Week 7 Glogster for Differentiating Instruction and Learning

Essential Question:

Week Seven

What tool did you learn this week to assist you in differentiating the learning process for students?

This was an interesting topic this week and it was unnerving to create something with a new tool that we have not shared before, because it ended up being a tool I haven’t used before.  I decided to use Glogster as a tool to use for differentiating instruction.  Glogster is most commonly used as an interactive poster project.

Actually creating a piece with Glogster was frustrating because uploading was slow and I wasn’t familiar with the tools.  I am sure I only touched the surface with this presentation, but by actually using it, I can see the possibilities that it has to offer in the classroom.  On another note, I thought that doing this type of project would have been easier using iMovie and would have accomplished the same type of outcome, but this work is published online.

Glogster can be used as a public platform and also has and education platform, but the education one needs to be purchased for $20 a year.  The benefits of the edu version are that it allows teachers to create an all-inclusive classroom Glogster web site.  There are password protected accounts that can be set up for students, the students then create individual Glogs, and they are all in one place and maintained by the teacher’s Glogster account.  The teacher can then control the content.  The flipside is that the password feature may require a lot of pre project set up and the student user account names and passwords are e-mailed to the teacher.

Each person picks a topic related to the current class content and can use it to teach others in class through pictures and videos.  Students are engaged and take to it pretty fast.  The teacher can see how the students learn using technology.

This process is using differentiating for learning style and interest.  This can then be used for open-ended projects.  Glogster also provides opportunities to work within their learning style.  Visual learners are catered to in this process.  Students can express their creativity and find pictures and music to incorporate.  Text can also be used.

First of all, I created a Glogster account on Glogster.com and familiarized myself with some of the FAQs that users have.  Then I just played around.  In creating my masterpiece, I also used Podcast for the first time.  I have never liked how I sound and it was interesting to see a recording of myself and think that’s how other people see and hear me.  Kind of fun, but note to self: in the future, put on some production makeup and fix your hair.  It took some time, because currently our Internet is slower than usual.  It was great to realize that the Glog would be directed at an authentic and a global audience.  Enjoy.  I did.

References at diigo account:

https://www.diigo.com/list/dmhale23/week-7-tool-used-to-assist-in-differentiating-learning

Glog example at:

http://www.glogster.com/dmhale23/myglogster