AUGUST 2009
MICHELLE KRILL, MMKRILL@GMAIL.COM
VO C AB MAPPING
.net
://wordle
d at http
Generate
Brainstorm &
Categorize for Meaning
Inspiration ~ These tools are visual
thinking & learning tools students rely
on to plan, research and complete
projects successfully. Students gain and
retain a better understanding of
concepts and demonstrate knowledge,
Wordle is a site for generating “word
clouds” from provided text. The
clouds give greater prominence to
words that appear more frequently in
the source text.You can tweak your
clouds with different fonts, layouts,
and color schemes. The images you
create with Wordle are yours to use
however you like. You can print them
out, or save them to the Wordle
gallery to share with your friends.
HTTP://WORDLE.NET
SOFTWARE AND WEB TOOLS TO
CONTEXTUAL LEARNING OF
improving their performance across the
curriculum.
Inspired Learning Online Community
http://inspiredlearningcommunity.com/
AutoMotivator is for making
printable posters.You choose the
picture, colors, and text, and they
make your poster.
http://wigflip.com/automotivator/
ENGAGE STUDENTS IN
VOCABULARY.
Kidspiration ~ In reading and
writing, Kidspiration strengthens word
recognition, vocabulary, comprehension
and written expression. With new
visual math tools, students build
reasoning and problem solving skills.
WordSift is a tool that was created
primarily for teachers. Think of it as a
linguistic playground that is available to
instantly capture and display the
vocabulary structure of texts, and to
help create an opportunity to talk
about language.
WordSift helps anyone easily sift
through texts -- just cut and paste any
text into WordSift and you can engage
in a verbal quick-capture!
HTTP://WORDSIFT.COM
 L EA RNIN G A NEW M EA NING
FO R A KNOWN WORD
Built-in Tools!
THE STUDENT HAS THE WORD IN ORAL OR READING VOCABULARY,
BOTH SOFTWARE PRODUCTS BUT IS LEARNING A NEW MEANING FOR IT. FOR EXAMPLE, THE
HAVE MANY PRE-MADE STUDENT KNOWS WHAT A BRANCH IS, AND IS LEARNING IN SOCIAL
TEMPLATES. OR, AS STUDENTS STUDIES ABOUT BOTH BRANCHES OF RIVERS AND BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT.
LEARN TO MAKE THEIR OWN,
SAVE THEIR WORK AS
TEMPLATES.

Templates LEA RNIN G THE M EA NING FO R A N EW

Templates are starting points for creating WORD REP RESENTING A KNOW N CONCEPT
your own documents. A template can
contain any type of content ~ from basic
symbols and links to fully developed ideas
THE STUDENT IS FAMILIAR WITH THE CONCEPT BUT HE DOES NOT
and imported graphics and videos.
KNOW THE PARTICULAR WORD FOR THAT CONCEPT. FOR EXAMPLE,
Inspiration comes with more than 50
THE STUDENT HAS HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH BASEBALLS AND
templates to help you create your own GLOBES, BUT DOES NOT KNOW THAT THEY ARE EXAMPLES OF
documents. In addition, you have access to SPHERES.
even more templates online. When a user
opens a template, they save it as a new
document so the template itself remains
unchanged.
Create custom templates that contain any LEARN ING THE MEA NIN G OF A N E W
type of content--from simple diagrams to WOR D REPR ESENTING AN U NKNOWN
complex outlines. Teachers may create CONCEP T
their own templates to use as a starting
point for a special project or assignment.
THE STUDENT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH EITHER THE CONCEPT OR THE
Word Guide WORD THAT REPRESENTS THAT CONCEPT, AND MUST LEARN BOTH.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE STUDENT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH EITHER
THE PROCESS OR THE WORD PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

CLARIF YING AND ENRICHING TH E

M EANI NG O F A KNOW N WORD

THE STUDENT IS LEARNING FINER, MORE SUBTLE DISTINCTIONS, OR

In Inspiration, use the CONNOTATIONS, IN THE MEANING AND USAGE OF WORDS. AN
Word Guide to look up EXAMPLE WOULD BE LEARNING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
definitions, synonyms, and antonyms and RUNNING, JOGGING, TROTTING, DASHING, AND SPRINTING.
learn how to pronounce words.

From Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/c38/