Tagxedo: Create word shapes

A little like Wordle (see earlier post), Tagxedo enables you to create beautiful displays of text. The advantages of Tagxedo include:
1. You can chose a shape for your text.
2. There is more interactivity when online (words 'pop out' when you scroll over them, and link to a Google search - try it below).
3. It accepts and recognises script.



For both Tagxedo and Wordle:
1. You can enter phrases (e.g. watching~tv) by joining words with a tilde (top left on your keyboard).
2. The more times you enter a word/phrase, the larger it appears in the final images (acting as a 'heading').

Sample activities for both:
- vocabulary posters for each chapter/topic/function (e.g. verb charts, preposition charts). Text can be copied from the internet or existing documents.
- pre-testing - ask students what they know at the start of a unit of work, and then again at the end of the unit. Create a poster each time, and then compare - this is an excellent way for students to visualise their progress.
- summaries of an article, chapter, film scene, poem or book (good for Extension/Heritage/Background Speakers courses).
- self-descriptions (students could enter a list of words to describe themselves) - see 'Alice' example below.