Blogs, Twitter and Wordle

I've had busy couple of days with my Web 2.0 tools. As I mentioned in the first post about Web 2.0, I have used a blog (obviously), but I created my blog for the library today! It is not perfect yet and I'm still fiddling around with format and gadgets, but it is up and running and tomorrow I will be posting my first "real" post about some new and old books that we have in the library. I will add my blog to the blog roll on this blog, but for my virtual portfolio, I'll hyperlink it in this post.

The blog is called Bell's Book Blurb. Check it out and let me know what you think.

I used Wordle for the first time this week as well. I have seen this in my school before and never really knew what it was. I have to say that I am underwhelmed. I like the idea of the words and the design is eye-catching, but I'm not sure how I would use it in my class yet. I am thinking that I would use it for vocabulary and have it around as a reminder for my special ed students or use as a motivational poster.

Then I did some research and found some really great ideas about how to use it in a practical and kinda fun way! Greg Smith writes on his blog, Technology Education Know-How about how to use it in a classroom setting effectively:

"Wordle is a tool that creates a graphical display to show the frequency of word usage in a text, web page or document. This is called a Word Cloud. The bigger the word is, indicates its dominance of usage. As I’m sure you know; Visual Feedback can give a more lucid understanding of what you read. To give you an example here is the “First Inaugural Address by George Washington in 1789”.

You or your students can use this tool in many ways.

Here are some ideas that I’ve had:

1. Students can use it to monitor the frequency of word usage in their own writings.

a. How often do they use the same adjectives or nouns?

b. Are they overusing words?

2. Students can use it to analyzing news articles.

a. What is this article about?

b. What’s the gist that the author is trying to get across?

c. Check out this assignment http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=103

3. Teachers can use it for field trip reviews.

a. Have each student generate a list of what they saw are learned on the field trip. Combine the list, copy and paste into Wordle. Whoop! you have an instant “What’s Important List” from the field trip. (side note: A wiki would be good for creating that list. ;-) )

4. Teachers can create a Current Events Analysis.

a. Copy the RSS feed from popular news sights like Google News and use Wordle to give you the hot topics.

b. Copy the text from a news page and use the same way.

5. What are your students listening to? Copy and paste the lyrics of popular songs into Wordle and find out.

6. What is important on your school campus? Copy and paste your schools mission and vision statements into Wordle and find out. My schools Wordle.

7. Self Reflection; If you where to write a story about yourself, what would your Wordle say?

8. Current Study posters. What is curricularly important in your class this week? Create a Wordle that visualizes that.

There are as many ways to use Wordle as there are clouds in the sky. If you where to Wordle this blog post what would be the biggest word? So, today’s theme would be? You guessed it, Wordle!

Leave a post and let me know how you used or plan to use Wordle in your educational setting."

Many of these suggestions would be good for an ELA teacher, but I can see some connections for me, a science teacher. We are going on a field trip in May and I think this would be a great way for my students to express what they learned, as they aren't always able to express themselves fully. It is not an essay or a big description of events, just words.

(I wasn't following Mr. Smith before, but I've just added him to my blog roll!)


The other big event of this week is that I am now on Twitter!! Yes, I have resisted, but I have signed up the library to be on Twitter. I am only following a handful of people (including some in this class and my other one) and I would be thrilled beyond belief if someone would follow me! So, if you are feeling charitable, please follow the musings of a desperate librarian! The user name is WCSlibrary.

I've heard of teachers following politicians, authors and other people of importance, but I think for the library, I'm going to stick with literary people. I am still learning and haven't really seen how I will use Twitter in the classroom, but I may do some research and get some ideas.

P.S. I've added the library blog to this account, so I will know be known as Miss Bell! I may change it back later, but we'll see...