I explored each word cloud tool, and I settled on the ABCya tool. I chose this for several reasons. I believe it is effective, without being overwhelming. For use in the school library, I think its simplicity comes across as extremely effective, especially for younger students. I did like the extended options and shape choices of the other tools, but I felt like this captured the “look” I was going for. In my opinion, ABCya was the most user-friendly tool and would be great for users who are new to word clouds.

In a school library setting, I believe this would be extremely effective as an introduction assignment to gain knowledge of peers. It would also be a great end-of-year assignment. Students could help create a complimentary word cloud for each of their peers. I could also see myself using it to help students describe assigned readings and gauge their knowledge and understanding, without having to use the dreaded book report.

Overall, I felt like all of these tools created a great word cloud. I think it would come down to how intricate and how many options you preferred.