Word Clouds & Word Cloud Generators

A Word Cloud is a graphical representation of word frequency.

A Word Cloud Generator is a tool that can be used to create visualizations from blocks of text. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more often in the text.

Word Clouds can be used to help students vary word choice in their own writing by highlighting words they use frequently. They can also be used to highlight themes in text by giving greater prominence to words that appear most often.

Most Word Cloud Generators allow you to personalize your cloud with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes.

Below are a couple of Word Cloud Generator options.


For Google Chrome:

http://tagcrowd.com

http://tagul.com


For PC:

http://tagxedo.com

MindMeister

Graphic Organizers are a wonderful writing tool. Every teacher I know has a favorite way to use and/or teach about Graphic Organizers. I want to throw a new option into the mix.

MindMeister is a multi-platform Graphic Organizer or Mind Mapping tool. It is available on the web: https://www.mindmeister.com/ as well as a free app: https://goo.gl/T5heba. It also allows for creation using a Google Docs Add-On.

MindMeister’s biggest limitation to the Basic (free) subscription is the number of Graphic Organizers you can store. You are limited to 3 Mind Maps at a time. You can delete old ones and add new ones but you are limited to three active, editable maps per subscription, at one time.

MindMeister has a large number of great options. One of my favorite is the variety of templates available. There is a template for Reading Comprehension as well as for Lesson Planning.

There is a great YouTube channel that contains short lessons on using MindMeister. Each clip is under 3 minutes long. Check out the YouTube channel at MindMeister Tutorial Videos.

Closed Captioning

Closed Captioning is proven to improve the reading abilities of students. Captioning is one way you can provide struggling readers with additional print exposure which is proven to help improve foundational reading skills.

The use of closed captioned television shows and movies is one way in which we can motivate and engage our students to help build and improve phonics, word recognition, and fluency. Closed Captioning is a function of almost every television found in homes across the United States. Closed Captioning, or subtitles, is also a feature required for all educational videos to be considered Accessible for all learners.

“By watching closed-captioned television, students consistently score higher on written tests than students in any other group.”

(http://bit.ly/captionresearch)

Starting a New Line within a Google Sheets Cell

Sometimes when I am working in Google Sheets I want some of the information in a cell to start on a new line.  There are times when this helps both visually and for organizational purposes.  

The cell on the left feels cluttered, hard to read.  The cell on the right contains the exact same information but is less cluttered, easier to view.

                                 

Previously I would add a bunch of spaces to the end of a section so that the next bit of information would start on a new line.  This process was time consuming and not always accurate when you would print the document.

After doing a quick Google search for a colleague, I have found an easier way.

Place your cursor where you want the new line to start. 
On a Mac, use the key combination: command + enter.
On a PC, use the key combination: control + enter.

Guided Access, review

With the addition of all of the new iPads we have in our district this year I wanted to share this post again.  Guided Access can be a great classroom management tool.

Guided Access

What is Guided Access? How can it help in my classroom?

Guided Access is a built in Accessibility feature on the iPad. It helps students stay focused on a task while using the iPad. It limits the device to a single app and lets the teacher control which features are available.

Guided Access is a great technology management tool and can be enabled in a couple of quick steps.

Sorry

Sorry followers.

I have been sick this week, terrible cold.  I have not been able to work on a blog post.  I will work hard to catch up and get something great written for next week.

The Meaning Behind the Name

AT / UDL Tips & Tricks for Everyone...
What does AT stand for?
What is the meaning behind UDL?

Truthfully AT and UDL go hand-in-hand.

AT - Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology consists of DEVICES and SERVICES that help children
with disabilities carry out a functional activity in their environment.
UDL - Universal Design for Learning
U.D.L. Technology consists of DEVICES and SERVICES that help children
carry out a functional activity in their environment.