Glogster EDU: Poster your Classroom

Something I have been wondering about for a while is the pedagogical value of interactive bulletin boards that teachers can put up on a SmartBoard or project on a screen and have the students touch/click the screen to learn more about the topic. GlogsterEDU is a digital learning tool for the classroom that was created based on the feedback of Glogster customers. A 'glog' is an interactive online poster that people can customize and add photos, graphics, videos, and audio to express themselves.

GlogsterEDU is a web 2.0 platform tool that "fosters advancement of skills as students progress through grade levels" (Glogster.com/edu). Using the program, teachers are able to create a classroom master account and acquire log-ins and passwords for up to 200 private student accounts. In school, teachers often assign poster projects. The problem with this is that classroom space is limited and eventually these posters will need to be thrown out. This is why ‘glogs’ are so popular. They give students and teachers the opportunity to hold onto their work in an electronic version, which they will later be able to include in a school-work portfolio. Teachers may also choose to upload the ‘glogs’ to their computer screensaver and have them cycle so that every student has the chance to share their work with the class.

Glogster is a 21st century alternative to the traditional poster. Glogster can be used for all school subjects, and teachers like it because students are more engaged when using technology. The only negative that I have heard towards the program is that the .edu site links back to the .com site in which there are some inappropriate photographs that some people include in their personal blogs. However, the creators of Glogster are working to fix that issue.