Glogster

Glogster EDU Glogster is an online tool providing a private and safe platform for students and teachers to create a web-based ‘collage’ (‘Glog’) by combining – and potentially hyperlinking – text, images, video, and audio; this can be viewed online or embedded into a wiki, blog, or class web site, adding an audio-visual dimension to students' presentations.

Posters (‘Glogs’) can be decorated with a number of text boxes, frames and graphics (including speech bubbles) freely available in the Glogster gallery, and images, and video and audio files can be uploaded directly from a student's or school’s local computer. Students can use their webcam and microphone to record audio, take snapshots and video to be saved directly into their Glog. Account holders can create their own library of images, video and sound to be accessed easily for future Glogs. Students can also use Glogster to create a dynamic digital portfolio of the content that they've published to sites like SchoolTube and VoiceThread.

Read more on the Glogster EDU FAQ page.

Although it is possible for students to create Glogs directly by registering on the main site, this is not advised in an education environment as it contains content that is potentially inappropriate. Students would have direct access to unmoderated Glogs that others have made, and some of the content (images, videos) available in the galleries can be offensive. Glogster EDU provides a secure, private, safe platform where the registering teacher monitors the content and accessibility of all their students’ Glogs. Once the teacher sets up a virtual classroom account, the registered students will only be able to see the Glogs created within the teacher’s account. Additionally, the students can communicate only with the other students within the established group.

Using Glogster Edu has many advantages over the standard account:

• Students are not able to see the (unmoderated) content that is easily found through the regular Glogster site
• Glogs made on the education site are automatically private, so that others can’t see it unless invited
• Students can only download content from their local computer, so cannot access inappropriate content from unmoderated sites.
• Teachers can monitor and control all the activities of their learners, and can also rate the Glogs in their account.
• Teachers control all the activities of their learners. When you sign up for Glogster/edu you provide the number of student accounts you want and Glogster creates them for you - it is probably better to over-estimate your needs, as you can’t add to the account later (the maximum student accounts is 200).
• Glogster Edu does not require individual student information for a Glogster virtual classroom – the teacher registers, and is then responsible for the online safety of their students.

For a guide on how to register for a classroom account, see this slideshow by Kim Adair and Traci Blazosky, or go directly to Traci Blazosky’s wiki to find a video tutorial how-to guide and examples of its educational use. Find more information and tutorials on the Gloster Edu page.