The weather has finally turned nice and summer break looms on the horizon. The prospects of summer days ahead adds a certain amount of sunshine to each day. Why not add some clouds to the mix, word clouds that is!
At this point in the year, tackling new technology can seem daunting. However, word clouds are versatile and easy to create, providing a different way to look at text. What exactly is a word cloud?
A word cloud is a visual representation of text. An image is created out of words. Word clouds can be created from existing text (poem, historical document, literature passage, song, definition, etc.) or created by contributions from an individual or a group. The words appear in different sizes to reflect the frequency with which the words exist in the text used to create the word cloud.
Word clouds are great teaching tools, especially when they are used to:
- activate prior knowledge
- analyze text
- describe anything (e.g. character traits, properties of something, etc.)
- brainstorm anything (e.g. character, setting, plot, traits, properties. etc.)
- create an entrance or exit-ticket
- supplement a biography or autobiography
Geometry Terms
There are many tools available to create word clouds, my favorite is Tagxedo. It is simple to use and word clouds can take on a variety of shapes, color patterns and font styles. Several examples are shown to the right.
Overview of Use:
- Go to tagxedo.com
- Click Create.
- Click Load.
- In the text entry field, type or copy & paste text.
Newton’s 1st Law of Motion - Click Submit.
- Change the shape, themes, font, etc. using the side menu.
- Click Save/Share to generate an image file.
If you would like more detailed directions, check out this terrific tutorial.
I hope there is a chance of a few clouds in your future!
Food for Thought Friday 