Wordle

Wordle

Wordle is a free website that allows you to create your own tag cloud.  A tag cloud is a visible representation of text data. Tag clouds can be used to show frequency, popularity, size, or any quantifiable data.  It can be used to educate students or to create expressive visuals on just about any form of vocabulary building.

Anyone can use Wordle to create Tag Clouds to express a visual representation of data.  Wordle is mostly used for entertainment or creativity.  It is more aesthetically pleasing to see a visual representation of text compared to seeing pie charts and bar graphs.  This idea tends to attract users who are right brained thinkers.

Wordle was created by Jonathan Feinberg in 2011.  I saw a picture of him wearing an ape mask and reading a book.  He seems like a right brainer to me.

Wordle can be used to chart personal search queries on the internet to see what you like to look up the most.  I have used Wordle in the classroom when we do vocabulary activities.  I have had children put their papers into Wordle to see how repetitive their word choice is and how we can address spicing up writing.  The kids have a lot of fun doing this activity and it provides a visual for them. 

Here is a link: http://www.wordle.net/