Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of categories of Frequently Asked Questions.

If you don't see the answer you're looking for, please feel free to contact us with your question and we'll be happy to help you.

Common questions for :

How the community works

Who can be a member of the community?

The community is open to everybody. There are no restrictions concerning a user’s geographical location or age. Everyone is welcome to visit this site and participate in it, as long as they respect the Terms of Use. Visitors are welcome and can choose to become Inspired Members whenever they want. Please tell your colleagues about us!

How can I participate in the site?

Visitors and Inspired Members can participate in various ways. Visitors can browse and search Lessons & Ideas, view discussions in the Forum and read Blogs and comments. Inspired Members can upload and share their own lessons and ideas, join a discussion in the Forum and post comments on the Blog.

Why should I become an Inspired Member?

Inspired Members can upload and share their own lessons and ideas, join a discussion in the Forum and post comments on the Blog. Inspired Membership also gives you proper credit for your contributions. When you upload a file, your user name will be displayed as the author. Moreover, being a member will help other users find additional files by you if they like what you are creating.

Must I create an Inspired Member account in order to participate to the community?

It is not mandatory to become an Inspired Member (see How can I participate in the site above). However, if you are interested in this site, we recommend becoming an Inspired Member. It’s free to become an Inspired Member, and your membership will help build a vibrant and dynamic community dedicated to supporting and advancing visual learning in education. If you decide this site is not for you, you can stop being an active Inspired Member at any time.

For more details on how the community works, please consult the About section.

Your Account

How can I create a new Inspired Member account?

Click on the "Become an Inspired Member" link, located in the Login area.

Is it possible to modify my user name later?

No. At the time of the registration, you must choose a permanent user name.

Will my email address be posted on the site?

No, your email address will remain confidential. You can consult our Privacy Policy for more information about this subject.

Uploading and Downloading

What types of files can Inspired Members upload?

The community supports the Inspiration formats (.isf), Inspiration templates (.ist), InspireData formats (.idf), Kidspiration formats (.kid) and Kidspiration templates (.kia).

What version of the software is required for creating and uploading files?

We recommend that you use the most current versions of Inspiration Software programs. The site will support Inspiration 7.x and higher, InspireData 1.x and Kidspiration 2.x and higher.

The most current versions of Inspiration Software programs are Inspiration 8.0b, InspireData 1.0a and Kidspiration 2.1b. Updates and upgrades are available.

How do I upload my files?

To upload your files, select the Share your lessons button or the Share tab on the Lessons & Ideas page and follow the steps. Only the title, the file itself and the descriptions are mandatory, but we highly recommend that you fill in the other fields and give your files a “tag,” which is like a keyword or category label. This will facilitate a better search functionality.

Can I modify or delete my file once it's online?

Yes, you may at all times modify or delete a file that belongs to you.

To delete a file, click on Delete on the file's page.

To modify a file, upload the new file first just as you would any other new file.
Then, delete the old file by clicking on Delete on the old file’s page.

Can other Inspired Members modify my files or can I modify another Inspired Member's file?

No, members cannot modify each others' files. You alone are responsible for what you upload. You may however save a file that was created by another member to your computer for your personal use.

I would like to expand on someone else's file. How do I do that?

You may download the file, open it in the correct program and modify it as you wish. If you want to publish the new file as your work, go through the uploading steps as described above. Please note that you cannot replace the original file with your new file if you are not the author of the original work.

What version of the software is required to download files?

With over 25 million worldwide users of Inspiration Software programs, it is fair to expect that the files shared on this community site will be saved in different versions of their respective programs. Using the latest version of each program ensures that you will be able to open and use any file created in that program. You may download a complimentary 30-day trial or upgrade to the most current version.

How do I create a thumbnail image for my InspireData lesson?

Thumbnail pictures for InspireData lessons must be created and uploaded separately. Capture and save a screenshot of the plot or image you would like to associate with your lesson or idea, then add it with the "Attach new file" tool. If necessary, click on the radial dial "Select as preview image for this lesson."

What is a Lesson Spotlight?

A Lesson Spotlight focuses on a file that has been ranked as one of the best by the community. People rank based on a criteria of clearness, structure, presentation, pertinence of the information, etc.

Is my file copyrighted?

No, your file is not officially copyrighted. As stated in the Terms of Use, when uploading a file, you confirm and acknowledge that it is free of rights and that you are the author or owner. If you want to add a protection license such as a Creative Commons, please visit http://www.creativecommons.org/ to get more information.

What is a Creative Commons license? How can I add a Creative Commons protection license to my file?

Creative Commons licenses are simple to use, non-exclusive authorization licenses that allow authors of material posted on the Internet to give some rights to the general public while preventing commercial use. To learn more about Creative Commons licensing, please visit http://www.creativecommons.org/.

What use of the files is allowed?

Files may be used for personal and educational purposes as long as the author and source are mentioned. Commercial uses are not permitted.

Can anybody upload files to the site?

Only Inspired Members are allowed to upload files. See How the community works or Your Account above for more information.

Who is allowed to download the files from the site?

Only Inspired Members are allowed to download files. See How the community works or Your Account above for more information.

Is there a maximum number of files I can download?

There is no limit - you may download as many files as you like.

Is there a maximum size limit the files I am uploading can be?

Yes. The maximum file size per upload is 2 MB.

Is downloading free?

Yes.

How can I search for a file in the most effective way?

You can start by searching with keywords under Search Lessons & Ideas in the top right corner of the site. This powerful search tool will return found files with the search word listed in the title, description, tags and in the file itself! For example, if there is an example about Julius Caesar that includes Rome as a topic, typing “Rome” in the search field will return this Julius Caesar example.

Please note: Indexing is performed every 60 minutes, so you can expect a delay between the time you publish a file and when it becomes searchable.

Blog

How do I post a comment regarding an entry on the Blog?

Right after the title of the entry, you will see a hyperlink either entitled "Post a comment" if no one has made a comment yet or "2 comments" if two people already posted comments, for example. Click on this link. You will then see a text editor in which to write your comment. Click on Publish when you are done, and your comment will automatically be related to that Blog entry.

Who can post comments regarding Blog entries?

Only Inspired Members are invited to post comments.

Is it possible to modify a posted comment?

No. Once a comment is posted, it cannot be modified or deleted (except by an administrator with Inspiration Software).

How do I propose a topic for the Blog?

RSS Feed

What is an RSS/XML feed and how can I subscribe to the Inspired Learning Community one?

An RSS feed is identified with this icon . Subscribing to an RSS feed is a good way to stay up-to-date regarding newly posted items on web sites that offer this service. The feed is managed through special software called a news aggregator.

Here is how to subscribe to this site’s RSS feed:

Choose your aggregator software. There are many options for managing RSS/XML feed subscriptions. We have a listed a few aggregator directories below so you may find an aggregator that works best for you.
With the online services, you don't have to install software on your computer. It's the best option for maximum freedom. Another good alternative is to use the email software Thunderbird's aggregator, or the dynamic bookmarks of Mozilla’s Firefox web browser.
Subscribe to the service
In order to subscribe to the Inspired Learning Community Lessons & Ideas RSS/XML feed, first copy the following URL: http://www.inspiredlearningcommunity.com/?q=lessons-and-ideas/feed. Then, paste it where your aggregator asks for it.

In order to subscribe to the Inspired Learning Community Blog and News RSS/XML feed, copy the following URL: http://www.inspiredlearningcommunity.com/?q=rss.xml. Then, paste it where your aggregator asks for it.

Once you have completed the subscription process, the recent news will download automatically. You may periodically click on the "Refresh" and/or "Refresh All" buttons in your aggregator to update your different feeds. As long as your software is running, the feeds should update automatically based on your software’s settings (they may refresh once per hour, or more often, for example). You may change the refresh time by searching in your software's options.

For the online services, you need to refresh or reload the web page in your browser from time to time. With Thunderbird, the news will be automatically updated each time you receive your emails.

What can I do with the lessons and ideas on this site?

We encourage you to download the examples and templates and use them to help you integrate visual learning into your classroom! You can get inspired by seeing how others use Inspiration Software products in their classrooms. You can also save time in your lesson planning by downloading the lessons, examples and templates you find on the Inspired Learning Community. Feel free to modify the examples and templates you find on this site for your own classroom requirements. All files on this site may be used for personal and educational purposes as long as the author and source are mentioned. Commercial uses are not permitted.

Along with these real-world teaching examples, we hope you will also find practical ideas and tips on how to use visual learning to engage students and inspire their thinking, learning and achievement.

Contact

How do I report a problem, an error or inappropriate content concerning a file, or report a problem with another Inspired Member? How do I make a suggestion? What do I do if I’m having trouble uploading or downloading files? What if I have a question to which I cannot find an answer on the site?

In all of these cases, Contact us and an administrator will follow up with you as soon as possible!