KATE

November 1, 2009

A Cloud of Words

Instructional Illuminations

What is a "cloud of words"? It is called a Wordle and it's creating a new teaching technique for 21st century educators. Wordle is a new, free Web 2.0 tool that creates a visual display of word clouds from text. The Wordle will show the frequency of word usage in a text by displaying the words most used in larger text.

Students can use the tool to monitor the frequency of word usage in their own writing or in any other document or article. They can modify the font, color, and design of the Wordle to create impressive artwork to accompany a research paper or reflective writing. Students who are visual learners can benefit from Wordle because it allows them to communicate and visualize a concept through words and art.

 

Other educational uses for Wordle include:

• Capturing key-points of a historical document
  
• Introducing new vocabulary
  
• Spelling Lists
  
• Reflections of a field trip
  
• Revisions of student writing
  
• Creating classroom poster
  
• Analyzing characters from a story
  

In the complex world of Web 2.0, Wordle is a wonderful visualization tool that can engage students by creating discussion and insight. According to Samantha Morra, teacher and technology coordinator, "it is about understanding and discovering patterns in text and generating conversations among students and teachers."

 

Visit www.wordle.net to have your students create their own "word cloud" today.

 

 

Related Links

• Wordle in Education -

  A blog by Greg Smith, a Instruction Technology Specialist.

• Ways to Use Wordle In Your Classroom -

  Slideshow PowerPoint by Jen Wagner to help incorporate Wordle in the classroom.

• Using Wordle in the Classroom - This eye-catching Animoto presentation by Cindy Coker gives some useful ideas on how to use Wordle in the classroom many of which would be great for language learning.

Related Lesson Plans, Activities, and Classroom Resources

• Wordle: using word clouds in a lesson

November 1, 2009

To Matrix or Not to Matrix?

Core Connections

By Leslie Wicks, Henderson County High School

As school begins each year, it is often pondered whether or not matrices are important to teach. In most instances districts teach this concept because it is mandated by the Kentucky Core Content. What most people don't realize is that there are many uses for matrices in the real world.

Students can determine the number of 3 point shots verses the number of 2 point shots in a basketball game given a certain ending score, they can determine what supplies need to be purchased for a retail business and so much more. Matrices are a very important concept for students to know. Televisions use matrices for their color pixels, printers use matrices for their ink distribution, and most often they are used as a means to organize data. People use matrices on a daily based they just don't realize it.  Students have all created a chart like figure 1 below, which is a matrix.

Figure 1:

 

	Touchdowns	Yards Ran	Yards Thrown	Field Goals
Colonels	15	379	745	21
Trojans	12	286	932	9
Maroons	14	463	578	23
Storm	16	347	724	15

 

For the above chart to become a matrix, simply take off the labels. It will then become matrix A, as in figure 2.

The above matrix gives the same information as the chart in figure 1; it just does not have all the labels.

Matrices are considered to be complicated and boring by students, but when online tools and videos are used to promote teaching, it makes learning more fun. Below you can find several resources to help promote the technology in your classroom that will enliven the teaching of matrices. Discovery Education (http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com) has several videos that can show how matrices are used out in the real world.

In the world of math, matrices will have a better outlook to our students if they can connect them to their daily lives.

Related Links

• Matrices and Determinants - Informational and interactive website for matrices education.

Related Lesson Plans, Activities, and Classroom Resources

• Algebra II Matrices
• Matrices Worksheets
• Algebra 2 Lesson 1 Matrices (Grades 9-12)