EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE 3: Wordle

For my second emerging technology I chose a popular creative site called Wordle. Wordle is a site used for generating so-called “word clouds” from text that is provided by the creator. The word clouds focus more on words which appear most often in the text provided. Users may then tweak clouds with different provided fonts, layouts, color schemes, and even languages. Users are able to create any type of image they want and may even print them out or save them to share with the public. After posting, the site provides a link which can be used to post created materials to blogs or home pages (this is how I posted mine below). This technology can be used for various crafting ideas, art projects, or just general expression.
When I began using Wordle, it was pretty easy. The site shows you exactly what to do while also providing examples other users have created. I decided to make 3 different Wordles of my own. Instead of just typing in random words, I was actually able to post the URL of my blog and the site picked up the words used in it. This was really nice and time saving for me! One bad thing about this site is that users aren't able to create a personal account so whatever is created is directly posted to the web. Any personal information such as birthdays, addresses, phone numbers, etc definitely should not be posted. Also, there is no way to directly post whatever is created onto another page, only links to another page can be used. Other than that, I think the site is pretty neat!

Below are the links to a few of the Wordles I created:









If your interested in the site, here is a link:
http://www.wordle.net/

As far as tips and tricks go:
1. Do not post personal information.
2. Try using the "randomize" key on the home "create page" for ideas before beginning.
3. Have fun!