Creating word clouds is decently familiar to me since I want to be a teacher and they are a good way to add a visual element to assignments. I used an online generator and included some of the topics we have discussed throughout this course, along with some of the basics. I had fun brainstorming the words and it was a reflection activity for me. I also included some things from ds106 Radio into my word cloud, since that was a highlight of the course for me. Hope you enjoy my design!
For my second Assignment Bank project, I chose DS106 Word Cloud. This assignment asks creators to create a word cloud design that encapsulates what we’ve learned in DS106. I used WordArt to complete the design.
The assignment is ideally done during the conclusion of the course, but I figured now could be a good time given we are on the slow roll to the halfway point of the semester (what?!?). I enjoyed getting a chance to look back on what I’ve learned so far in this course.
We’ve learned about writing, photography, audio, and design techniques to tell stories. I’ve used Twitter and SoundCloud more than I ever have before. I’ve come to enjoy Daily Creates, and viewing other people’s creations. I have used Photoshop more and more – learning all kinds of fun and simple ways to create and manipulate images. I reacquainted myself with GarageBand and conducted a PhotoBlitz, and now a DesignBlitz.
I’ve also learned a fair amount about the 1980’s. It has been fun researhing popular travel destinations, movies, art, photography, tv shows, and clothes from the 80’s. I have liked watching my classmates take on the theme as well!
Overall, it has been an exciting few weeks! I can’t wait to see what comes next.
For my last assignment, I made a Word Cloud explaining what ds106 is in a few words or phrases.
To do this assignment I used http://www.wordclouds.com/, which was very user-friendly and easy to use. All I had to do was type the words I wanted to use in the text box, choose a shape, and it generated it automatically. It was worth 2 stars, but I tried to change the rating to 1 star because it was super simple and did not take a lot of time at all.
There is always something that throws me off each week. I used WordItOut to create a wordcloud that represents my experience in this course so far. For the life of me, I cannot get the wordcloud to display on this page. I have included the link to my creation. If anyone has any suggestions of how to get this to display, I am happy to take them and try again. It was fun to create, just not as much fun to post!
I love word clouds. I used them frequently in my work. So, when I stumbled upon this option in the DS106 Assignment Bank, I was thrilled. Not because I already like them, but because they really are great visuals which highlight the important points of just about anything. You’ll find the Word Cloud Assignment linked here.
I chose to do a word cloud on ILT5340 because last week things were a little murky in this course for me. I really struggled to make meaningful connections between the various assignments and the work I was reading. It was actually the first time in the course that I struggled to create those connections and overall it meant that the week felt disjointed. That created a cognitive dissonance for me that made me wonder if I was missing something.
I use word clouds with students as a way for them to learn to see the connections in the work they do. The essential principle is that the larger the appears in the cloud, the more important it is to the overall whole. The smaller text are generally the links–the concepts which act as catalysts pulling things together. I needed something visual this week to help me see those links and the bigger picture. Word clouds really work in this way and honestly, this one has been very helpful.
I used a free word cloud generator at www.wordclouds.com. I will admit, I did not want to superimpose my own thinking on the number of words or how significant or insignificant they might be. So, I simply copied and pasted this week’s Narrate/Annotate post into the text box in the word cloud generator. That way, I did not put any artificial emphasis on one word over another. I thought it was fascinating the words that ended up being the largest.
Hypothesis, the largest word in my cloud, is about collaboration. It is about sharing our experience with both image and text and elaborating on our insight and questions. Ultimately, in my summer’s theme about transitions, change and risk-taking, we take individual risks in our work and we share the outcomes in our collaboration. I know I am re-thinking areas of my own research and adding to my understanding of storytelling and narrative as I view multiple digital narratives every week–and share my colleagues responses to them.
The other large word is Create. Yes, I’ve spent a good amount of time creating and mucking around with various tools this summer. However, my creation extends further than that. I am also creating context and understanding for myself. I am learning to take risks with some of my more clumsy attempts and I am discovering that to be uncomfortable for a while is not necessarily a negative thing. The fact that we are doing this inside a shared community makes it a little nerve-wracking but also provides a comfortable environment as my colleagues share when the going gets rough for them as well.
Remi and Lisa, your names are quite small here–and I think that is a nod to the fact that while you are here guiding and facilitating and reminding, your role is not nearly as professorial as it is collegial. Your voices are here–in the group–but not coming as if you were oracles on the mountaintop–but rather as guideposts from the side.
The word cloud is a helpful clarifying tool for me. It came along at the right time to propel my work in this course forward.
Near the end of your time completing DS106 complete a Word Cloud that encompasses the class and all that you have learned! There are plenty of different online tools to help you create a Word Cloud!
Creating a word cloud can be super easy and word clouds are very useful in showing the main elements of something, whether it be a class like in this case or a book in a different case. I think creating a word cloud about DS106 that new students see would help inform the students about what they will be doing over the entirety of the class.
I used the website Worditout.com to create my Word Cloud. It was super easy I just typed all the words I want to use in my word cloud into the normal text box and then clicked generate.
After my words were all entered I clicked on the size menu and clicked to vary the size of words randomly.
Once I had the words varied nicely I changed the background and word color in the colours menu.
I then went to the font menu and changed the font to the one I found most appealing, but you can chose whichever one you prefer.
After the word cloud looked like I wanted it to I saved it and then downloaded it prior to uploading it to flickr. and embedding it into this post.
What words do you find most the most important in DS106? Create your own word cloud to show the DS106 community!
Near the end of your time completing DS106 complete a Word Cloud that encompasses the class and all that you have learned! There are plenty of different online tools to help you create a Word Cloud!
