I just discovered an awesome new tool for use in the classroom --- Wordle. This free site converts any text (e.g. a web page or a student’s own writing) into a beautiful word cloud that could almost be considered an artwork in its own right.

However, the power of Wordle goes far beyond this. It allows you to analyse, in a visual way, the vocabulary that a writer uses. Words that are used most frequently appear larger than the others, revealing a great deal about a writer’s style and intentions.

For example, it can reveal to a student that he repeatedly uses “and then” in his narratives. Alternatively, it can show at a glance the key ideas in a text. For example, the wordle on the right was created from a letter to parents about our one-to-one laptop program. However, you didn’t really need me to tell you that, did you?

On that topic, I would like to wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas. Here’s a wordle that’s just right for this Christmas season!