If you haven’t had a chance to check out Visual Thesaurus, now is your chance!
Thompson R2-J is providing a district-wide subscription to this valuable resource, free of charge, to our teachers, students and media/librarians and other staff members.
If you haven’t used Visual Thesaurus before, please go to: http://thompson.visualthesaurus.com/ and create a new account. (If you are asked for a registration code, please contact Val Downing through our district email system.)
Visual Thesaurus does just what it says, plus a whole lot more! It can be used for English words and also for many different World Languages. It can be used to differentiate parts of speech, create spelling lists, pre-teach vocabulary, and provides resources for teaching vocabulary and grammar from all over the country.
It works from your web browser without any additional software to install and will also work on the iPad and other tablets and iOS devices.
From their website:
The Visual Thesaurus is an interactive dictionary and thesaurus which creates word maps that blossom with meanings and branch to related words. Its innovative display encourages exploration and learning. You’ll understand language in a powerful new way.
Say you have a meaning in mind, like “happy.” The VT helps you find related words, from “cheerful” to “euphoric.” The best part is the VT works like your brain, not a paper-bound book. You’ll want to explore just to see what might happen. You’ll discover — and learn — naturally and intuitively. You’ll find the right word, write more descriptively, free associate — and gain a more precise understanding of the English language.
For additional information, please create a login and click on the “Educators” tab on the page. There are some wonderful resources on that page.
Also, please view this short (4 minute) video on using the thesaurus and dictionary functions of the product.