Thursday, July 15, 2010

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Glogster in the Classroom













Computers in the classroom
from GerryJ10


One of the latest Web 2.0 tools that teachers are using in their classrooms is Glogster. This educational website allows students to create virtual posters to display their knowledge to others online. Students can add text as well as images, music, and videos to make their products or “glogs” more interesting to view than reading the traditional book report or looking at a tri-fold poster.

To use this 21st century technology in the classroom, a teacher first needs to register online using his/her email address. There is no cost to join the website! After the teacher has registered and it has been confirmed by the website, teachers can then create up to 200 student accounts without student emails. Glogster provides usernames and passwords for the students so that they can work on their glogs on any computer.

There are many benefits for students using Glogster. To start, it allows students to create a project using multiple technology tools, instead of limiting them to paper, poster board, markers, and glue. Students who are “hands-on” workers can endlessly edit their glogs without the worries of making mistakes in their handwriting or making a mess while pasting pictures on a poster board. They can use numerous colors, fonts, and layouts available to make their glogs look attractive. Secondly, struggling students who have difficulty expressing themselves on paper will enjoy using Glogster because its format supports using short sentences in their content frames. Additionally, students who are visual learners will love selecting different images and video, and musically inclined students can add music to this technology project to express themselves creatively in their work. Finally, Glogster can also help students develop their social skills because it promotes them to collaborate and develop networks.

Glogster uses several measures to assure the safety and security of its users. First of all, the website does not display advertisements; therefore, it does not display inappropriate content or allow contact from others outside the students’ learning community. All of the glogs created on this website are automatically private, so no outsiders can view the students’ work. Teachers can access their students’ accounts so that they can monitor their students’ work to assure that they are incorporating appropriate content in their glogs. Glogster also gives teachers the option to limit who can view the students’ work, whether it is viewed by the teacher and the student, the teacher and the class, or by everyone.

Teachers should consider teaching mini-lessons on how to select appropriate images and accurate information on the internet before the students begin creating their glogs. It is also important to teach the students how to use copyright materials correctly. However, Glogster’s private feature allows students to use copyright materials in their glogs under the Fair Use Act since their work will only be viewed by the teacher and their classmates.

Students of all ages can use Glogster in a variety of assignments. For example, kindergartners can work together as a class to create a glog with their teacher by using an interactive smart board. Elementary school students can utilize this website to display their biography research findings. Middle school students can construct chapter summaries and vocabulary windowpanes on Glogster, and high school students can create their own podcasts and post them on their glogs. The possibilities are endless! Glogster is definitely worth using as a part of a teacher’s technology lesson plans.

References

Glogster EDU-Glogster Grades K-12. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=4733

Technology and writing: using glogster to differentiate writing instruction. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.thewritingsite.org/resources/technology/glogster.asp

Vincent, T. (2007). Glogs: virtual online posters. Retrieved from http://azk12.org/blog/archives/40-Glogs-Virtual-Online-Posters.html