features such as audio, notes, hyperlinks and writing prompts.
Examples Requirements
Your learning tool must effectively incorporate at least two of the following features to support learning:
- Notes (Inspiration)
- Hyperlinks
- Audio (sound file or recorded sound)
- Video
- SuperGrouper (Kidspiration)
- Symbol Maker (Kidspiration—only if created as example of what students would create)
- Math tool (Kidspiration—includes color tiles, pattern or base ten blocks, fraction tiles or boxes)
Shapes, color and other formatting should be used consistently to reinforce the organization of information. Links should connect every symbol with another (unless these symbols are designed to be moved around the screen in the Interactive type of activity) The arrows must be linked in the direction which represents a logical flow of information.
Include a set of directions as part of the learning tool you create. Write these directions to your students explaining specifically what they are to do, including how to use the features that you've incorporated (i.e., hidden notes, hyperlinks, audo/video--where are these and how are they to be used?). If the tool is in the Teacher Demo format, then write the directions to the teacher (or substitute teacher, if you prefer) explaining how they are supposed to use it. Be specific about how the learning tool is intended to support students' learning.
Inspiration™ has a spelling checker utility in the Text menu. Spelling and grammar are included in the assessment of this project.
Reflection & Submitting Your Assignment
Relate the learning tool that you've created to one of the components of INTASC Standard 6. Follow the Reflection Guidelines to successfully complete this aspect of your assignment.
Copy and paste your written reflection into the Submission box of eLearning Assignments, then attach your Inspiration file (.isf) or Kidspiration file (.kid) before submitting the assignment.
Points: 30
Point Structure:
All symbols are labeled with text (or will be labeled by the learner)
2
At least two different features from list above are used to enrich the activity
8
Learning tool supports a unit objective and is aligned with standard 6 as described in the reflection 2 Shapes, color and other formatting is used consistently to reinforce the organization of information represented (hierarchy of concepts, for example).
2 Where necessary, symbols are connected (or will be connected by your learners) with a link to another symbol. Links represent logical connections between levels of information, and arrowheads are in the direction of the flow of information.
4 Directions are included on the learning tool. These directions explain to the students what they are expected to do or explain to the teacher how to use the learning tool. Directions clearly describe how to use all features of the tool (notes, hyperlinks, audio/video, etc.)
6 Reflections adequately follow the Reflection Guidelines.
6
Spelling & Grammar (-1 each error ) (up to 10%) Special Notes:
- You can download a 30-day demo of Inspiration or Kidspiration to work on your project at home.
- You may look for ideas in the activity files that are bundled with Inspiration/Kidspiration. However, you may not submit one of these as your assignment.
- Relate this project to one of your stated unit objectives and INTASC Standard 6. Follow the Reflection Guidelines to successfully complete this aspect of your assignment.
- Submit your project by attaching your Inspiration file (.isf) or Kidspiration file (.kid) to the Assignments area in eLearning. Copy and paste your written reflection into the Submission box before submitting the assignment.
- Be careful not to attach a shortcut file (.lnk) when submitting this assignment. After attaching your file, confirm that the name ends with ".isf" or ".kid" before submitting the assignment.
- Save your project on your USB Flash drive for future reference. You will need a copy when developing your digital portfolio.
Page updated: September 8, 2009
Ed Tech & Design Instructors, Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction, University of Northern Iowa
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