Blank page syndrome is a term used to describe a type of writer’s block. You know the signs: staring at a piece of paper or computer screen with no inspiration or ideas of what to write, therefore, leaving the page blank. Many students experience blank page syndrome when they begin writing. They struggle to formulate ideas and organize thoughts into cohesive messages for an essay. The blank page for K-12 students can be daunting. Yet, in many ways, I believe we can shift the paradigm of the blank page syndrome into a positive one that sparks ideas rather than blocks them.
A blank page can be the map to creativity and independent thinking.
The first step in this paradigm shift is looking at a blank page as a starting place with only the limits of the imagination. You may know that in Inspiration®, Kidspiration® and Webspiration Classroom™ service you can start from Templates or Activity documents, but if your students begin from a new diagram document, the page is blank with a main idea symbol in the center of the screen. This means that students are given countless opportunities for creativity and independent thinking to flow from their minds to the screen.
If that isn’t happening, the beauty of visual mapping in an Inspiration Software’s visual diagram is that it gives you images to play with to get your thinking going. Often adding some images, moving symbols around and adding a few key words on the screen can stimulate thinking and get the creative process going. Once that happens, use RapidFire® to quickly record your ideas as you think of them or just Point and Type to get ideas recorded quickly. As your thoughts develop you can move ideas around to group them and use links to connect related ideas and sub-points. Once you have some ideas down, click the Outline View button on the toolbar and magically you have the start of your essay points, or the body of your written document, in an outline structure ready to continue your writing.
Inspiration Software’s group of visual thinking tools excel students’ ability to think creatively and begin the writing process. A blank page in Inspiration Software’s tools helps students to:
- overcome their writing blocks
- think creatively and develop their critical thinking
- and organize, arrange and develop their ideas into meaningful writing.
Next week check out ideas for helping students who need a bit more guidance when beginning their writing assignments. See you next week!
Mona Westhaver
President and Co-founder, Inspiration Software
