Spark-Space News

Rosenheim, May 1st, 2007: c&H GmbH distributes Spark-Space in Germany

Spark-Space today announces that c&H Ausbildungsmedien Distribution GmbH, Rosenheim will distribute Spark-Space products exclusively in Germany.

Portugal, April 1st, 2007: CNOTI Education distributes new version 4.0 in Portuguese and Spanish

Spark-Space today announces that CNOTI Education, Portugal and Spain's premier supplier of specialist solutions for the educational market, will distribute Spark-Space products in Portugal and Spain, click here for contact details.

Osaka, Japan and Portugal, April 1st, 2007: Spark-Space releases version 4.0 in Japanese and Portuguese

Spark-Space today announces the availability of the entire product suite in Japanese and Portuguese. Version 4.0 also adds features requested by our educational customers:

• With User Profiles most program settings can be saved to disk and can be restored, allowing multiple students of different ability levels to use the program.
• The new Access Control functionality permits a teacher to restrict the program functionality to enable the student to concentrate on a few features at a time.
• Ideas can now be locked, preventing accidental changes.

London, December 29th, 2006: Elaine Ferguson FRSA Is Awarded An MBE For Her Work Within The Field Of Dyslexia

Elaine Ferguson has been awarded an MBE in the New Years honours list 2007, citation "Founder of Spark-Space, Right to Write and for services to people with Dyslexia". Elaine has conquered her own personal battle with Dyslexia and over the last twenty years gone on to redefine the way Dyslexia is perceived and addressed. She is the designer of national specialist teaching programmes, projects and international software (Spark-Space) that help children and adults with Dyslexia overcome their Dyslexia. Elaine has changed the lives of thousands of individuals with disabilities, helping them surmount their barriers and reach their potential in education and business.
Unable to write her name at 11, Elaine left school at 16 barely literate with no qualifications, having suffered corporal punishments and bullying which shattered her self esteem. At 18 Elaine was diagnosed with severe Dyslexia and a high IQ, which explained why she found it so difficult to write despite being bright in other ways.
From then on Elaine was relentless in the battle to help children and their families recognise and overcome Dyslexia, she pioneered new ways to teach children and adults both locally and nationally. In 1996 Elaine founded Right to Write Limited which is now a national company helping adults with Dyslexia gain and retain employment. Elaine has gone on to design unique not for profit projects such as the YEP project Young Entrepreneurs Project (45% of Entrepreneurs are Dyslexic) in partnership with the Princes Trust in London, a pioneering project helping young adults overcome Dyslexia and start a business.
Elaine knew that in children Dyslexia is often not recognised until too late and that a tool that would enable children to access learning in the classroom from the beginning of school would revolutionise the learning experience. With this objective Elaine conceptualised and developed a 3D mind mapping tool, Spark-Space together with her husband Dr. Andres Kruse. Spark-Space is now in thousands of classrooms nationally and internationally, in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, France and Germany.
Elaine is the lead Consultant on Disability and Innovation for the London Development Agency, she also works with HM Treasury Business Unit. Elaine speaks internationally at conferences promoting her vision for accessible learning for all.
Quotes from Elaine on being awarded an MBE
"I am proud to be recognised for the work I have undertaken, I hope that this recognition will give me a platform to further my life's work, which is to give hope and support for those affected by Dyslexia."
"My greatest hope is that those who feel they cannot succeed because of their Dyslexia see my example and keep trying."
"The work of Right to Write and Spark-Space is not about commercial success, it's about achieving a breakthrough for a child or adult with Dyslexia to help them reach their potential."

London, March 22nd, 2006: Spark-Space goes Dutch

Spark-Space hits new heights with its 3D idea-mapping software as it launches Dutch Version of its Idea-mapping software with an exclusive partnership with leading educational software distributor Lexima in the Netherlands. This development is causing a great deal of interest as it is the only idea-mapping tool of its calibre to create a Dutch version. This product will make a serious contender for pole position in the education idea mapping market in the Netherlands.

London, July 27th, 2005: Spark-Space announce future MacOS X Universal Binary Support

Spark-Space today announce that the entire Spark-Space product suite will be available for the future Intel processor based Apple computers expected in 2006. "We do not expect any problems with this move", says Spark-Space's CTO Dr. Andrés Kruse. "The combination of Apple's Universal Binary technology and our use of Trolltech®'s Qt® and modern technology such as Unicode and XML will make this move completely transparent for our users.".
Qt and the Qt logo are trademarks of Trolltech in Norway, the United States and other countries.

London, July 7th, 2005: Spark-Space trial download awarded 5 stars by Schoolzone.

Schoolzone is the UK's most active teacher community. With over 80,000 registered users, 2300 fully-profiled teacher consultants and thousands of online users, Schoolzone offer the commercial sector unrivalled access to teachers and schools. Spark-Space has been awarded a 5 star rating for the 30 day trial download of Spark-Space software.

