Webspiration Classroom

Webspiration Classroom is an online graphic organizing tool that allows students to create visual representations and outlines of ideas and topics using visual learning tools designed to help with brainstorming, planning, organizing and writing. Students can also select from an extensive number of cross-curriculum templates to help get them starting writing projects in areas of  Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Thinking and Planning. A graphic display of ideas and concepts can first be developed and organized visually in Diagram View and then automatically converted to an Outline where it can be easily revised if needed before either printing, e-mailing, or transferring into a Google Doc.

Chromebook/Web Access: 

Webspiration Classroom is a paid web-based program developed for those grade 6 through adult. Once a student has been provided his/her own login and password, it is accessible through any browser:

www.webspirationclassroom.com

A free 30-day trial is also available for download through www.inspiration.com and several well-presented on-line instructional videos are also available at that website to help familiarize teachers and students with the program.        

Working in Webspiration Classroom:

After logging into Webspiration, the screen will open up to a page that allows you to Create & Manage Documents, watch Video Demonstrations (i.e. 'What you can do with Webspiration', 'How to create documents', and 'How to Create Outlines'), and to choose from the Assignments & Templates box to select and open template folders.

To get started on creating a new document, click on the Diagram icon in the ‘Create & Manage Documents’ box. You can also open a new document by first selecting a template topic under ‘Assignments & Templates’,  opening up and scrolling through a list of template options under each subject folder, and then clicking on a desired template to open.

If you clicked on the Diagram icon from the ‘Create & Manage Documents’, the screen will open up to a blank page. You can either create a new document from scratch, using the Webspiration menu tools, or click on the 'Document' heading and then 'Open' to select from Document, Template, Example. Choosing Document will open up to the documents you have already created and selecting Template will open to the Template folder where any template can be opened.

HELPFUL TIP: In order to minimize frustration the first few times you work in Webspiration, do not click on the back arrow key.

Clicking on the back arrow icon will close the Webspiration document and open up to login page where you will need to login again. If you want to look at another template, example, or open a new document, always click on the Document heading and then select from the list of options.

Creating Diagrams

In Diagram View, the key program functions are located on the main toolbar:

Brainstorming with Rapid Fire: In a new document in Diagram View, the screen opens to a Main Idea box. Type in your  main idea and then start brainstorming and capturing ideas by first clicking on the Rapid Fire key function and  typing in the last symbol box you were working in. After typing, click Enter on your keyboard and a new box will appear with your text.

Adding Images with Symbol palette:  To represent ideas pictorially, select an image from the Symbol palette located on the left side of the page and drag onto the diagram.  Images can also be added from a file or website by clicking on Edit on the menu bar, Insert Graphic, and selecting either From File… or From URL…

Format Toolbar: To change font size, text, line or fill color,  click on the symbol box you want to make changes to before clicking  a Format tool  located at the bottom of the page.

Creating  A Text Box: New ideas can be added without the use of  Rapid Fire by  clicking on the Create icon, scrolling down and clicking anywhere on the diagram and then typing in a new idea. Clicking on the workspace and then pointing and typing anywhere on the page is another way of adding a new idea.

Using Links to connect ideas:  To make a link between symbols, first click on the Link icon and then the symbol you want to start from. Drag the arrow line to the symbol box you want to connect it to and then left click on the touchpad. Click on the first symbol and click on where the link should end.

Adding text on a link: To help connect the relationship between ideas, click on a link line and type in a word that connects two ideas.

Arrange tool:  Click on the Arrange tool to  restructure your free-form  diagram into a more organized layout on the page.

Outline View: Click on the Outline function key to instantly see your diagram in an outline.

Creating Outlines:

• In Outline view all symbols created in Diagram appears as topics and subtopics
• On the left, the control column allows one to easily organize information by clicking and dragging any of the subtopics or topics and moving it into a different hierarchical order.
• Prefix labels (e.g. from Roman Numerals to numbers) can easily be changed by clicking on the 'Change prefix label' located at the bottom of the Outline View page.
• Once you are done, you can instantaneously transfer your outline to Google Docs  where you can use the reading and writing tools of Read&Write for Google to make revisions or to start typing your report using your outline as a visual guide in keeping you focused and organized during the writing process.

Webspiration Template Examples

English Language Arts - Persuasive Template (type into symbol boxes):

English Language Arts - Persuasive Example (use examples included in Webspiration as a guide):

 English Language Arts -   Persuasive Outline View: