My Take
As a teaching tool, Inspiration helps students categorize and play around with their ideas. Unlike the note cards that I used with my students prior to the indoctrination of this fantastic product, once a student adds the information to a map, it can't get "lost" in a backpack or left in a library book.
Highest on my list was the ease with which the students were able to access the platform and use the maps. In addition, the students were completely gratified at their results. To see a student who had formerly grappled with visual-motor integration skills create a perfect outline brought happiness to heart!
How I Use It
I must admit, I've been a fan of Inspiration for some time. :)
As a former ELA teacher, Inspiration (before they had APPS) was one of the websites that I used in my classes to assist students with graphically organizing their research papers. Imagine if you well a class of 17 students with severe disabilities grappling with creating outlines. Of course, everyone had a perfection complex! So Inspiration originally came to me as the godsend that rendered my teacher created graphic organizers useless. -> I was just fine with that.
One of the best uses of Inspiration is the ability to update and change your outline with ease! After having used the web-based platform for some time, the app did not disappoint.