BP4_250 word review of a tool

EXPLORE with Me - "GLOGSTER"

This is a Web 2.0 tool Review….

Glog?

Have you ever heard of it? I haven’t, but I am so glad I found it!

To Glog: the art of expressing yourself creatively via a virtual poster.  :)

I know what you’re thinking…how exciting can a virtual poster be?

Well, it can be with GLOGSTER .  And many students are already claiming to be captivated which is always an advantage.

Let’s check it out.

edu.glogster.com

It’s basically a drag & drop interface that allows the user to design a virtual poster placed on a wall, which is it’s own website.  Even the wall and background are customizable.  Students can use the Glog’s library, their own, or the internet to pull; data, pictures, graphics, drawings, video, sound effects, animations, notes, and so on to their poster.  They can also use the skin generator for a wide array of background and wall designs.

First time I thought, neat… but how much can you really do with a poster (besides the average art/computer teacher)?  

After exploring the website I learned. It can help you create a student-centered environment by allowing them control of their project and how they present the information they are learning to you and their classmates.  Yet, the teacher controls presents you, as the facilitator, access to management tools so you can still guide the learning and keep an eye on progress.

Students will really love the fact that they can share it through various popular portals (with your permission of course), including the Glogster website.  Or it can be kept within the classroom.  They are also printer friendly as well!

Over a million users/educators are taking advantage of Glogster already! They’re using it for:

•     Science fairs (virtual & real-world)
•     Assessments
•     Informational story-boards
•     Project Promotions
•      And so on…just to name a few.

Which brings me to how I plan on implementing it for my CBR (challenge based research) project in the coming months. :)

My CBR’s big idea is Motivation.  The objective is to see how well a technology and art immersed service-learning project can increase motivation to learning while increasing parental involvement & provide an opportunity for mentorship.

Through project-based learning the students will do the research and present much of this project.  They will also have the opportunity to promote the service project to get the community informed and hopefully involved.

Briefly this is just one aspect in which they can apply Glogster but they’ll have many opportunities to use it again, for instance presenting, if they so choose.

I hope you enjoyed exploring Glogster with me and I encourage at least a peek.  :)

Or…come back for my one-minute informative commercial on how awesome it can truly be.

See you then!