Kidspiration Maps FAQ
What are the system requirements?
iPad 2 or later; iOS 6 or greater, including iOS 7.
Kidspiration Maps and Kidspiration Maps Lite
How can I try Kidspiration Maps for free?
A: Kidspiration Maps Lite, a preview edition, is available free of charge in the App Store. The Lite version lets you work with up to five documents to create diagrams and SuperGrouper documents, edit and stylize content, view and edit activities, and transform diagrams to outlines.
What’s the benefit of upgrading to the full version of Kidspiration Maps?
A: Kidspiration Maps Lite shows you what it’s like to create and complete graphic organizers using symbols and all the formatting features of Kidspiration Maps. However, its restricted in terms of document management.
Upgrade to Kidspiration Maps and you can:
· Create (and delete) unlimited documents (the Lite version limits you to five)
· Open and use all the activities built in to Kidspiration Maps to support the K-5 curriculum.
· Organize your documents into folders
· Save documents in Dropbox
· Email your documents and PDFs of your diagrams and outlines
· Transfer your document outlines to other iPad apps such as Pages, Evernote, etc.
· Transfer a PDF of your diagram or outline to other iPad apps
Q: Can I transfer documents created in the Lite version to the paid version?
A: Yes. Go to the Lite version of the app. Open the documents you want to transfer and use the Action button on the toolbar to email them to yourself. Open your email on your iPad and choose the "Open in..." option to open the attachments in Kidspiration Maps.
Q: Why can't I delete documents from the Lite version of Kidspiration Maps?
A: If you don't want to upgrade to the full version, you can still delete the content in the documents you have already created in the Lite version. The documents themselves will not go away but they won't have any content in them (if you delete it).
Activities
Q: Can I add or change activities?
A: Currently, you cannot create your own activities the way you can in Kidspiration 3. However, if you are interested in distributing documents that behave similar to activities, you can upload the documents to a shared Dropbox folder and then tell your students to retrieve them from there. Similar to how templates work, when they retrieve the documents, they will be opening copies of your original documents that they can customize and work on as they please. For more detailed information about how to do this, see the question "Can I store documents in Dropbox?" below. Another option is to email documents you make to your students and have them open the documents from their email on their iPad. Or create documents and then email them to yourself, and put them in your Google Drive (via your desktop computer) for students to open from their iPads.
Style
Q: What formatting and style options do I have for my diagrams and SuperGrouper documents in Kidspiration Maps?
A: Kidspiration Maps comes with lots of options for you to customize and style your diagrams. You can change the any of your idea symbols into shapes or picture symbols. You can change the colors and line thickness of your shape symbols. You can change fonts and font colors in your diagrams. You can change the background color and texture of your diagram or SuperGrouper document. You can change your SuperGrouper’s shape and color.
Q: Can I add my own photos and other images that are not in the Symbol Wheel to my diagrams?
A: Yes. First, make sure your photo or image is stored in the iPad Photos app. Next, tap a symbol in Kidspiration Maps to select it. Tap the “Picture Frame” on your toolbar to reveal the Symbol Wheel and then tap the “Photos” symbol on the right side the Symbol Wheel. This will prompt you to select a photo from your Photos app. Similarly, you can take photos and add them directly into your diagram from the Camera on your iPad.
Share
Q: Can I open Kidspiration Maps documents in other Inspiration Software applications like Inspiration, Kidspiration or Webspiration? And how about vice versa--can Kidspiration Maps open documents created in those applications?
A: Right now, you can only open Kidspiration Maps documents from the app. However, you can send the documents as PDFs and JPEGs to your computer to be opened in those formats.
Q: Can I share a document with someone else?
A: Yes. Kidspiration Maps provides you with multiple ways to share the work you have done with others.
*January 2018 update: Please note that Apple requires applications designed for young children (like Kidspiration Maps) to employ a "Parental Gate" that blocks kids from sharing documents without a adult's permission. We realize that this is an inconvenience for classrooms, so we have provided a way to turn off the Parental Gate feature by allowing you to turn on "Teacher Mode." See instructions below in the next question.*
If you have email set up, you can send a document as an attachment to be opened on another iPad in Kidspiration Maps. You can also email your diagram or outline as a PDF, or as a text file. Kidspiration Maps supports Dropbox transfer as well.
