Wordle

[|Wordle] is a tool that allows you to create //word clouds// from text. It’s very simple to use: you just copy text in any language, paste it into Wordle and it will sift through it and create clouds with the most commonly occurring words in the text. You can then edit the shape, the colors and the font in the cloud and even remove words you don’t like by right-clicking on them.

Create a Wordle Splash to introduce the vocabulary to a new topic. Go to [|http://www.wordle.net]. Click Create Your Own and type or paste vocabulary words. Blisters Excavate Destiny Lullaby Horizon Lizard Fossil Desolate Barren Juvenile Fortunate Inventor Canteen Expanse Innocent
 * Vocabulary Introduction**

Click Go to create your word splash. Use the Screen Captre Tool to capture your word splash into your SMART Notebook.

Select two articles and copy and paste them into Wordle. Creaate two word documetns of each article for students. Copy and paste the word clouds into a document so that the paper can be folded and students look at one word cloud. Students looked at word clouds and determiened the gist of the original articles (use dictionary as necessary or other resources). Hlaf of the class explained what they thought their article was about while the teacher highlighted each word on the on the SMART Board. Distribute orginal articles to all stuents and discuss further.
 * Prereading Activity**

Copy and paste one passage from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”. Wordle leaves out articles, prepositions - or what are deemed insignificant words to analyze. Use the tilde to hold together the phrase “after the” which would have been left out otherwise. Since this is repeated in the stanza, it increases in font size. The word “worth” was repeated so it increases in size. The result was the emphasis on Prufrock’s inability to act because he wasn’t sure he could be successful. A great tool to help visualize meaning and intent.
 * A Tool to Analyze Poetry**

[|Using Worldle with EFL and ESL Students] - A list of idea!