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!

Glogster

The resource for today is called Glogster.

What is Glogster?

Glogster is a program to create interactive posters that are loaded with text, graphics, music, videos, and  more. You can then send or embed these posters on blogs, Wikis, and other sorts of social media sites.

Is it free?

Glogster has three different EDU pricing amounts. There's the Educator Free, Educator Light, and Educator Premium programs. The pricing and perks are listed below:

What will Glogster bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a poster on their favorite author to using it in 9th grade classrooms to tell about a famous American inventor to a college student writing about an assistive device for education. This tool brings an easier way to create "poster type presentations" or visual aids, in the classroom environment without having to hassle with paper and pencil. 

How do I use Glogster?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Glogster.

Step 1: Choose your template. You can either start a classic glog (empty template) or a template that has spots for things already filled out.

Once you choose your template, scroll down and you will see these tips. They're good tips for helping students create their glog.

Step 2: Begin creating. Add graphics, text, images, videos, sounds, data, drawings, or a wall. You can add or subtract things as you go. Once you've got what you'd like on your glog, you can preview or save/publish. Then, you can share your glog or embed it.

AN EXAMPLE GLOG I CREATED FOR A COURSE:

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How can I use Glogster in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Use for book reviews
-Summarize a storybook
-Use for weather exploration
-Use when studying ecosystems
-Create a poster on current events
-Express their poetry using posters
-Use for a famous people, time, or era page
-Use glog in solar system studies, one on each planet
-Presentation on oneself to allow others to 'get to know' you
-Create different movie trailers for books that have been read
-Create a poster report on an animal, containing pictures and text
-Explore the various wars and create a poster depicting each war
-Create a glog on a group project basis, encouraging collaboration and communication
-Create photo brochures of countries that are being studied in a foreign language classroom

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

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Glogster in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Certificate Street

The resource for today is called Certificate Street.

What is Certificate Street?

Certificate Street is a program to print out certificates for your classroom for any area. The design templates range anywhere from sports to classroom themed certificates to business to blank to relationship templates. The possibilities are endless.

Is it free?

Certificate Street is free - any certificate, any design, ALL FREE. But, each certificate has a watermark on it. In order to get your certificates without watermarks, you have to pay 99 cents per certificate.

What will Certificate Street bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to congratulate students when they have learned the alphabet to using it in 7th Grade classrooms to bring awareness to the student that brought in the most canned goods for a school drive to a college student receiving a certificate for most participation in the community. This tool brings an easier way to create certificates for all sorts of areas without having to pay loads of money for them.

How do I use Certificate Street?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Certificate Street.

Step 1: Choose out your certificate that you would like to print.

 Step 2: Enter in the information you would like on your certificate.

Step 3: Save and print! That's it!

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How can I use Certificate Street in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Reward for good deeds
-Rewards for good grades
-Praise for passing all math tests
-Reward leadership in the classroom
-Give certificates for learning the alphabet
-Award for community service in high school
-Certificates for participation in field day events
-Reward for those who complete projects on time
-Reward for being on time or having perfect attendance
-Certificates to reward more recess time for good behavior
-Certificates for reading 50 books, 100 books, 150 books, etc.
-Create a behavior management system (5 certificates equals a prize, etc.)
-Reward those who pass their quick math facts (basics, multiplication, etc).
-Provide positive reinforcement for students that don't normally receive praise
-Create a classroom economy where students earn certificates to earn class prizes (teach economics)

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Certificate Street in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Bubbl.us

The resource for today is called Bubbl.us.

What is Bubbl.us?

Bubbl.us is a brainstorming and mind mapping Web 2.0 tool. This website does use Flash, so you must have Flash installed on your computer.

Is it free?

Bubbl.us is free for up to 3 mind maps or brainstorming maps. In order to save more maps, you must upgrade to a paid subscription. This paid subscription is $6.00/month, OR it's $3.00/month for educators. The one way to "work around" getting only 3 maps is to delete other maps that you are no longer using.

