Considering Glogster

I’m considering bringing my students onto the educational arm of Glogster this coming week to create a book review of Three Cups of Tea (I’ll share the assignment later but it has to do with a series of Three Questions …) I set up a teacher account and created 80 student accounts and have started to build a database of names, usernames, passwords, etc. It’s all free!

I’m a little nervous about the messaging element of the site, though, and wish I could push a button and remove that option. I only want them to focus in on creating a poster review of the book and not get lost in sending messages (which I know happens).

So, my dilemma: does the positives of creating an online poster showing knowledge of the book that they are supposed to be finishing up this week outweigh my concerns about messaging?

I’ll let you know what I eventually decide.

But here is a sample book poster that I created for Peter and the Sword of Mercy, just to show some possibilities. I love how easy it is to make and how easy it is to embed a Glogster. I could see making up a site of all of the Three Cups of Tea posters.

Peace (in the poster),
Kevin

10 Comments
  1. I don’t think the messaging option will be a problem, since messages are monitored by you. I’m copying you on one of the changes Glogster Education Manager Jim Dachos shared with me: “Students will no longer be able to message one another except to offer teacher monitored comments on other student’s Glogs.

    I hope you’ll keep your readers posted on your thoughts as you bring Glogster into your curriculum.

  2. I see the positives outweighing the concerns right now. You could possibly guide them to not use that feature at this time and then over time open up the opportunity to use the message feature to comment on each other’s work. I am excited that glogster created an EDU version and have been exploring it over our winter break. I am in the process of creating an example using Ohio History to demonstrate how someone could make a timeline using glogster. Happy Creating!

  3. Kevin,

    Fantastic idea! I have registered my fifth grade students with Glogster EDU as well and intend to follow suit. I too will post our progress on my blog and perhaps we can figure this out together.

    John

  4. I used glogster with Year 6/7s last term & had no problem with the messaging facility. Only a few of them used it & that was to give feedback on others’ glogs. Good luck with it – would love to hear/see how it works out.

  5. Hi Kevin,

    I sure hope you have notifications as to when you get comments (otherwise I may never be found, writing here more than a year after this post). I’m considering having my students create a Glogster for their I-search project. Since I have them blogging this year, I thought it might be a nice way to bring the old poster into their new blogging world. I’ve played with Glogster a bit, and I just tried embedding one into my edublogs site – to no avail. I too wondered about the messaging component, and I’ve also seen a few profiles and images that I wouldn’t want my students to encounter. I’ve tried adding students to an EDU account, but can’t seem to find this option. Seems like a great tool, I’m just hesitant…

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