ETC_Final Project Wordle

Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenarios

Target Audience  

Students enrolled in Choir at a High School; Grades 9-12; Ages: 14-18                                 

Materials 

Laptop, screen, LCD Projector, Speakers,  Individual computers (Media Center)

Objectives: 
The students will:

• Be introduced to a new Web 2.0 tool – WORDLE  - a colorful word collage
• View a slideshow of wordle projects produced by others on the Internet
• View the URL in class with teacher
• Assist the teacher in creating a wordle project using slang words that they use
•  Locate research on their favorite vocalist, musician or musical group
• Prepare an “information visualization” on an artist of their choice using Wordle.net.
• Deliver their wordle projects to the teachers email address (fjackson@richmond.k12.va.us) for a mid-term exam grade

Procedure:  

• 1.     Teacher explains how wordle can be used to produce an information visualization product.
• 2.     Inform students that the images they create with Wordle are theirs to use however they like. They can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with their friends.
• 3.     Ask students to think about slang words they use everyday
• 4.     Have students provide the teacher with words from their slang vocabulary
• 5.     Show slideshow of wordle projects produced online by the creator and others
• 6.     Go to the Wordle website
• 7.     Create a wordle project while students are watching
• 8.     Show students how to make the words really huge (by typing text more than once) 
• 9.     Let students practice inputting text into the Wordle “create” portal

                    

Web 2.0 Tool: Wordle – Colorful word collage tool for information visualization that is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. (Wordle. net website, 2011) URL – http:// wordle.net /

Social Participation/Social Learning:  Students will choose a partner to work with in the Media Center, and they will help one another find pertinent information via the Internet on the artist(s) they have chosen to create the wordle project on. 

Making Connections – Media Center - Through research and collaboration with a partner, students will make connections by dividing the research found online (prior knowledge of researching via Internet) and synthesizing their findings  (new knowledge) while deciding which facts will be recorded into their Wordle projects.

Create/Produce – Students will create a wordle collage by typing appropriate text that conveys the facts about the artist(s) they have researched.  Students will produce this document my saving it to desktop and then emailing final Wordle project to the teachers email address.

  

Student Reflection

Question: What did you think about using Wordle - Web 2.O tool to complete your project? Student responses were positive and inclusive of the following:  It was effective, fun, easy to use,  and cool.  There were about 10 - 15 students who created Wordle Collages for their projects. 

Teacher Reflection

Since students delivered their projects to my inbox, learners will not get a chance to see what other learners  have created.  In order to facilitate the students in reflecting on the projects they’ve created and those of their peers, I will create an iMovie of wordle projects for all of the classes to view.

Students appeared interested in using Wordle.net.