word clouds as tools for reflection
What on earth is a WORD CLOUD?
A word cloud, also known as a tag cloud, is a visual or graphical representation of text. The word cloud displays the text in various font types, sizes, colours and sHaPEs. Word clouds are an excellent way for students to visually record and represent text when reflecting on their learning. As a group, some of us have used word cloud programs in our classrooms with students creating individually, in groups or with classes developing a cloud as a whole class process. Thoughts are visually displayed with keywords or high frequency words having greater prominence. |
Students utilise lower and higher order thinking skills through the use
of various reflection tools. By integrating technology as part of the
reflection process, word clouds allow students to recall prior knowledge, remember
and understand new information, lower order thinking skills as suggested by
Bloom (source).
The graphical representation of text through student reflection via technology is
also supported by the SAMR model as created by Dr Ruben Puentedura (source).
Depending on the function the word cloud plays determines where it fits on the
model, potentially moving between substitution, augmentation, modification and
redefinition. Check out the Theory Models page for more information and the reasoning behind the selection of reflection tools in our collection.
you might be wondering.....
What
would my students use a WORD CLOUD for?
Why would I use a WORD CLOUD? Great questions! Some of us have used word clouds as a form of the KWL strategy to brainstorm at the start of a unit of work to record terminology about subject content from prior knowledge. The process was repeated to record new terminology students learnt at the end of the unit of work. Other ideas include:
|
As primary
teachers ourselves, we know that the practice of reflection in the classroom
takes time and effort. The digital tools presented on the Word
Cloud Tools page, including word
clouds, help to make the reflection process flow more smoothly but also enables
you and your students to access tools that enable reflection to take place in
various ways on different devices immediately or over a period of time.
Check out the links below for further info on how other teachers use WORD CLOUDS in the classroom for reflection. Boosting reflection on individual performance Reflect, recap, peer to peer feedback and learner feedback Displaying survey results and data Student reflections and alignment to learning outcomes |
Our top picks for WORD CLOUD tools include:
Check out the Word Cloud Tools page to learn more about our top picks. |
Images
Socrative Garden: Growing 21st Century Skills, (2014). 1 – 2 – 3 Word Cloud! [‘Learning’ word cloud Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015 from http://garden.socrative.com/?p=275
ABCYa.com (2015). Word Clouds for Kids [Logo Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm
Wordle (2013). Wordle: Beautiful Word Clouds [Logo Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.wordle.net/
Tagxedo [Tagxedo] (February 8, 2011). Profile Pictures [Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015 from
https://www.facebook.com/tagxedo/photos/a.151078504917466.31027.111525248872792/191124844246165/?type=1&theater
Twitter (2015). Wordsalad @wordsaladapp [Logo Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from https://twitter.com/wordsaladapp
Socrative Garden: Growing 21st Century Skills, (2014). 1 – 2 – 3 Word Cloud! [‘Learning’ word cloud Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015 from http://garden.socrative.com/?p=275
ABCYa.com (2015). Word Clouds for Kids [Logo Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm
Wordle (2013). Wordle: Beautiful Word Clouds [Logo Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.wordle.net/
Tagxedo [Tagxedo] (February 8, 2011). Profile Pictures [Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015 from
https://www.facebook.com/tagxedo/photos/a.151078504917466.31027.111525248872792/191124844246165/?type=1&theater
Twitter (2015). Wordsalad @wordsaladapp [Logo Image]. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from https://twitter.com/wordsaladapp