Wordle

Wordle.net is a great tool for visual learning and I think all learners in general. We were asked to look at NETS T standards for both 2000 and 2008 and compare how the two differed and our thoughts on why. Here are my two wordles.

Year 2000:

 

Year 2008:

 

 As you can see by clicking the images the 2 biggest words in 2000 were Technology and Teachers. The two biggest words in 2008 were Learning and Digital. You can see a shift from 2000 to 2008 that learning became the most important part of the standards. Learning technology not just being in a class with technology. We are in a digital age and computers and other digital things are becoming so important. 

I have thought about a number of ways I could use this in my classroom! I could have students pick an important speech by someone in history and do a wordle. I could have them pick their favorite song or a song that went along with what we are learning and have them make a wordle. I could even have them type their own writing into wordle and they can see what words show up the most! Here is a wordle I made for Dr. King's "I have a Dream speech." We are learning about famous Americans right now and the students loved seeing this!

 

I believe that having students create wordles hits the very first NETS T standard: facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity though technology! Using wordle promotes creativity and innovating thinking because they can deduce why certain words showed up. We could even have a contest where I show different wordles and they try and guess what speech or writing it came from!