Word Cloud Generators

If you have ever used Wordle, you know what a word cloud is.  Also called a tag cloud, word clouds are visual representations of word frequency. Word cloud generators work by analyzing text and counting the number of times each word has been used. They then create an image in which the more frequently used words are larger. This allows students to see at a glance which words are the most repeated in the document. Word clouds are wonderful tools for helping students identify main ideas and key topics in a passage. They allow for student creativity in a way that just listing ideas in a graphic organizer does not. Here are a few of my favorite word cloud generators for you to explore. I also recommend that you take a look at slideshare user Gemma Holtam's presentation, 50 Interesting Ways to Use Wordle in the Classroom. Her suggestions are applicable to any of the word cloud generators below.

Tagul (http://www.tagul.com) allows for many types of customizations (layout shape, fonts, colors, etc.). What makes it really stand out is that if you embed your created image, when you roll over a tag, it animates and can be clicked to a Google search for that term (the default behavior) or to any other website you have assigned. The service is free, but requires registration with a valid email address to use, which may limit some classroom applications. Text may be added by typing in the box or copying and pasting, but can also be uploaded from a spreadsheet or pulled from any website you desire. The commonly used word filter can be customized to remove the basic set of words or just those you want it to remove. Below is an example of the text from the Declaration of Independence; be sure to hover over the tags to see how they move.



ABCYa Word Clouds for Kids (http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm) works just like Wordle, but doesn't run on Java, so it runs on all popular browsers. It is easy for young students to use, since it offers enough color and font options to make them happy, but not so many that they are overwhelmed. Text can be added only by typing directly in the box or by copying and pasting; there is a filter (on by default, but you can turn it off) to remove the most common English words. The generated word clouds can be saved to your computer or printed easily. The image below was created using text from an information page for elementary students.



Tagxedo (www.tagxedo.com) works similarly to Tagul, but doesn't require a login. There are many choices of shapes, and you can upload your own as well, although it is not as easy to do as it is in Tagul. Text can be added by typing in the box or by copying and pasting. You are also supposed to be able to add text from a URL as well, but I have not been able to do so.  Saving and printing your image is easy. This site could be a good solution for many who liked Wordle but are now finding that it no longer works for them and don't want to use a site where logins are needed.

 

Word Sift (http://www.wordsift.com) is a website maintained by Stanford University ELL Resources, but it is wonderful for all students. It works a little differently than the other word cloud generators, as it identifies the 50 most common words in the text you enter and only incorporates those into the cloud. They appear in alphabetical order, but can be easily sorted in various other ways with the click of a button. The most frequent word is entered into the Visual Thesaurus below the cloud and the resulting word web is shown. The results page also includes sample sentences and images from Google searches of the most frequent words. If you are interested in learning more about this excellent product, I recommend that you visit the site and watch this video explaining how it works (4:42 minutes).

CUE Reflections Pt. 1: Linda Yollis’ Session on Blogging

The long anticipated annual CUE conference last week exceeded my expectations. There was so much I learned that I will be sharing about it and the resources I received in a brief series of posts. One of my favorite sessions was Linda Yollis’ “Blogging: Teaching Commenting Skills and Encouraging Parent Participation.”

When using a tech. tool in the classroom it is crucial to have an objective to make an impact on student learning. Through blogging Linda facilitates the building of writing skills, commenting on the web, content across the disciplines, digital citizenship, internet safety, learning beyond the classroom, and inclusivity of the community. If you visit her blog it may be hard to imagine doing it all, but Mrs. Yollis encouraged the session participants to start with one thing, her blog has grown over the years.

A few best practices:

• Linda starts the beginning of the school year by using the blog. She posts a welcome back video published the day before school and emails it out to the class. She invites people to introduce themselves and reviews the comments with the class. 


• Cluster map gadget you can use this for geography, but also for math. Put the number of vistors, and explained number placement. Also for math instruction, posting a word problem, then encouraging students to create a story with a word problem. 

Bonus: Linda finds her students are more concerned about perfecting their work since students can view this work from around the world. To quote another CUE speaker Rushton Hurley, "When students create for other students they want it to be good, when done for the teacher they make it good enough."

If want to learn more about how to use blogging in your classroom check out Linda’s online resources:

Check out her blog: http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com/

Blogging wiki: http://educational-blogging.wikispaces.com/

Video made by Linda and her students on how to comment on the blog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NQj9dpADEaY

Common Core Resources

Resources abound that support the implementation of Common Core State Standard. Our department hopes to provide vetted resources that are easily accessible, as well as updates through our blog.

A tab titled “Common Core Resources” was added to the LVUSD home page menu. This page will be a place where resources will be provided in the future, and has some listed already. Select the following link to view the page: http://www.lvusd.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=644&Itemid=1527

Edmodo has a group titled “Common Core Conversation,” where teachers engage in dialogue about the implementation of CCSS, and resources that support the effort. To join this group select the following link, and then select “Click to Join Group”: http://www.edmodo.com/home - /join/5b3a7a213253492fbc7245a7b4d1b703

The NY Times put’s out a Common Core based weekly lesson plan that includes engaging questions such as “Do violent video games promote aggressive or hostile behaviors among gamers?” or “What should soccer officials do about widespread match-fixing?” found here: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/category/lesson-plans/common-core/ 

Here are two sites that will help you learn about the CCSS. Shmoop provides an engaging way to learn about the CCSS, the ASCD is a membership organization that supports educators and provides comprehensive coverage and resources to the CCSS.



 

Today is Digital Learning Day

Today is the second annual Digital Learning Day. There are a ton of resources to be discovered to integrate technology in your classes. So many resources that it can become overwhelming to find what you need. Edutopia has done some of the work for you by compiling a list of top 25 resources for digital learning.

A few examples:

For the beginner, a video on introducing technology integration in the classroom. 

• Teaching tips for integrating technology in elementary schools.


• Idea guide for using interactive white boards.


• Sample rubrics for technology based projects.


• Steps for integrating a successful 1:1 environment.

And so much more found here: http://www.edutopia.org/digital-learning-technology-resources

Digital Citizenship Lesson Plan & Poster

Many of our students can be connected to the world 24/7. Digital citizenship is one of the necessary elements they need to learn to navigate the online world safely and effectively. As students access the Internet in our classrooms we have an opportunity to teach them digital citizenship skills.

As I reflected on my time working with students creating websites I realized there were many issues I did not address initially, leading me to do a lot of clean up once the students got started. One of these was having a student post her picture, and her personal information on the website she was creating for my class. Yikes!  Thankfully, I caught it quickly and used it as a teachable moment.

Instead of having to find out the hard way you can access a lesson plan that both introduces students to Edmodo and the expectations of being on an online community. The lesson revolves around five principles: communicating responsibly, reporting cyberbullying, respecting each other, giving proper credit, protecting information. The lesson plan is primarily for K-8 students, but can also work for high school students. You can access this lesson plan through Edmodo’s Digital Citizenship Starter Kit.

Edmodo recently promoted this kit by sending out free posters. The promotion has ended, but you can still access a mini-version of their poster through the starter kit. Our office happens to have an extra poster, so if you’d like to be a recipient of this please let us know.