10-Rep Learning ~ Teague's Tech Treks

Learning Technology & Tech Observations by Dr. Helen Teague

Aug
17

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PBS Professional Development

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Do you ever wish you could observe how other teachers teach? Now you can – with PBS Learning Media’s collection of professional development videos! This month, we invite you to sit in on teachers as they engage their students in an exploration of words and meaning. (Click here to Sign up Today!)

Pick up techniques to help your students build vocabulary and reading comprehension using these bite-sized professional development videos from PBS LearningMedia:

Thunder Cake, Grades K-2, 13+
See how this teacher introduces new vocabulary using the “Text Talk” framework during a read-aloud with her kindergarten class.

Literature Circle, Grades 3-5, 13+
Step into the center of a literature circle and observe how students engage with text and with one another.

Support for an ELL Student, Grades K-2, 13+
Observe the techniques this teacher uses to help her English Language Learner strengthen his vocabulary comprehension.

Book Reading and Learning from Context, Grades PreK-2, 13+
Notice how this teacher uses the context of a story to help her students uncover the meaning of new words.

Concept of Definition Chart, Grades PreK-5, 13+
Consider how the use of a chart informs the dialogue between teacher and student.

Direct Instruction, Grades K-5, 13+
See the “making text-to-self connections” strategy in play and consider the value to young readers.

Aug
17

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Using Word Clouds in the Classroom

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Word Clouds are visual representations for text data, typically used to depict keyword metadata (tags) on websites or other digital documents. What counts with word clouds are the frequency with which a word is used. Word clouds are also known as Tag Clouds.

My new favorite way to use Word Clouds is to help graduate students in their job searches. I copy the text of a resume and paste it into a Word Cloud Generator. When I copy the text into a word cloud generator, common themes and experiences immediately appear.

professional competencies

Michael Gorman gives 108 additional ways to use Word Clouds in the Classroom in this post in 21st Century Tech.

  1. Put your lesson plan into a word cloud to create a word cloud of what you will be learning about. This could also be part of your entire course outline used at the beginning of a course.
  2. Paste a reading from your text into a word cloud. You may wish to turn off common words.
  3. Copy and paste a reading from the web into a word cloud. You may wish to turn off common words.
  4. Put vocabulary words into a word cloud.
  5. Use a word cloud to create a discussion either in class or posted on the web for a discussion forum. Try to create it so that a question of inquiry can be used.
  6. Create a group word cloud of the entire class or sub groups in the class. This could be in reaction to a discussion, an idea, a reading, or video. Students work in groups to come up with 20-30 descriptive words and then make a word cloud. Using advanced tools they could rank them or color code them.
  7. Each student creates a word cloud in reflection from a discussion, an idea, a reading, or video. Individual comes up with 20-30 descriptive words and then makes a word cloud. Using advanced tools they could rank them or color code them.
  8. Entire class creates a word cloud in reaction to a topic. In order to capture student word have them digitally input them using the Web 2.0 tools Write with Me or Google Forms.
  9. Have students create word clouds that generate understanding of a concept, standards or vocabulary word.
  10. Illustrate classroom thoughts or views using a word cloud to survey students. Favorite university, pro team, singer, etc.

Click here to read all Gorman’s suggestions

Learn More: 12 Valuable Wordle Tips You Must Read…Word Clouds in Education Series: Part 1

Another post on Word Clouds

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