MET:Glogster
This page originally authored by Laura McLachlan and Elana Demco (2014).
What is Glogster
Glogster is a Web 2.0 social networking site that enables users to view, create and share interactive posters over the web. A glog, short for “graphic blog”, is an interactive poster in which users can interact with content. A digital alternative to the traditional poster board, glogster affords users the ability to post pictures, videos, text, audio and graphics. To date, there are over one million users of glogster (Glogster, 2014). The company advertises itself as an easy to use and powerful publishing platform, making it appropriate for use with users of all ages. (Glogster, 2014). Glogs can be shared on websites, embedded in external wikis, blog for via social networking sites. Users are able to work on glog independently or collaborate as a group (Reidel, 2009). Users from around the globe can connect and view glogs from other users.
Glogster EDU is specifically designed for use in education. The Glogster educational platform is designed to engage and motivate students by enabling a multimedia approach to learning and expressing knowledge and skills. It can inspire creativity and curiosity among learners of all levels and abilities. Finally, Glogster EDU allows students to connect learning between school and home in a safe online environment (Glogster, 2014). Glogster EDU has several features that make it effective for classroom and school use, beyond that of the original Glogster platform. Teachers and administrators have the ability to control users, access and content to ensure safety and privacy of students.
Partnerships
In June 2009, Glogster and SchoolTube created a partnership to allow glogs to be shared on SchoolTube. This partnership allows teachers and students to import SchoolTube videos to their interactive glogs through Glogster EDU.
- School tube - June 2009 - education media portal
- Teacher Tube
- wiki spaces
- Discovery Education
- Animoto
- Fresh Brain
- Edmodo
- eschool news
Features
Glogs can be password protected for privacy or open to the global online community. Teachers can view all content and maintain control of the forum and settings. Glogster EDU allows classes to access specific blogs through a common login in (Riedel, 2009). The simplicity of design allows users to “drag and drop” content which allows users of all ages. Completed posters can be shared in print or digitally. Students are able to work collaboratively and provide feedback through comments.
System Requirements
Glogs can be password protected for privacy or open to the global online community. Teachers can view all content and maintain control of the forum and settings. Glogster EDU allows classes to access specific blogs through a common login in (Riedel, 2009). The simplicity of design allows users to “drag and drop” content which allows users of all ages. Completed posters can be shared in print or digitally. Students are able to work collaboratively and provide feedback through comments.
Benefits
Benefits for teachers include:
- security features
- teacher control over student activities within Glogster
- ability to create individual student portfolios
- ability to provide feedback
Benefits to students include:
- highly engaging
- interactive
- promotes creativity and imagination
- multisensory
- differentiate project expectations to adapt to various learning styles
- expands digital literacy
- multimodal which applies to many learners (pictures, videos, writing, charts, graphs)
- students can work individually or collaboratively to create “glogs”
- program promotes problem solving when using software to develop interactive poster (Glogster, 2014)
- login in from any device
Challenges
Challenges for teacher include: While general use of Glogster is free, teacher accounts require a membership fee. Below is a details of prices and plans:
| Elementary | Secondary | Faculty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Students/Teachers | 30 students & 1 teacher | 125 students & 1 teacher | 250 students & 10 teachers |
| Price | $39 | $95 | $390 |
| Subscription | One year | One year | One year |
Another challenge to consister is educating students on choosing pictures without copyright restrictions. Students can use Creative Commons which is a non-profit organization that enable sharing of photos and information as it changes the default “all rights reserved” to “some rights reserved”. Creative commons license work along side copyrights to allow a user to best suits your needs.
Connections to Learning and Educational Theory
Constructivism: According to constructivist theory, learning must be actively constructed in the mind of the learner, as opposed to simply transmitting form teacher to student. The instructor acts as a facilitator to guide the student in learning. The Glogster platform aligns with the theory of constructivism in several ways. It allows for:
- Exploration of multiple strategies for completing the assignment
- Inquiry based learning and learning discussion
- Meaningful presentation of work
- Projects which include development of an idea
- Opportunities for reflection and revision
- Learner collaboration
- Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method that can be viewed as constructivism in practice. PBL engages the learner in complex, meaningful projects in which they can develop and apply their knowledge and skills. Glogster enables learners to create and compile multimedia resources in one place. Learners choose, plan, design and construct artifacts as part of their learning outcomes. The instructor role is to facilitate by providing resources, and encouraging learners to reflect on their learning process.
Computer Mediated Instruction: Glogster is an asynchronous communication tool that can be used to demonstrate and support learning. Communication is not done in a face-to-face setting and, therefore, participants are not limited to location and/or time constraints present in a traditional classroom setting. As a form of computer mediation communication (CMC), Glogster users are able to reach other users all over the world, experience other cultures and enrich their educational experiences.
Bloom's Taxonomy: is a classification system that was developed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom to encourage higher-level thinking. A glogster allows all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy to be used when evaluating information when creating a glog. It also allows for differentiation, as students will create glogs with varying information and design. Students need to access all levels of Bloom’s higher level thinking in order to create a glog successfully (Hammond, 2011).
Educational Examples
In 2012, a study was conducted among Grade 7 boys in Australia, to determine whether using digital text could improve motivation and engagement in literacy activities. Assessments had revealed that boys were achieving lower literacy results than girls across Australia. Glogster was chosen as the interactive medium for students to demonstrate their learning in a poetry unit. Educators in the study reported that the boys were highly motivated and engaged in their learning and were able to exercise creative and imaginative choices to explain their assigned poem. Glogster enabled the boys to collaborate with one another and engage with digital texts. It was reported that most of the boys in the study were confident and capable in using technology prior to using Glogster in the classroom (Carroll & Edwards, 2012).
References
Glogster. 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2014, from www.glogster.com
Carroll, J. & Edwards, B. (2012) Boys, Ballads and Glogster: Techno-poetry in Year 7. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 20, 16-19.
Creative Commons. (2013). About Creative Commons. Retrieved from: http://creativecommons.org/about
Daniels, T. & Pethel, M.. (2005). Computer Mediated Communications.. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from: http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Computer_Mediated_Instruction
Glogster. (2012).Creativity is Learning. Retrieved from www.glogster.com
Han, S. & Kakali, B. (2001). Constructivism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from: http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Constructionism,_Learning_by_Design,_and_Project_Based_Learning
Hammond, J. (2011). Web 2.0 Tools Based on Bloom's Taxonomy. Retrieved from: http://www.chambersburg.k12.pa.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=2365
Magnuson, Marta. (2012). Construction and Reflection: Using Web 2.0 to Foster Engagement with Technology for Information Literacy Instruction. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (1033502284).
McGee, Theresa (2012). Create a Virtual Place: Glogster . Retrived from: http://www.davisart.com/Portal/SchoolArts/articles/4_12_tech4arted-creating-a-virtual-place-glogster-theresa-mcgee.pdf
Picardo, Jose. (August 24, 2012). Using Glogster as an Assessment Tool. Box of Tricks: Education and Technology. Retrieved from http://www.boxoftricks.net/tag/glogster/ http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/VM/0194-may2012/VM0194Risks.pdf
Riedel, Chris. (2009). Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners. Retrieved from http://digitalageclassrooms.pbworks.com/f/Top+10+Web+2.0+Tools+for+Young+Learners+--+THE+Journal.pdf