Tagul.com -- Word Clouds for Chromebooks

Many teachers like to use word clouds either as a teaching tool themselves or as a tool for students to look at and analyze the content or themes of their reading and writing. Unfortunately, many of the most popular tools are not compatible with Chromebooks, which has limited their use in classrooms where most devices are Chromebooks.

Tagul.com is a tool that allows you to create very customized word clouds with ease. It allows single log-on with Google, so it's very compatible with our Google Apps for Education environment. It also lets you customize word choices; choose shapes, colors, fonts and layouts; and download or share in a variety of ways.

Control Alt Achieve has a review of other Chromebook-compatible word cloud generation tools as well as Tagul.

Tech integration training from and with Google

With spring break just moments away and summer around the corner when we return, you may be thinking about some opportunities for professional growth and development. One easy way to both learn and be recognized for how you are currently integrating technology into your curriculum and classroom is through Google for Education training. Google offers free online courses in both Fundamentals and Advanced use of Google Apps specifically in education, from the basics of using Google Drive and Google Classroom to using conditional formatting, charts and pivot tables in Forms to analyze academic trends in student data.

You can complete the entire course, check your skills by "testing out" of subject areas you are already adept in, or just select the specific skill you want to focus on to improve your classroom workflow. If you really get motivated, you can take a certification exam to become a Google Certified Educator at either level (fundamentals or advanced). Have fun exploring!