If you would have asked me a year ago what a word cloud was, I probably would have said a cloud in the sky that looks like a certain word. Now, this is not the case.
According to dictionary.com a word cloud is "a visual representation of user-generated electronic tags or keywords that classify and describe online content, typically an alphabetical list or a grouping of words in different font sizes, as to show relative frequency or provide links to further information."
The "wordle" on the block is a technology tool called wordle. With this tool, you are able to create artwork with words, identify key words in passages and writings, teach languages, unscramble sentences, and categorize words and phrases.
I decided to try it myself! I used the passage Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." into wordle and this is what I created. As one can see, it scrambles the words around and forms a collage. Generally, if you repeat a word in a passage, that word will appear larger on your wordle. It is an easy and fun way to use words to help teach, create artwork, and use as games.
At first when I was researching wordle, I did not understand the use in it at all. I noticed that it was a tool that scrambles words, but why is this useful? I wondered how educators could use this tool in the classroom. I was very hesitant to use wordle. Sure, it makes cool collages, but how will I use this as a teacher in my classroom someday? Needless to say, I did my research and found that wordle is much more useful and resourceful that I originally thought when first discovering it. Some use it for family trees and helpful history information. Others use it for unscrambling words and sentences as a fun game in an English class. Students tend to like wordle because it has appealing colors and designs. Another use is to find what word appears most frequently in a reading passage. This can help students understand a specific topic in a reading assignment. From an artistic perspective, one could write down all the words that describe an object or person and it makes a collage out of it. When using wordle, you can print out the image, carry out a data analysis, share the data with friends, or use it just for fun. The options are endless!
Although my thoughts about a word cloud were wrong and my ideas and uses for wordle were questionable at first, I have found my perspective and thoughts about both changed after much research. I understand what a word cloud is and I appreciate the endless uses of wordle. I plan to incorporate different wordle examples into my future classroom. I like the idea of uses it for English, being able to unscramble words and sentences as a game.
Now you know the "wordle" on the block.
