What is it?Glogster is a free social network that brings together blogging and creative expression through the creation of glogs. A glog (i.e. graphical blog) is an interactive multimedia image; in other words, it's an interactive poster. Glogster allows users to express their moods, feelings, and ideas in a way that text or video are unable to do on their own. The user inserts text, images, photos, audio (MP3), videos, special effects and other elements into their glogs to create an interactive multimeda image. Similar to blogging, glogs can be shared with other glogsters and a variety of social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter. Glogster is available at: http://www.glogster.com/
GlogsterEDU is the educational version of Glogster. It has all the same features and functions as Glogster, with the exception that teachers and students can use glogs as instructional aids and share their glogs in a safe, private virtual classroom through GlogsterEDU. GlogsterEDU is available at: http://edu.glogster.com/
Literacy and Technology?Glogster is a fantastic technology tool for literacy instruction in the classroom. By using Glogster, teachers can create instructional glogs for their classroom, which students can access at any time for future review. Teachers can use glogs on an interactive whiteboard (if available) or even on a projection screen via their computer. Glogster helps innovate instruction by turning a simple, ordinary lecture into a multimedia presentation which addresses all the different modes of learning and multiple intelligences as described by Howard Gardner. Teachers can also provide assignments within their instructional glog.
By using Glogster, students can create glogs as part of the learning or assessment process for practically any subject. Glogs allow students to learn in a new and creative way by bringing together multimedia and blogging. Students are able to create unique glogs that not only demonstrate their understanding of a subject, but also allow them to illustrate their creative side, which is often underutilized in many school subjects. I created a glog to demonstrate how it could be used in the learning process for a foreign language classroom: Example. My glog is dealing with family vocabulary in which students would need to create a glog about their family. The audio button in the top right corner would include the students' own recording in which they discuss their glog in the target language using the desired vocabulary. There are many more possibilities for this assignment through Glogster, as this was simply my first attempt at glogging.Glogster is a wonderful tool for the classroom, especially for students. It provides students with a multi-sensory outlet for creative expression and academic development. The possibilities for Glogster and literacy development seem endless!
More ideas?
Why not have students collaborate?! Educators are constantly pushing students to collaborate on projects as a means to learn a basic skill which is essential in many careers: Example.
Have students create a virtual tour on the country they are studying or researching: Example.
More resources?
Here is a PDF on how to set-up a teacher account on Glogster: Teacher Glog Account Set-Up
A guide to using Glogster, provided by Jefferson Township Public Schools: User Guide
A guide for students creating glogs: Student Guide
References
jhoertel. (2011). Teacher glog account set up. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7t2gFUF5PYjYjY3N2YwNjEtNmZlMS00ZDZjLWExNjEtMDY4YTVkZmQ2ZjJl&sort=name&layout=list&num=50
Walker, D. (n.d.). A guide to using glogster. Retrieved from https://edunology.wikispaces.com/file/view/Getting started with Glogster EDU.pdf
I like the glogster. Actually, I was sold after clicking on the integer link you posted. The page immediately caught my attention, and the video rap was awesome. If you could have students collaborate on a mutual glog, with video/audio and the bare facts all included, it would be an awesome short or long-term project to implement into the classroom.
ReplyDeleteWow what a post with so many examples shared!! Thank you! Glogster is really an amazing 2.0 tool. It changes what we think of in terms of the "written report" or "poster". Students can express their ideas and thoughts using so many more types of media. I wish we would use it more in classrooms! Thanks again for putting so much time and effort into your post -- we benefited from it greatly!
ReplyDeleteI also found this tool but I did not know there is a version for education. When I first read your post, I thought that how can you find so many examples and where did you find them. I guess students would be very happy to use it because this tool is more interesting.
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