RE: [school-discuss] free/open inspiration replacement?(conceptmapping)

[ipaterson@shaw.ca]

At 06:32 AM 10/21/02 -0400, you wrote:
>Inspiration, and the child-friendly version Kidspiration, are pretty decent
>software products.  I even use Inspiration for drafting essay outlines; I
>don't know whether they fall under the category of "mind mapping" or not.

<SNIP>

[posted for someone else who isn't subscribed to the list]

Inspiration is more than just a diagraming, flow-charting app. The real
power is in its ability to create hierarchical structures visually and
textually, which is a critical attribute of mind-mapping software.

In the diagram mode, the user can construct a visual web of ideas starting
with main concepts and branching off into ideas and sub-ideas. The links
between the ideas dictate the position in the hierarchy. These links can be
rearranged at the whim of the user thus promoting or demoting ideas in the
hierarchy.

This would be great stuff by itself, but Inspiration goes a step further
and allows the user, with the click of a button, to change from diagram
mode into outline mode where the ideas are presented in text format. Ideas
and sub-ideas can be rearranged by dragging.

The text outline can then be exported in a variety of formats for opening
in a wordprocessor or a presentation tool. The diagram mode can be exported
as a JPEG or as an HTML document.

Educators would find Inspiration a terrific tool to support the writing
process.

-- 
Ian
http://www.ipaterson.ca