Task+3-Visual+Learning

Visual Learning
==== [|Here is a very interesting chart about tools that can be used to present information visually]. When you view it, taking the mouse over the element brings up more information.====

====This is an introduction to probably the most familiar visual learning tools, the Word Cloud. This presentation will show you many of them and adds some different ways you can use them. ==== ====media type="custom" key="20047794" This is a c[|ompilation of this kind of tool in] another tool called Live Binders. Clicking on each tag will bring up the information and a screen shot. There are some ads on here for a conference so please ignore those. ==== ====This is a [|Google Document] that gives many ways to use Wordle or other Word Cloud tools. [|This page] gives you 19 tools to use. In a twist that I think is very interesting, [|this site begins with the Wordle] and asks the students to figure out the topic. Think this kind of activity would be helpful in a world language class. Students could create Wordles or similar word clouds for other students. There are a number of Word Cloud makers. The first is [|Tagxedo.] Here is a word cloud of part of my second blog post. There are styles and shapes that can be chosen. On the Tagxedo home page there are ideas for teaching with Tagxedo clouds. After you choose your shape and the cloud is made, you can change it in many other ways. ====

====Another site of this type is [|Image Chef]. It is more useful for a smaller chunk of text but I used a bit of the text from my blog. There are a number of shapes available; this one is an envelope. This might be a new way to review vocabulary in science, a foreign language or words the kids are studying in spelling. There are a number of tools here but unless there is a Facebook account associated, it is difficult to download.

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[|Tagul]is another type of word cloud. It offers many ways to format the text.
[|Word It Out] did this from Kate's second blog text. ====And the last [|word cloud tool is from ABCya.] Some folks have had experiences with inappropriate language on Wordle and this site eliminates the possibility for that. ====

==== M any researchers are convinced that the learners we are working with today retain more information when it is presented visually. [|Here is a very interesting chart about tools that can be used to present information visually]. When you view it, taking the mouse over the element brings up more information. ====

Here are some online graphic organizers.
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[|Freeology] offers these.
====And from Read, Write, Think--a [|Webbing Tool] and a [|Story Map] and a new tool called a [|Graphic Map]. This is a [|collection of organizers] you can download ==== ====[|Great Source iWrite: Graphic Organizer Templates] - click on "Writer's Tools" and then narrative, expository, persuasive, response to literature or research templates to use in a word processing program. EASY ====

And from [|Thinkport]comes this set.
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">And you can make your own from the set of tools here at[| Recipes for Success].

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Moving to another visual learning tool, we go to the Mindmap. Here's a very good explanation of MindMapping.
====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">media type="youtube" key="MlabrWv25qQ" height="323" width="400"In my work with Middle School teachers and students, I found that mind mapping everything for writing makes the project move along very slowly but we were very successful using MindMaps in science class. These appeal much more to visual learners than the old type of outlining for notes. We tried to teach both methods and then let the kids choose which one was a better way for them to get the notes into their memory. This [|Scoop-It has rationale as well as ways to teach MindMapping.] ====

====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A sort of cross between a mindmap and Glogster is something called [|Popplet]. It is a lot like a MindMap but can be used collaboratively. You might want to try it at the beginning of the year as an All About Me introduction. ====

====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I've talked a little bit about videos. Larry Ferlazzo is a well-know educational blogger. He recently wrote about [|tools that let you edit videos]; you might want to use some of his tips before you show videos or you might want to have students edit existing videos for your assignments--Discovery Education has many videos that students can narrate with their own words. I could copy some of his words but his explanations include links to How-To's as well. Especially LD teachers might want to know about QuietTube which removes ads. ====

====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">After you learn a little more about MindMapping, clicking on this picture within the Scoop-It will take you to a site that has a list of Mindmapping software. Pick one to explore and talk about it in your blog. ====

====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">1 point for blogging about your exploration, 1 point for creating and sharing a mindmap or word cloud and 1 point for reflecting on that you think about this method. ====