Other management tools
What do they do?
Online outliners, like the traditional outlines, serve as a step in the writing process as they make
writing more organized and logical. They often appear as input boxes where text can be entered
and then manipulated to indent to show a hierarchical relationship between main idea and
supporting ideas. Some online outliners have a specific purpose, such as writing an essay. The
Ozline Thesis Builder & Outliner (http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.html)and An
Online Outliner
@ www.2Learn.ca (http://www.2learn.ca/senior/compass/senoutline.html) have a dialog box
for either a thesis statement or a topic idea, and then ask guiding questions which are answered in
the dialog boxes. When the questions are answered, you push a “create my outline” button. The
outline generated is based on your input and you can save a page link, send a link to a friend (or
teacher), print?, or copy and paste into a Word document (for Ozline). With 2Learn, you can
print and use as a guide for your writing. The guiding questions show in bold and your input
ideas appear below them. Two other outlining tools are iOutliner ( www.ioutliner.com) and
Sproutliner (http://sproutliner.com).
They look and operate the same and have a help box with brief directions on using the tool. To
begin, you enter the name of your outline. You then add concepts by entering text and then
clicking the enter or return key. To make concepts indent below a heading, you enter your text
and then use the Shifr+Enter keys. All entries can be edited. There is an add Column box that
you can engage and store more data about your concepts. When finished, you can print out the
outline. Neither iOutliner nor Sproutliner have the traditional numerations to the left side, but
they are good tools to quickly get your ideas down with easy editing and drag and drop to re-
arrange (an advantage over using paper and pencil). A more elaborate outlining tool is available
from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
(http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/NewOutlineMaker/). There are guiding tips as you enter your
concepts and numeration and indentation is built into this outliner. Your outline can be printed or
saved as a text file for further work in Microsoft Word. The more advanced students will find it
useful, as a basic understanding of outlining rules would prove helpful in manipulating the
outline . Read*Write*Think (http://www.readwritethink.org/ ) has barebones little outliner,
called a Notetaker for grades 3-12 in it’s Interactives area. You can opt to include bullets, Roman
numerals, or Letters in your outline. An outstanding outliner is LooseStitch
(www.loosestitch.com). With this tool, you can export your outline as a text file (and later open
in Microsoft Word), as OPML file (which can be opened in OmniOutliner), and as HTML. Using
the code provided, you can publish your outline to your website or blog. If you make further
edits to your outline, the changes will appear on your webpage or blog. If you want your outline
to be public on the LooseStich server (in the section called “Get Ideas), you can enter a
description of the outline contents and add tags. You can share your outline with others by
inviting them by email (including a message) to view your outline. That feature is very nice for
students to share with each other or to share with the teacher. You can create as many outlines as
you want and invite as many friends as you want. LooseStitch works on Safari, IE, Firefox and
the iPhone. You can even use LooseStitch when you are offlline. To do so, you must first create
an outline (name it). Then go offline for whatever reason (meeting, errands, etc.) and enter your
ideas. When you go online again, just click the save button and all your new ideas will be
incorporated into the outline.
[Figure 3.? –LooseStitch toolbar]
Note that you can add/delet a row, indent/outdent, move up/down, expand all/collapse all, print
and import (OPML files from other outlining tools that are not online). You can also Invite,
Share, change your Settings and Logout.
[Figure 3.?-LooseStitch Edit Box]
You can change the color of the font, add, delete, indent, outdent, move up/down, save, etc.
[Figure 3.?-LooseStitch Outline on Biomes as a Text file]
What are the benefits of online outliners for students? 13 Reasons to use…
They:

Provide a sense of purpose and direction for the written piece

Indicate what will be written about in each paragraph

Help to organize ideas

help avoid repetition

Help keep from forgetting to include anything

Save time

Help with the flow of the written piece

Help with the transition from idea to idea

Lend themselves to group collaboration (those that can be shared) and design for a
project

Provide a visible structure of a written piece

Show relationships between ideas

Provide an ordered overview of what is written

Make it easier to see major and minor points
How do they support learning?
Online outlines support the following standards:

2.1.2-Organize knowledge so it is useful

2.1.4-Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information
The outlining tool is helpful to collaborative groups as they design projects together. The
members can contribute ideas and place concepts for a natural flow. The headings or
subheadings content can be assigned to the different members so they are all have some
accountability for the project. Outlines are also useful as study guides for students.