Wordle is an online tool that allows you to create a "word cloud" to show the frequency of word usage in a written article. The more prominent a word is in the "word cloud," the more frequent it was used. You can change the layout, the color, and the font. The images you create belong to you to print, share in the Wordle gallery, or use online.
HOW TO DO IT:
The good news: There is no login or signups...you just use the online tool! On the Wordle homepage, click Create Your Own or Create on the top tab bar. Copy and paste text from your essay or a web site into the box and click Go. You've just created a "word cloud!" Underneath the word cloud, click Randomize for a variety of effects.
You can customize your Wordle by clicking the edit buttons above the word cloud. The Language button offers language options, as well as upper and lower case changes. The Font button allows you to change the font. The Layout button can round or straighten the edges and turn the words horizontal or vertical...or both. The Color button allows you to choose another prepared palette of colors or customize your own.
When you have the Wordle you want, you have two options. Click the Print button if you do not want others to have access or you need a copy to use for a project.
Another option is click Save to Public Gallery ONLY if you allow access to it by others. That means anyone on the internet can see it. However, saving it does not allow you to go back and search for it. It is just...out there. However, you must save to the Public Gallery if you want to embed your Wordle onto a blog or web site. The code is provided once you save.
Click on Advanced in the top bar to customize a Wordle. Follow the example to type in the words you want to appear in your word cloud, followed by a colon and a number. The higher the number; the larger the word.
Go here for an excellent short video on how do Wordle as well as examples of how to use it in your classroom.
WHAT TO DO WITH IT:
The possibilitites are endless! Teachers can create Wordles for classroom use; students can create Wordles for projects. Anyone can do it. Here are just a few examples:
--All About Me posters
--Class rules and expectations
--Classroom polls and surveys
--Weekly spelling word lists, with the most commonly misspelled words emphasized
--News stories and speeches to show most used words
--Compare and contrast two speeches by different presidents from different eras
--Copy and paste a web article on an historical event and find the key words
--An English essay: what words do you use most often
--Poems and song lyrics
--Convert a simple recipe using quantities in correct ratios
--For fundraisers: use the Wordle logo for T-shirts, mugs, book covers, brochures
For more Wordle ideas, watch this slide show.
Guess what this Wordle represents. (Hint: He's a great Civil Rights leader and we celebrate his birthday each January!)
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