InspireData™, Visual Learning Software Designed to Help Students Develop Data Literacy, Launches

Inspiration Software Debuts New Tool to Visualize, Investigate and Understand Data, at 2006 National Educational Computing Conference

SAN DIEGO — July 5, 2006
InspireData^®, a new tool to visualize, investigate and understand data, launched today at the 2006 National Educational Computing Conference. Now students in grades 4-12 can apply the proven strategies of visual learning to data analysis in science, mathematics and social studies to develop deeper content knowledge, build stronger critical thinking skills and develop data literacy.

Originally funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, InspireData was developed by TERC and is published by Inspiration Software®. TERC is a leading educational research and development lab committed to improving mathematics and science teaching and learning. Inspiration Software is the leader in visual thinking and learning software products and is committed to helping students learn how to learn.

InspireData joins Inspiration Software's flagship products, Inspiration® and Kidspiration®, which have changed the way students develop ideas, organize information and integrate new knowledge across the curriculum.

"In more than a decade of working with schools and teachers, we have learned a great deal about the powerful ways in which visual learning helps students build thinking skills and integrate knowledge," said Mona Westhaver, president and co-founder, Inspiration Software. "Now with InspireData, the power of visual learning is extended to help students better understand and analyze data. We are excited about partnering with TERC to bring this visual data literacy tool to education."

Using InspireData, students collect, explore and interact with data in a visual, dynamic inquiry process. Students learn new ways to work with data to question, explore, solve problems and draw conclusions in science, mathematics and social studies curriculum. The product supports data visualization with integrated table and plot views so students move instantly from data collection to data analysis, seeing the meaning of data and strengthening their analytical skills.

In the Table View, students easily collect and input data from projects or experiments in a familiar table format. To get started quickly, they can use one of the built-in tools and import capabilities, or use one of the more than 50 curriculum-based databases provided with InspireData. The integrated Plot View supports multiple plot types including Venn, stack, pie and axis. Students can also represent data as it moves over time with animated Time Series. With the Slide Show tool, students capture the sequence of their analysis to present data and conclusions.

"InspireData offers a unique learning experience because it allows students to process large amounts of information, both numerical and text, in a visual manner," said Tom Plati, director of curriculum, assessment and technology, Hopedale Public Schools, Mass., who participated in beta testing of InspireData. "As students work with data, they ask important higher-level questions, while understanding information and discovering answers in a visual representation. The uses of InspireData are widespread from upper elementary through high school."

As with all Inspiration Software products, InspireData comes with resources to help teachers quickly and easily integrate visual learning into instruction. The accompanying "Classroom Projects" book includes subject-specific lesson plans for science, mathematics and social studies and provides ideas on uses for InspireData, as well as recommended projects and experiments. In addition, more than 50 curriculum-based databases as well as plot examples are included in the product.

Educators interested in previewing InspireData can download a free, fully functional 30-day trial copy from the Inspiration Software Web site at www.inspiration.com/freetrial.

Under regular pricing, single copies of InspireData are $79. Through a special introductory offer available until Dec. 31, 2006, there is a $10 rebate offer redeemable online for all single license U.S. purchases. Until June 30, 2007, schools or districts that currently own five or more licenses of Inspiration can save 10 percent on InspireData volume license orders of 20 or more at a time.

More information about purchasing InspireData is available at www.inspiration.com/order/index.cfm or by calling 800-877-4292 to talk to an Inspiration Software product specialist or to find a local education software dealer.

About TERC
Founded in 1965, TERC is a not-for-profit education research and development organization dedicated to improving math, science and technology education. Working at the edges of current theory and practice, TERC contributes to the understanding of teaching and learning through research, fosters professional development, develops applications of new technologies, creates curricula and other products, and supports school reform.

About Inspiration Software, Inc.
Recognized as the leader in visual thinking and learning, Inspiration Software, Inc.'s award-winning software tools, Inspiration, Kidspiration and InspireData, are based on proven visual learning methodologies that help students think, learn and achieve. With the powerful combination of visual learning and technology, students in grades K-12 learn to clarify thoughts, organize and analyze information, integrate new knowledge and think critically. Founded more than 20 years ago by Donald Helfgott and Mona Westhaver, today the company's visual learning software tools are used by more than 15 million students and teachers worldwide.