Wordle is a tool that takes the text that you provide and generates a visual “word cloud” or summary from the words provided. The word cloud gives you a visual that gives greater prominence to words that appear more frequently. Several things that are very unique include: changing the font, changing the layout, and changing the color scheme. This is a very creative way to introduce concepts to students. There were two assignments that required use of this tool. One involved a list of ten words that describes the characteristics of the teacher each student wishes to become and the responses from the student's poll.
Poll Everywhere is an interesting way to collect information about a question that you pose. Poll Everywhere changes learning from being passive to active through engaging students in questions and responses. This is a tool that meets the needs of today’s generation of students instead of providing paper and pencil tasks and lectures. An assignment required the creation of a poll question. After the question was created, the link was copied and pasted into the student's blog.
Linking Wordle and Poll Everywhere in today’s classrooms is a great way to incorporate the ISTE standards. Today’s students are no longer linear learners and using these two tools they can access information and learn at the same time. Today’s students learn through using technology. Through the incorporation of these tools in your classroom, students can not only create but think and react to situations. Also, this is a great way to introduce concepts to visual learners. Since I want to be a Librarian, I was thinking that a lesson plan I could use that would incorporate both of these technology tools could be the following: poll students on their favorite book and then create a Wordle. There are so many creative ways to use Wordle and Poll Everywhere as teaching tools… just use your imagination.
Poll Everywhere and Wordle would definitely be great to use in a library setting! That is something that I didn't think of. The students could also say reasons that they love their favorite book too!
ReplyDeletePoll Everywhere and Wordle should be taught in classes definatley. The students should know how to use these two sites to help with there work socially. All students could ask questions and get to know all other students as well as being shy and not talking to them so I think Rebecca this is a good oppinion you have here.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Rebecca. Very well thought out and cohesive analysis of Wordle and Poll Everywhere. Excellent idea of a lesson plan! Thats the kind of activity I would have my students participate in. By doing it that way, the students will have fun and will learn in better, more efficient ways.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you phrased "Students are no longer linear learners"--very good word choice. Students today have so many influences concerning their education and the learning process, that the information no longer comes from A book or A teacher. Bringing in different aspects of technology to help those with different learning styles is a great way to incorporate these tools. Some students need to see images, and Wordle creates the perfect way to provide words AND images.
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