Class Blog

The Educational Value of Wordle

Wordle, a Web 2.0 presentation tool, is defined by alphaDictionary as “a creative design composed of words”.  (2004-2014) Digital natives refer to Wordle as word clouds used in the classroom and other professional settings. (Prensky, 2001)  Historically speaking, according to Dr. Goodword (that is just his/her web name); the word “wortle” has been around since the 15^th century.  Somewhere along the way, the “t” was dropped and a new lexicon was born.  The Wordle created for our Colonization Unit is designed to introduce the vocabulary words used in the readings and YouTube videos.  By pre-teaching vocabulary to the students, their ability to comprehend the Big Ideas increases, assuring they will eventually make connections to events from the words.  In Universal Design for Learning, the Wordle is a multisensory tool, providing equal access for learners through the visual modality.  By using the primary colors in my Wordle, students who are color blind, dyslexic, have visual constructive dyspraxia or are challenged with depth perception weaknesses, students can access the vocabulary for the unit in different ways.  According to Wissick, use of the Universal Design model supports teachers in providing access for many learning styles and creating the opportunity to use web resources in the classroom setting. (p.3, 2004)  I would consider Wordle a Universal Design for Learning Tool. 

References

Goodword, D. (2004-2014). AlphaDictionary. Retrieved September 13, 2014, from http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/wordle

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. S.l.: Marc Prensky.

Wissick, C., Schweder, W., & Gardner, J. (2004). Technology applications to support diverse learners. 1-5. Retrieved September 13, 2014.