I just saw a wonderful way to use Wordle (the online program that turns your words into word clouds) with students. Emily Leathead taught her class how to use Wordle and now it has become a regular part of their spelling activity each week (along with Spellingcity). After initially showing the kids how to Wordle, her students can all independently create their own unique Wordles with the current week’s spelling words. The students do it during rotations using a clipboard with the spelling words. By the end of the week the kids don’t even look at the list – they’ve memorized the words and how to spell them as they create more Wordles. This is engaged learning! I visited her class and sat with a student who was creating a Wordle. He was able to tell me how to do some pretty advanced customizing of the completed wordle. The natives are speaking.
Please take time to look at the Web 2.0 tools listed on this blog or from a more complete listing see Cool Tools for Schools. Share how you would use Wordle or any of the other Web 2.0 tools. This is exciting to me and I know your students will respond and learn. I’ll close with a poem by Jack Prelutsky that Emily share with me.
"My frog does not waste precious time
just sitting on a log.
He's learned to use the Internet,
and now he has a blog.
It's filled with tips on how to hop,
and how to catch a fly,
on things that frogs can do to keep
their skins from getting dry.
My frog has hints on where to find
the finest lily pads,
and writes in great detail about
the latest froggy fads,
He tells of different ways to croak,
and how to act in bogs...
it's boring for most people,
but it fascinates most frogs."
- Jack Prelutsky
17 hours ago
Students in Español are learning to read and write with computer games in addition to flash cards. Our students are growing up computer literate and will have that as a huge advantage. Computer literacy is becoming a huge job qualification and feeling comfortable with one will put them a step ahead. I checked out Cool Tools for Schools and found a Photo Show web site that I will be using with theme pictures!
ReplyDeleteYve, I'm sure using the computer games along with your other instruction is helping your students enjoy learning Spanish. You're right about computer literacy. It has become a necessary skill for success. The beauty of it all is - these kids love to learn with computers!
ReplyDeleteHi, Steve!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting way to learn how to spell new words! I know it is amazing to see primary-aged students working to "design" a spelling masterpiece!
Here is another idea for using Wordle to introduce stories. I chose my favorite childhood story to share with you: Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina! (http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_tiny.html)
I copied the whole Thumbellina story and pasted the text into Wordle. The beautiful design created an intriguing, "I wonder" chart. Take a look!
http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/445410/Littly_Tiny_Thumbellina
Don't you think little children would be fascinated with the wonderful words in this story? I think this is a terrific way to introduce the vocabulary in a new piece of literature.
Thanks for the opportunity to share. Hope the links work from the blog. If not, copy and paste them into a new browser window.
As a preK teacher I'm amazed at all of the exciting web sites and tools available. Although many of the Web2.0 tools are not really developmentally appropriate for 4 and 5 year olds, I have found there are some tools that they can really enjoy! ArtPad and Wordle are two that are great for my children. Also, some of the others can be utilized mostly by the teacher with input from the children. I'm excited to be able to venture into this digital world with my students. Thanks for all of your encouragement, Steve!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the "I wonder" chart created in Wordle. That does make an interesting way to introduce words. I found myself looking at the words just for the fun of it. Another twist on this is to let the children guess what the story is about, or perhaps looks at the Wordle and give it a title. Then explain why they think that would be a good title. My mind is racing...
ReplyDeleteI'm overwhelmed by the creative thinking and teaching to which I'm fortunate enough to be exposed. It's very inspiring to see the many ways in which "our kids" are being instructed and challenged.I love the wordle ideas that have been shared and plan to use them to help my children remember some of those "tricky" words that stump them every now and then.
ReplyDeleteI agree, we're very fortunate to have so many creative teachers at FRPS. Because of that, not only do our children benefit, but we benefit from the shared strategies of our staff. I'm anxious to read what others are doing/planning to do with Web 2.0.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to Spelling city and wordle, I am impressed with tag galaxy. My students are using these tools in class and they are starting to use them on their home computers. In addition to student technology goals, I have also set goals for myself. I have told my students that the learning process is continuous never ending.
ReplyDeleteI am excited about using Wordle and Spelling City to support our Language Arts learning in the class. The students are excited and we are looking forward to hearing positive comments from the parents. My next goal is to incorporate some Math websites for the students. If you have any ideas/sites ... send them my way. Until next time.....
ReplyDeleteWe are enjoying using Wordle and Spelling City! Looking forward to hearing comments from the parents.
ReplyDeleteEmily and Fran, I'm glad you're inviting the parents to see what their children are doing with Web 2.0 tools. We all learn when we expand the base of learners who share ideas. I have some math sites that are somewhere in my favorites. I'll send some to you to try.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Debbie that many of the 'sites' were not developmentally appropriate for our young students. I found some that I think we can use in Kindergarten. I think as the students improve with keyboard skills we can use Wordle. I played several games in SpellingCity that our students could do. Missing Letter and Unscramble seemed easy enough. ArtPad was just FUN! I like the idea of having parents work with the students then they have the one to one help that will be needed. Later Rhonda
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Rhonda. You (the teachers)will know which sites are developmentally appropriate. There are so many new Web 2 sites created that I'm sure we'll find the ones that best "fit" our learners. We will also be able to differentiate instruction by guiding children who are more advanced to some more challenging sites and projects. Janet and I have created a 21st Century web page that will include sites that the faculty recommends and/or have been introduced to the students or faculty.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.am.dodea.edu/rucker/Primary/Class_Pages/Specials/media_center/21century.html
We may even expect to hear from our children about sites they've found with their parents that would be appropriate for classroom use.
I enjoyed looking at all the different sites that are available for us to use. In fact, I used Wordle to create a poster for one of the songs that we are working on in the 1st Grade Chorus! That was fun! I can see how the spelling activities can be of great benefit to our first graders. Thanks for sharing all of these great sites!
ReplyDeleteI saw the song wordle you created. I'm always intrigued by the way the words to songs show up in Wordle. The song's message just seems to jump out at you. A wordle T-Shirt made from a song wordle would look sharp.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those teachers who is learning some technology from my students! It is great to have them come into the classroom so excited about a paper they have printed from their work in the computer lab or from the media center. I learn as they share with me what they have created. I am so glad too that we are encouraging the children to be savvy AND safe in technology. The presentation at PTA was excellent. I think it is important to teach our students responsibly and to teach them responsibility connected with the internet.
ReplyDeleteA few days ago my class had a brainstorming session as a follow up to a study of inventions. We made a list of words that would describe the process of inventing and then the students typed the words into wordle. They were excited to see their finished product and it was a great way for me to assess their understanding of the subject.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Steve our class has been introduced to Bubble Share and now they are very excited about placing speech bubbles on their own digital pictures.
Oh the places we can go.........
Anita
Anita, I see so many action words that relate to 21st century skills in your comment. brainstorming, listing, creating a wordle, assessing, sharing, and "Oh the places we can go..." Combine that with "Together we can" and we have a pretty good formula for 21st century pedagogy.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, I wish more parents attended the PTA meeting so they could have heard Mr. Amuso speak about Internet safety. Digital citizens have a whole new set of ethics to learn in order to be responsible and safe cyber-citizens.
ReplyDelete