Cool+Tool+Glogster

What is Glogster? Glogster is a Web 2.0 platform that easily allows users to upload photos, videos, text, audio, and other multimedia resources to create an online, interactive poster. You can then easily print out your poster or embed it into a website, wikispace, blog, or other social networking tool to share with others. Glogster enables users to seamlessly cross the boundaries between print and digital information while sharing and responding to their work in a secure and safe collaborative multimedia space.

There are two versions of Glogster: the standard version and the EDU version. Teachers should register for the EDU version, and here's why. You can protect the privacy of your students' work, have control over the content being used, and get student logins to see what is being created and edited by students.



**COOL TOOLS ACTIVITY** - FIVE SIMPLE STEPS

1. Get a brief introduction to Glogster (5 mins) - [|YouTube Tutorial on Glogster EDU] 2. Explore a few examples of the Student Projects or Teacher Projects below. (5 mins) 3. View a short demo of how I created [|my Hiking Glogster] (8 mins) 4. Create a Glogster.edu account. Work independently or with a partner to draft a Glogster that: (20 mins)
 * Shares your passion for a favorite personal hobby or an important cause;
 * Defines a vocabulary word with examples and a video acting out it's meaning (e.g., [|Amble]; [|Cooperation])
 * Advocates the value of understanding a certain topic/concept in your discipline

Your glogster should/could include: A title, a relevant background, at least two text boxes, and a short video clip or audio clip (downloaded or original)

Toward the end of the session, please be prepared to share your Glogster and brainstorm other ideas for using Glogs in your classroom! (5 mins)


 * Glogster Tutorials**


 * [|YouTube Tutorial on Glogster EDU]
 * [|Glogster in 90 seconds]
 * [|Slideshow to introduce Glogster to teachers]
 * For advanced users, learn how to add VoiceThread, Vokis, Animotos and more to enhance your Glogster page.


 * Benefits of Using Glogster EDU in Education **
 * Students can upload endless creative material from numerous sources such as textbooks, relevant photo galleries, reports, journals, desktop files, video clips, music files, etc.
 * Students can express their creativity within core subject area learning activities while demonstrating proficiency in key curriculum objectives.
 * Students can combine and apply their interests in multimedia composition, remixing, and social networking for academic learning purposes.
 * Glogster EDU is housed in a safe and private location that enables teachers to securely administer accounts, groups, and discussion boards.

**Tutorial: Creating your first Glog** (SOURCE: Jonathan Wylie [] )

Login to the [|Glogster EDU site] with your teacher account to create a sample glog. There is a large pink button in the dashboard area that says, "Create a new glog". Click on that to get started.


 * ** Step 1: ** **Prepare your workspace.** Your first Glog will have some sample elements already on the page. Delete the ones you do not want by clicking on the image and clicking on the pink trashcan. This deletes any element on your glog. If there is something here you do want, drag it around to where you would like it on your page, and resize it by clicking and dragging the corners.
 * ** Step 2: ** **The Magnet Tool.** On the left hand side of your page you will see a magnet tool. You can slide this up and down the left hand side of your page by clicking and dragging, or hide it by clicking the pink arrow. The magnet tool is what you need to edit your glog. It allows you to choose the images, text and videos to include in your glog.
 * ** Step 3: ** **Create your glog.** Each of the buttons on the magnetic tool allow you to customize elements within your poster. For instance, if you click __'wall'__, you can pick your background image from a gallery of preloaded images, add a picture of your own, or link to a background image on the web. If you click __'image'__, __'video'__, or __'sound'__, you have the similar options, but for images, videos and sound. Choosing __'text'__ lets you select from a huge number of decorative text boxes, and selecting the 'graphics' button will give you access to a choice of graphical elements to include. Just click on the element you want and it will appear on your page.
 * ** Step 4: ** **Editing your glog.** Whether it is a picture, text, graphic, sound or video, all you need do to edit it is click on the item. You will see a small menu appear above the object. Your options here are to edit, (change colors, fonts, and add hyperlinks), bring forward, set behind, clone, undo changes, and delete. If you hover over a button, you get a popup explanation of what it does.
 * ** Step 5: ** **Save and publish.** Preview your work by clicking the preview button. Once you are happy with that you are ready to save and publish, so click the save and publish button! From here you name your glog and assign it a category. Choose either finished or unfinished. If it is unfinished, only the teacher and that student can view it. If it is finished, all students in your class can view it. Once you click save you get some sharing options and an embed code for a website or blog. Only teachers can make glogs public for all to view. You do this by clicking on the student account, clicking on the glog you want to make public, and selecting 'public for all' option at the bottom of the page. By default, all Glogster EDU glogs are private.


 * **[|Embedding Glogs in Three Easy Steps]**: This quick quide helps you to embed your glogster project into other websites, like blogs or wikis, allowing you to change their size so that they fit wherever you need to embed them


 * Related Glogster Resources for Later Exploration **

Download this document from Glogster EDU to access a database of outstanding examples of Glogster lesson plans and rubrics, standards alignment activities, and Glog building media resources. [|glogster-edu-educator-resource-library.pdf]