Using Glogster as a Learning Object

I continue to be amazed at what I am learning in my Technology course and I cannot wait to try some of these tools out in the classroom.

Yesterday I created my first ever Glog (click here to see it).  "What is a Glog," you ask.  Let me tell you.  A Glog is created using a Web 2.0 program called Glogster.  It is an interactive poster that has pictures, text, animations, audio clips, hyperlinks, and videos.  I love how simple it is to create a Glog and make it look so professional.  With a couple clicks of the mouse, you can insert video and sound into your interactive poster.  It is extremely easy to make your poster authentic, as there are so many images and animations to use.  I had a great time choosing different frames and backgrounds for my Glog.

An interactive poster is a great way to introduce students to an author and his book(s).  With my Glog, I included a Wordle, a photograph, and excerpt from an interview to introduce students to the author.  If this lesson was being taught to older students, they could use the clues given in the Wordle to guess who the author is.  There is a hyperlink attached to the Qui suis-je and the photograph so the students can verify their answer and read up on Roch Carrier, the author of The Hockey Sweater.  To help younger students predict what the story is going to be about, I included a sound clip that could be played from the radio and a hockey animation.  I have also included a YouTube video of the story, so the students can watch a couple minutes of the video and predict what events may happen next.  Another way to use this video, is to turn the sound off and have the students explain what they are seeing in the video what they think is happening in the video.

I see many uses for Glogs in the classroom.  As mentioned above, they are a great way to introduce literature in the classroom.  Another manner, which I would like to try when on my teaching block, is using a Glog for Social Studies.  I know that I will be teaching a unit on "Members of my Community"  to my grade one French Immersion class.  For one of the students sub-tasks they will have to create "Help Wanted" poster, describing the tasks that a member in the community performs.  I think that as long as I model with the students how to use this program, they will be easily capable to create a Glog with text, images, animation, and possibly sound and video.