What will Bubbl.us bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to create a mind map about things that start with the letters in the alphabet to using it in 5th Grade classrooms to brainstorm ideas about a character's actions and what it tells about their personality to a college student making a mind map about the various stocks available and what they give back. This tool brings an easier way to create brainstorming maps without having to use pen and pencil and you can color code to your liking and understanding.

How do I use Bubbl.us?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Bubbl.us.

Step 1: Sign in for your account. Click Star Brainstorming in order to create a sheet.

Step 2: Label the first bubble as the CENTER bubble (what the chart is about).

Step 3: Begin adding "children bubbles" which are the first bubbles off the sides. These are considered your subheadings.

Step 4: Continue adding bubbles until your map is complete. You can also change all your bubble colors, font color, text, and so forth by putting your mouse over top of the bubbles. That's it!

Each map you make is considered a "sheet." Since I have the free account, I have 1 out of 3 sheets saved.

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How can I use Bubbl.us in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Compare two stories
-Use in planning essays

-Analyze story elements

-Use for sequence of events
-Show relationships of shapes
-Use for creating a family tree

-Brainstorm for a research project

-Brainstorm topics for group projects
-Create mind map about characters from stories
-Classification of animals or nonliving vs. living animals
-Use for scientific processes such as the precipitation cycle


-Come up with ideas for a fictional story by using a brainstorm map
-Create a mind map to show what students know at the beginning of a unit
-Create a mind map to show what students know NOW at the end of a unit

-Develop vocabulary by writing the words and then definitions, part of speech, ways to use, etc.

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Bubbl.us in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Remember The Milk

The resource for today is called Remember The Milk.

What is Remember The Milk?

Remember The Milk is a virtual to-do list and reminder website. It's an online tool that can be accessed from anywhere, including your mobile device. 

Is it free?

Remember The Milk is free for all users. There is an upgraded account for $25.00, but for the use of the classroom, you would only need the free version.

What will Remember The Milk bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to set up steps for students to follow when doing a project to using it in 4th grade classrooms to help remind parents of field trips to a college student reminding themselves of the work that is due by the end of the week. This tool brings an easier way to create to do lists at the touch of a finger or by the click of a mouse.

How do I use Remember The Milk?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Remember The Milk.

Here's the dashboard for my Remember the Milk. You have many different areas to sort your tasks: inbox, personal, study, work, and sent. Or, you can choose to view all at the same time. Over to the right, you can view your tasks on a calendar or even print your tasks. This might be nice to physically cross out events and tasks that you have completed.

Step 1: Type in your task on the add a new task bar. Hit enter to add the task to your dashboard.

Step 2: Add your details. Choose your due date, whether or not the event should repeat, time estimated to complete event, tags, location, and the URL for event. Remember The Milk also tells you how many times you've postponed your event, who you've shared it with, and the amount of notes you have on each event. And that's it! You now have a task created.

When you change something, this is what comes up so that way you can undo your changes if you so choose.

This is your overview up close where you can print, look at your iCal, or do an RSS feed.

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How can I use Remember The Milk in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Daily schedule
-Reminders for homework
-Important after school events
-Assign due dates for projects
-Listings of plans for the week
-Reminders for parent conferences
-Remind of days off or early dismissals
-To-do lists in the classroom for assignments


-Put in dates for future events such as assemblies
-Checklist of things to complete on the computer

-To do list for homework assignments for the week

-Plan out your weeks to-do list with other coworkers
-Reminders for school supplies needed in the classroom
-Assign homework during long breaks (winter break, spring break)
-Send out reminders for field trips, library book due dates, book orders, etc.

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Remember The Milk in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Create-A-Graph

The resource for today is called Create-a-Graph.

What is Create-a-Graph?

Create-a-Graph is an interactive, online tool that helps teach students how to create their own graphs and then interpret the results. Create-a-Graph was created by the National Center for Education Statistics to allow students to create a graph by a few clicks of a button, letting them change the shapes, background, number of grid lines, and so much more. Students are exposed to the following graphs: line, bar, scatter, pie, and area. Further, students can use the "Dare to Compare" feature and test out their skills of graphing in comparison to those around the world. 

