Tagxedo & Wordle

The resource for today are called Tagxedo and Wordle.

What are Tagxedo and Wordle?

Tagxedo and Wordle are word clouds with creativity. Words are individually sized and will be larger the more the word appears in your text. The fonts, colors, and backgrounds can be changed to your liking. With Tagxedo, your word clouds can take the shape of different things such as an apple, Africa, a Christmas tree, and so forth. Wordle is a basic word cloud, where words can be placed horizontal, vertical, or a mix between the two.

Are they free?

These two programs are free for all users. There's no pro plans or any paid plans for users to select. That's what makes this great.

What will Tagxedo and Wordle bring to your classroom?

These products can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using them in the Kindergarten classroom to create a cloud about their favorite authors to using them in 7th grade classrooms to tell about a famous American inventor to a college student making a word cloud about their time spent in college and what they learned. These tools bring an easy way to create concise pictures with words to represent what students are doing in the classroom. 

How do I use Tagxedo and Wordle?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Tagxedo and Wordle.

TAGXEDO

Step 1: Enter your text. This can be from a webpage or your own text

Step 2: Choose your theme (otherwise known as colors).

Step 3: Choose your font.

Step 4: Choose the orientation. This is the word layouts.

Step 5: Choose your shape. This is where you get to choose many different styles depending on what you're writing about. Save and share, and it's yours!

WORDLE

Step 1: Enter your text. This can be from a webpage or your own text.

Step 2: This is what it looks like after your text has been entered.

Step 3: Select your font.

Step 4: Choose your layout. This is where you can pinpoint the exact number of words you want, types of edges you want, and the way your words should face.

Step 5: Choose your font colors and whether you want variation or not. 

THESE ARE EXAMPLES I CREATED FOR A PROJECT IN MY UNDERGRADUATE CAREER. Both use the same wording and colors, just different shapes:
Tagxedo

 Wordle

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How can I use Tagxedo and Wordle in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that these tools can be utilized in the classroom:

-Show the rules to new students
-Create poetry from your word clouds
-Summarize presentations or speeches
-Summarize a field trip report/reflection
-Advertise a product that your students have "created"
-Make thank you cards from your class to go to others
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Use with current events (using Tagxedo to take shape of the event)
-Allow students to show their understanding of a topic in the classroom
-Compare documents, paying attention to the words that stand out most
-Create gifts using the shapes with Tagxedo (for parents, grandparents, etc.)
-Work on inferencing skills, remove words that are common in English, and ask for topic
-Make a self portrait of your character/personality using the silhouette feature of Tagxedo
-Use as a teaser of what the days events will hold - specific subjects you're going to go over

-Vocabulary words - describe the word, definition, how you could use it, part of speech, etc.

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Tagxedo and Wordle in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!