I used Wordle to create a few word clouds about different information. The first two Word Clouds I created contained the text from the NETS Standards for Teachers. I pasted first the text from the 2000 standards for one word cloud and then the text from the 2008 standards. I did not like my results. For me this seemed too much text. But then, I am a special education teacher and automatically think about modifying assignments. So, I decided to cut and past only the heading and paragraph under the headings and to leave the lettered detailed information out of my Word Cloud. After all that is what I would do in any class I taught. The features are easy to use so I played with formatting a while and then saved to the gallery. Here are my results:

2000 words (The link to 2000 Wordle.):

2008 words (The link to 2008 Wordle.):

What ca I learn from reading these 2 word clouds? As the internet, technology, and the digit age has changed and grown so have the standards. While both standards have a focus on teachers, other focuses have changed. Key words in the first picture were technology, understanding, learning, strategies. The newer standards focus on words such as digital, learning, professional, exhibit and tools. The change in wording is not just about the newer terminology now being used. For example, we speak about digital rather then the generic technology in reference to Web 2.0. But also the words show a change of focus. At this point is is assumed that teachers know the basics and so the focus is now on using technology rather than learning technology. Thus the words professional, exhibit, knowledge, use, skills and model. Very interesting.

For the next part of this task I took my introductory lesson on Career Clusters. Yes, this is what I am teaching currently, so I use these activities to create lessons I will use this 9 weeks. So, here is my Wordle for Career Clusters. (The link.)

In this activity I applied the NETS standards of learning by continuing my professional growth through the use of the Wordle website and then incorporating what I have learned into a lesson I can use in my classroom this week. So I will be able to demonstrate my knowledge of digital resources and to teach this information to my students.