Is it free?

Create-a-Graph is free for all users. There is no paid program option, which is great for the classroom!

What will Create-a-Graph bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to graph the daily lunch count to using it in 12th grade classrooms to create a pie chart of where people are intending to go after they graduate to a college student identifying the amount of money people make in the community using a plotted graph. This tool brings an easier way to create graphs using technology rather than by paper and pencil.

How do I use Create-a-Graph?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Create-a-Graph.

Step 1: Choose the graph you would like to create.

Step 2: This is where you can change your information for the design. You can alter the direction, shape, and style.

Step 3: Enter your data. This would be your graph title, x-axis label, y-axis label, source (optional), data set, and group name. Then, enter the column titles and the values for each. Make sure to do the min-value and max-value for the graph.

 

Step 4: Enter the labels for your data. You can also change the label and font colors and sizes. 

Step 5: Preview your graph.

Step 6: Click the print / save page. This is where you can print, save, download, or e-mail your graph to someone. Or, you can start over, erase this graph, or copy to a new graph!

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How can I use Create-a-Graph in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Daily lunch count
-Daily question to graph answers
-Turn word problems into graphs
-Bar graph census of your classroom
-Graph the number of M&Ms in a pack

-Measure lima bean plants and graph daily

-Use to display classroom data in any subject
-Pie chart of what students eat for the holidays
-Measure students and add data to create a scatter plot
-Pie chart as a class of how many siblings each student has
-Look at pie graphs to identify the different fractions being represented
-Survey work to create graphs from responses (favorite color, animal, etc.)
-Use for data analysis in math when working on questions involving tables
-Lucky charm graphing (graph the number of marshmallows in a box of lucky charms)
-Graph the amount of people in the community, city, state, nation, world and compare answers

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use VoiceThread in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!

Scribd

The resource for today is called Scribd.

What is Scribd?

Scribd is an online library of many resources. It's a place to share, publish, and discover entertaining, informative, and originally written content across the Internet and on your own mobile devices. The topics for upload can be anywhere from documents to schoolwork to how-to guides. It can also be books, non-fiction resources, presentations, and spreadsheets. You can allow others to download, print, and embed your work, too, which makes it versatile in many ways.

Is it free?

Scribd is free for all users. The only plan offered is a free subscription. You just need an e-mail address, a username, and a password in order to access all the different features of Scribd. 

What will Scribd bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to upload number books to using it in 8th grade classroom to upload a spreadsheet on numerical data to a college student uploading a unit for their student teaching projects. This tool brings an easier way to create "presentations" and visual aids, allowing others to download or print for FREE.

How do I use Scribd?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Scribd.

Step 1: Click the upload button to begin uploading documents.

Step 2: Choose where you want to upload your document from. It can be a file, from GoogleDocs, to sell your documents, text, or desktop uploader. I use the SELECT FILE button most.

Step 3: Upload your document. When the file has finished uploading, enter your information such as the title, categories, tags, and description. 

Step 4: Here's your finalized product! Any other users can now download or print or add to their collection. You, as the owner, can edit, upload revision, delete, or make public & private. You can also see how many people have read, readcasted, or viewed on an embedded product (blog, Wiki, etc.).

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How can I use Scribd in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Load science process projects
-Create how-to guides and upload
-Upload stories created by students
-Have students publish a magazine article
-Use for parent presentations at conferences
-Locate reputable sources for research projects
-Use to share files between classroom teachers
-Create brochures for country visits and upload
-Homework help for students to download at home
-Add all worksheets for the classroom to go paperless
-Create art work and load on to Scribd to show parents
-Upload essays to share with other students for peer editing

-Use for resumes for college students to send links to others
-Make up scripts for a play and upload to download from home for practicing
-Create permission notes for parents & upload instead of sending home a paper copy

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Scribd in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!