Wordle and Tagxedo

Worldle-I really enjoyed Worlde because of the unique and crazy designs that can be created. I like that I can enter any text that I choose and it can be turned into a design that would fit the needs of my students. It was not that hard to figure out either which would be very easy to use in a classroom. The color schemes, words, and designs are all up to the user. Giving the user complete access to everything that happens is excellent for a classroom setting. Students need to be able to express themselves and this is an excellent choice. The images I create with Wordle are mine to use however I like. I could give students the oppotunity to create an autobiography about themselves or give them specific material for the next day to present in a unique design to the class about that information. Another plus about Wordle is that it can be used in the younger grades. All the websites we have looked at before are not elementary appropriate but Worldle fits into that category very easily.


Tagxedo-
Tagxedo was a lot like Wordle in that the user gets to create their own design. I put the lyrics to rocky top in Tagxedo and it gave me a ton of options to use for these words. I could print them on a t-shirt, cup, or just use it on the computer for classroom use. Tagxedo also shows a gallery of pictures that other users have created that I can take and use for any type of activity I am planning to do. I can change the font, sizes, colors, themes, and then simply place it on a design that I like and it can be ordered for purchase. This would be a great site for student use because students could create a design on this site to their favorite paragraph in a book, favorite poem, favorite song, or favorite lesson we learned and create a design at home. The students could then come into class and do a presentation or have partner share time about why they chose that specific color scheme, theme, size etc. I really like that this is another elementary level website that gives students the opportunity to be creative. That needs to be stressed so much at a young age....and who knows maybe I could get class t-shirts made!