Word cloud tools let you make a picture from a list of words. What I like about it is that it separates the grammar/syntax component of language. For any student, there are times where this is ideal.
Go to the links by clicking on the logos. Several YouTubes sites (just search by the logo name) will show you how to use the tool itself.
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I am going to talk about one way I have used it SUCCESSFULLY with my students. By successful, I mean the students like doing the assignment. All students completed the assignment and met at least some part of their goals. Students demonstrated creativity.
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Using word clouds for personal information. This is an assignment that exceeded my expectations. The task was to have students describe themselves. (Getting to know you) I divided students into pairs. For my program I had peer tutors paired with Extended Core students. With the peer tutors (regular education students) I created a word bank. The word bank was divided into nouns verbs adjectives.
We included school based vocabulary and age common activities along with personal attributes. The bank was put on the wall. Then the peer tutors modeled asking "interview" or "getting to know you" questions. The students reversed it by asking them. The answers were circled and copied onto a work sheet. The pairs went to the Wordle website and wrote the words. Each student was given 10 minutes (Yes being creative does take time! So honor that) to create their word cloud. I wish I had captured the conversation that ensued. Beyond exposing them to guided practice in expressive writing and descriptive writing let alone personal information development, the students let the visual aspects of the written language come to the forefront. Fonts are a true key to who you are. Colors and layout took on higher level thinking skills. Emphasis on certain attributes is equally higher level thought.
But best of all, they talked to their partner and the others around them. When I printed and posted them ongoing conversation continued. Even after a full semester, both sets of students look at those word clouds and use them for conversation starters.
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I have included my "lesson guide" for using it within a project. Here I use it within our monthly placemats.
The guide was for my planning so with Showme (last post) it DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT! But you get the idea.
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I hope Speech Pathologists will consider using these in therapy because it allows you to explore metalinguistic variables and I use the font size for intonation contour practice.
Go to the links by clicking on the logos. Several YouTubes sites (just search by the logo name) will show you how to use the tool itself.
**********************************************
I am going to talk about one way I have used it SUCCESSFULLY with my students. By successful, I mean the students like doing the assignment. All students completed the assignment and met at least some part of their goals. Students demonstrated creativity.
**********************************************
Using word clouds for personal information. This is an assignment that exceeded my expectations. The task was to have students describe themselves. (Getting to know you) I divided students into pairs. For my program I had peer tutors paired with Extended Core students. With the peer tutors (regular education students) I created a word bank. The word bank was divided into nouns verbs adjectives.
We included school based vocabulary and age common activities along with personal attributes. The bank was put on the wall. Then the peer tutors modeled asking "interview" or "getting to know you" questions. The students reversed it by asking them. The answers were circled and copied onto a work sheet. The pairs went to the Wordle website and wrote the words. Each student was given 10 minutes (Yes being creative does take time! So honor that) to create their word cloud. I wish I had captured the conversation that ensued. Beyond exposing them to guided practice in expressive writing and descriptive writing let alone personal information development, the students let the visual aspects of the written language come to the forefront. Fonts are a true key to who you are. Colors and layout took on higher level thinking skills. Emphasis on certain attributes is equally higher level thought.
But best of all, they talked to their partner and the others around them. When I printed and posted them ongoing conversation continued. Even after a full semester, both sets of students look at those word clouds and use them for conversation starters.
********************************************
I have included my "lesson guide" for using it within a project. Here I use it within our monthly placemats.
The guide was for my planning so with Showme (last post) it DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT! But you get the idea.
*********************************************
I hope Speech Pathologists will consider using these in therapy because it allows you to explore metalinguistic variables and I use the font size for intonation contour practice.