So as I stated in my last Glogster blog, I love Glogster. After having more time to peruse the site and come up with sample lesson plans, I came across Glogster EDU. I was thrilled to find that while there is a Premium version there is also a free basic site. I was hoping that I could just convert my account to the educator account, but I had to create a new account and just used my HCPSS e-mail. Anyways, minor details. The free version allows you to have 50 student subscriptions and it allows you to access and view each child's glog(s). You can even message each student. Below is a picture of the educator dashboard:
Apparently with my test run of the Glogster EDU basic, I have also qualified for a month trial of the Glogster EDU premium. With the premium account it allows you to create projects for the students to access. It allows for messaging between one another, which the teacher can view. This is something that I look forward to using with my students. I am not sure how many glogs you can make under each student name, but that will be something I will look into.
I have immensely enjoyed using this web tool to create different lessons. Below I used Glogster for a math activity. In our first quarter curriculum the students are asked to complete a number map for a multiplication problem. Glogster will provide a creative way to do it.
I also used Glogster to make a Social Studies presentation of a selected Maryland geographical region. In the first quarter of fourth grade social studies there is a big focus on the regions and with the video, images, and graphics the students can choose a region and present what they've found to their classmates.
Another idea I came up with for using Glogster was a homework assignment that could be completed at the beginning of the year. Teachers often use some creative activity to have the class introduce themselves. Glogster is ideal for allowing the students to present their interests in a creative way. The students can use text, video, or audio and I think it could really show their personalities.
So really Glogster is my new best friend and I cannot wait to check out the computer lab so that I can get my students as excited as I am. I'm kind of afraid to try out this new Premium Glogster EDU because I will probably want to use that more frequently and I just cannot afford:
Maybe a grant....
There are so many uses for Glogster! Would your PTA be willing to pay for a subscription for you so the kids could have the premium account? I feel like that would be beneficial for the entire school! I did have trouble with Glogster back in October. HCPSS blocked Glogster, but GlogsterEDU was fine. My kids were really upset when what they had worked on so hard at school earlier could then not be shown. I just did screen shots of their Glogs for them, but their videos and sounds did not work! Good luck with Glogging! The kids are going to love it!
ReplyDeleteMegan, I really like the idea of using Glogster for math. That was something I had not thought of before, it would make it much more exciting and give students a great visual to explain math problems.
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