KEEMANXP Dot Com

First of all, it’s not related to Google! Glogster (http://www.glogster.com/edu) is a great e-learning tool site with the tag line “poster yourself”.  A ‘glog’  is basically an online poster web page.  Students can combine text, pictures, graphics, video, and audio to create an interactive online poster. Glogster has a very simple to use interface.  The final glog can be hosted by Glogster or you can embed it into a wiki, blog, or class web site.  It’s has been around on the World Wide Web for a quite a while, but as far as i know, not many in Malaysia actually know its existence!

How to use Glogster in the Classroom

Well, you can now say goodbye to the conventional scrap book or poster activities (typical large-size "mahjong papers" in Malaysian classroom)  especially when your students can gain access to computers and internet connection (I guess most schools are equipped with these facitilites). If there are limited computers in the schools, teacher could use Glogster as a group activitiy or project. Instead of creating a poster for a presentation, students can create an interactive glog to display information on various topics from arts to web and technology. Glogster is fun and engaging because unlike blogging, it is filled with multimedia content. For example, students can create podcasts (using audio editing tool like Audacity) and upload the content into their glog. The best thing about Glogster is that you’re giving your students an authentic audience rather than presenting their work solely to their peers. Imagine when they can go back home and show their parents or neigbours what they did in the classroom using Glogster! You’ll be amaze with your students’ work! Of course, there has been issues on the kind of pictures or images published on Glogster as you’ll see some pictures that are inappropriate in school settings (i.e. punk pictures). Well, as teachers, you can always make the rules clear on what kind of images are allowed and make them realise the importance of making the images relevant to the content.

I guess it’s time for teachers in Malaysia to incorporate various Web 2.0 tools available on the net to maximise learning. The boring lecturer-based lessons are now obselete, especially in the era where students are well-equipped with mobile phones, and various technology gadgets. Instead of banning them, why don’t use it for the benefit  of their learning!