Wordle - Have you heard of it?

The graphic below is a Wordle I made. A Wordle is a "branded" word cloud. Take a look at my Wordle below. Can you see words that stand out? Can you draw some inferences or make some predictions based on the graphic you see below?



I've seen lots of word clouds recently. They aren't graphic organizers, but an analysis of words spoken or written by particular people at specific times or in certain places. A word cloud is a visual analysis which reveals some pretty interesting information. In fact, I just viewed one on the internet today that I found fascinating. It was a word cloud made from the last 8 State of the Nation addresses by George W. Bush. It, of course, looks much different than the one above. Below is the copy that was originally published at this website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7813432.stm.

I made mine today from all of my blog entries to date. I found it very interesting to look at. The words that stand out represent those words used the most often. I love this use of technology. It is a visual way of representing thinking which I find very thought provoking. We could probably learn much about our world (and history) through using it. As a teacher, I could think of lots of ways to use it across all of the content areas.

If you would like to play with this cool tool or look at lots of fascinating Wordle graphics, I urge you to go to the Wordle website. Click on my wordle below, and it will take you there. It is a completely free website. You can even name and post your wordle to the website. For teachers, writers, or armchair linguists of any kind, I think that Wordle is a very cool tool! Enjoy! The website is http://www.wordle.net/.

Galaxy Zoo - Very Cool!

I was listening to NPR the other day, and I heard something that I thought was very intriguing. It must have been on a Friday because it was Ira Flato on NPR Science Friday. Anyway, he was having a conversation with an astronomer about an elementary school teacher who discovered a previously unknown object in space when cataloging galaxies on Galaxy Zoo. Ira inquired about Galaxy Zoo (I couldn't imagine what it was either...) Come to find out, it is a public website that is open to any curious person. http://www.galaxyzoo.org/. The guest astronomer talked about the sheer billions and billions of galaxies in space. Stargazers, amateur and professional, are discovering so many galaxies and other objects in space that astronomers simply can't keep up with even the very basic categorizing of them. As a result, a website was established that allows anyone to experience what astronomers do. It allows someone like me to become an astronomer! I was curious, so I logged on. I have always been interested in astronomy since I was a kid. It was quick and easy to register and set up an account. I made it through the tutorial, took the test, and I am now qualified to categorize galaxies! In a relatively short period of time, a new user can sharpen their "galaxy identification" skills, take a test to be sure the information is learned, and then relax with a cup of coffee (or Coke!) and look at galaxies in unimaginably far-off corners of the universe. Those who persevere and pass the test, are then able to participate in this massive learning project. The work begins. Participants are asked to look at pictures of real galaxies and place them in specific categories. The website states that an amateur's eye is as good as the trained astronomer's for this task once the eye is tuned in to what to look for. The responses from amateurs on the website go into a database that helps scientists figure out the universe. Some amateur astronomers have made amazing discoveries on Galaxy Zoo by finding things in the photographs that previously were not recognized!

After I got familiar with Galaxy Zoo and tried my hand at being an astronomer, I began thinking about how much I had learned about galaxies. I had so many more questions, and the whole activity was SO engaging. I had fun doing it, and I can tell you now about the different kinds of galaxies. Did you know that spiral galaxies, like our own Milky Way, rotate either in clockwise or counterclockwise direction? You can examine a picture of a spiral galaxy and determine which direction it rotates in. This website and activity could be a really fascinating way for students to get some background knowledge about galaxies and what it is like to be an astronomer. This is a real life task that students could engage in. It is rigorous, and it is relevant. It is application of learning, and could be done cooperatively or independently. It involves technology and being useful. The site provides automatic feedback, and a feeling of accomplishment. It feels like you are making an important contribution. It is highly visual, and forces one to use skills of analysis. There is much to be gained by engaging students in activities that pertain to real life. This one happens to be astronomy. If you know of other websites that have similar value, please take a moment and respond with a short description!

Until next time....