Q: How do I turn off the Parental Gate?
A: You can turn off the Parental Gate for in the Kidspiration Maps app settings. Turn on "Teacher Mode", which will allow whoever is using the app to share documents freely. This can be done on each individual iPad, or via your centralized management system.
Q: Can I transfer files to other iPad apps?
A: Yes. Using the Send to App feature inside Kidspiration Maps, you can transfer outline text (but not symbols from the Diagram or SuperGrouper view) to other local iPad apps such as Pages, GoodReader and Evernote. Using the Save to Photos feature, you can save your diagram or SuperGrouper to iPad Photos. You can also transfer your diagram or outline as a PDF to other apps that accept that format.
Q: How do I move my Kidspiration Maps document into Pages?
A: You can move the text of your document into other apps, such as Pages, from Writing view. You must already have Pages downloaded on your iPad in order to do this.
1) Open your document and go to Writing view (if you're not already there).
2) Tap the Action button on the toolbar (the rectangle with an arrow coming out of it).
3) Tap the option to "Send to App..."
4) Tap the option to send the "Text" of your document.
5) Tap "Pages" from the list of apps that appear in the "Open In..." dialogue.
Q: How do I get a document I made on my iPad onto my computer?
A: If you’re working from Kidspiration Maps (not Kidspiration Maps Lite), there are multiple options for getting your work onto your computer. If you would just like to view your diagram or outline on a computer, you can mail a PDF of your document to yourself or someone else to be opened on a desktop or laptop computer.
Save & store
Q: How do I save a document?
A: Documents are automatically saved.
Q: Can I store documents in Dropbox?
A: Yes. You'll first need to link to Dropbox from within Kidspiration Maps. Once that's done, files you send to Dropbox by default are stored in your user account in the Apps folder under Kidspiration Maps. This folder is specific to each user and cannot be shared with other Dropbox users. Also, files are not automatically synchronized between Dropbox and Kidspiration Maps. If you copy from Dropbox to the iPad and the document already exists, a new copy will be created with a different file name. Likewise, if you send a file that already exists from the iPad to Dropbox, a new copy with a different name will be created.
You can also open Kidspiration Maps documents using the iPad Dropbox app. In that app, select a file with the .kidsmaps file type, then tap the Action button in the upper right to open it in Kidspiration Maps.
Q: Can I store documents in iTunes?
A: Yes, in the iTunes account that's already set up for your iPad. Moving documents to your iTunes account is a good way to gather multiple files and transfer them to other iPads.
Q: How can I print my documents?
A: You can print your Kidspiration Maps document to a printer you have set up to work with your iPad. Apple AirPrint is supported. If you don't have a printer set up to work with your iPad, you can email your diagram or outline to yourself as a PDF and print it from a computer.
Other
Q: Does Kidspiration Maps support external monitors?
A: Yes. Video mirroring is supported on iPad 2 or newer with iOS 5. If both the IPad and Apple TV are part of the same subnet, desktop mirroring via AirPlay can be used to share the screen. However, connections using the video out port on the original iPad are not supported.
Q: What sort of keyboard support does Kidspiration Maps offer?
A: The default, full-sized keyboard is displayed when you enter text in the application. International keyboards are supported and permit text entry in a variety of languages. External USB keyboards are also supported, provided they are connected properly.
Q: Where can I find more how-to info and tips for using Kidspiration Maps?
A: There's a help section in the product itself. Tap the "?" icon on your Kidspiration Maps Starter Screen or the wrench on the toolbar inside Diagram, SuperGrouper or Writing Views.
Q: How is my version of Kidspiration Maps updated?
A: Product updates are distributed through the App Store. Users can determine if they want to accept the update based on the details provided.
Q: Is a WiFi connection required to use Kidspiration Maps?
A: No. You can use Kidspiration Maps without any internet connection at all.
Q: Is Kidspiration Maps compatible with Apple VoiceOver, the integrated iPad screen reader?
A: No, Kidspiration Maps uses a number of gestures that are not supported in VoiceOver at this time.