NECC 2005, Philadelphia, June 27th, 2005: Spark-Space ignites a learning revolution at NECC 2005

Spark-Space hits new heights with its 3D idea-mapping software as it launches Spark-Space 3.0 at NECC in Philadelphia. This release will cause a galactic storm with its competitors Inspiration™ as for the first time it incorporates an Inspiration™ document importing tool, removing the last barrier for this outstanding product to challenge Inspiration™ for pole position in the education idea mapping market.
Elaine Ferguson, designer and CEO of Spark-Space says “Spark-Space was born from the need to try to get everyone in the class to learn, irrespective of learning style or ability level. There is so much potential lost in every child who fails to learn - our mission is therefore to stem that tide by harnessing the creativity of learners individually and giving educators the tools to ‘get through’. Spark-Space 3.0 is the most significant advance to date in meeting that need.”
Spark-Space has already been integrated into many academic institutions across the UK, United States, Australasia and Europe; it is the only product to harness 3D capabilities and runs on all major platforms: Windows, MacOS X and Linux/86.
Spark-Space 3.0 is a not only an exciting new product, it changes the learning landscape for students.
Spark-Space will be at booth 500 at NECC 2005 conference in Philadelphia.
Spark-Space is a unique idea-mapping product, which allows the user to create documents from ideas, quickly and simply. Teachers can present lessons that have impact, harnessing all learning styles together- everyone learns!
Interactive idea-mapping tools, or graphic organizers, show the relationships between different pieces of information. These tools are a creative form of keeping students of all abilities involved in the lesson, integrating technology into learning, encouraging student participation and retaining their interest.

BETT 2005, London, January 12th, 2005: Spark-Space releases Linux version and Whiteboard edition

Spark-Space Limited have today announced the release of Spark-Space for Linux (RedHat 9, Suse (Novell) Linux 9, others may work). "The release of Spark-Space on Linux is a major milestone for Spark-Space Limited", Dr. Andres Kruse, the Chief Technical Officer of Spark-Space says. "Users can now experience Spark-Space on all major desktop operating systems. Spark-Space is the only program of its kind available on Linux." "In addition to the Linux release we have added a new tilt&rotate button which enhances the 3D look and feel." says Elaine Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer of Spark-Space. "We also have added a Whiteboard edition of Spark-Space which supports a wide range of interactive whiteboards.". Spark-Space is now available on Windows™, MacOS X™ and Linux™ in English, French and German.

AppleExpo 2004: Paris, France, 31st of August, 2004: Spark-Space releases updates

Spark-Space Limited have today announced the release of an updated version of Spark-Space. "Spark-Space is commited to improving the user experience. We have listened to customer feedback and taken great care to make the program now even easier to use.", says Elaine Ferguson, CEO of Spark-Space. "Users will love the improved menu navigation and single document interface mode." Spark-Space is available in English, French or German on the Windows and MacOSX platforms.

NECC 2004: New Orleans, 21st of June, 2004: Spark-Space announces version 2.4

Spark-Space Limited have today announced the release of version 2.4 of Spark-Space, the revolutionary idea mapping software. The new version adds "sparks flying", a tool to quickly enter ideas, improved ideamap and textview views and numerous smaller enhancements and bug fixes. Spark-Space 2.4 is available for trial download or purchase for Windows, MacOSX in English, French or German.

NECC 2004: New Orleans, 21st of June, 2004: Spark-Space announces MacOSX version

Spark-Space Limited have today announced the release of its product line for MacOSX. It is now available for trial download and purchase for the Apple MacOSX platform in English, French or German.

NECC 2004: New Orleans, 21st of June, 2004: Spark-Space announces German and French versions

Spark-Space Limited have today announced the release of the spark-space product line in German and French. It is now available for trial download and purchase.

London, 24th March 2004: Spark-Space Limited unveils its new web-site

Spark-Space Limited have today unveiled their new web-site. The new site already provides all the information of the old site but has the potential to grow significantly. "Of particular interest to our customers will be the community and help-desk areas of the web-site", says Elaine Ferguson, CEO. "We will be able to continue providing excellent service to our world-wide customers."

London, 18th March 2004: Spark-Space Limited announces the next release of Spark-Space, the revolutionary idea mapping software at the CSUN conference in Los Angeles

Spark-Space Limited have today announced the release of version 2.3 of Spark-Space, the revolutionary idea mapping software The new version adds a tool to create icons on the fly and a number of other exciting enhancements.

London, Blackburn, 31st October 2003: Spark-Space signs agreement with leading education supplier Promethean

Spark-Space Limited have today announced an agreement with Promethean, the leading interactive white board manufacturer to add its new software to every whiteboard.
Spark-Space software is a revolutionary learning tool. Through Concept Mapping, it allows learning to occur conceptually or through traditional linear methods. Spark Space captures the imagination and attention of the learner through unique 3D and rotational views; it is simple and can be used on PC’s allowing the learner to review the lesson and interact with it - it even reads the lesson back - thereby not excluding those with learning difficulties. The maps can then be posted straight to the web so that lessons can be reviewed for homework or revision.