Archive | October, 2011

How to Use Your Teacher Code: A Small Feature with BIG Impact

27 Oct

Imagine hassle-free Glogster EDU setup. Imagine if all you had to do was write 6 characters on the board and your students took it from there. No more long hours generating student accounts, no more tedious nickname changing…

Well, time to stop daydreaming. The solution is finally here!

You may have noticed a new jumble of letters and numbers in the box on your Dashboard. Something like this:

This is your Teacher Code. It may look small, but it will make a huge difference to your Glogster EDU experience.

Teacher Light and Premium users can still generate student accounts using the “Add students” option on your Dashboard, but now there is another way.

Distribute your Teacher Code to your new students and instruct them to register for an account through the student registration form.

When students register with your Teacher Code, they do not need to provide email addresses, and they can choose their own nicknames and passwords. For super easy management, instruct your students to use the same nickname format, like first name + student ID.

Students who register with your Teacher Code will automatically be attached to your Teacher Light or Premium account. If students need to change teachers, they can simply change their Teacher Code on their Dashboard, and their account will transfer to their new teacher’s license.

If you have a Single Free account, students can register with your Teacher Code as well. Their student accounts will “connect” to your teacher account in the system, so if you decide to upgrade to Teacher Light or Premium in the future, you will automatically gain control over their accounts.

Your new Teacher Code makes managing students easier than ever. Finally, your Glogster EDU dreams have become a reality.

For more information, check out the Glog below.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!

EDU Glogging for Free: 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Single Free Account

27 Oct

Glogster EDU isn’t only a paid platform! If you don’t have the resources to upgrade to Glogster EDU Teacher Light or Premium, you can still enjoy creating Glogs with Single Free. You can register for a Single Free teacher or student account here. 

Please note: If you were previously using the free Basic platform, your account and your students’ accounts have automatically converted to Single Free.

Students can log in with their usernames and passwords as before, and all of your work is intact. Glogs you created are attached to your account, and Glogs your students created are attached to their accounts—you just can’t see your students’ Glogs on your Dashboard anymore.

5 ways to make the most of your Single Free account

1. Use your class blog to share your Glogs

You and your students can create private Glogs only, so you must share your Glog URLs in order to view each other’s work. You can use your class blog to keep track of everyone’s Glog URLs or embed your Glogs right into your blog.

2. Embed Glogs into your class wiki

If you use Wikispaces, you can use the Glogster widget under Edit –> Widget –> Poster. This will give you the default size. For full-sized Glogs, copy/paste the embed code under Edit –> Widget –> Other HTML as the video shows. Glogs are great for intro “about me” pages or syllabi.

3. Sign up new students with your Teacher Code (no email necessary!)

See the Teacher Code in the grey box on your Dashboard? All your previous students are automatically connected to your account through your Teacher Code. Distribute this code to your new students and instruct them to sign up for a Single Free account through the new student registration form using your Teacher Code.

4. Customize students’ nicknames

When students register with your Teacher Code, they do not need to provide email addresses, and they can choose their own nicknames and passwords. For easy management, instruct your students to use the same nickname format, like first name + student ID. Less time spent managing students means more time to Glog!

5. Make it easier to upgrade later

The Teacher Code “connects” students to you in the system, so if you decide to upgrade to Teacher Light or Premium in the future, you will automatically gain control over their accounts.

For more information about Glogster EDU Single Free, check out the Glog below.

How to make the most of Single Free

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments.

Happy Glogging, Single Free users!

MassCUE 2011 – Stop by Booth #227!

21 Oct

To all our New England educators: If you’ll be at  MassCUE 2011 next week, stop by booth #227 to speak with Glogster EDU staff and enter to win FREE licenses. We’re giving away lots of goodies this year!

MassCUE Giveaway

There are 12 FREE licenses up for grabs:

1 School Premium License for up to 60 teachers and 600 students — a $1,200 value!

10 Teacher Premium Licenses, each with 1 teacher and up to 200 students — usually $99 each.

AND…

After you attend one of the Glogster EDU sessions, share your new knowledge by tweeting with the hashtag #GlogsteratMassCUE. The person with the most retweets will also win a free Teacher Premium License!

The Glogster EDU hands-on presentation on Thursday, October 27 is sold out, but there are several other sessions that are sure to impress! View a complete list of Glogster EDU sessions here.

To enter the giveaway, just stop by booth #227 to fill out an entry form.

Stop by!

If free licenses don’t tempt you, then maybe our smiling faces will. Come on by! We love to talk to users and hear your ideas. Glogster EDU is built on your feedback, so please come talk to us about what you like, want, need, think. . . we’re here for you.

See you at MassCUE!

-The Glogster EDU Team

The Glogster Story

19 Oct

As Deena so aptly put it – this is a space for you. For ideas, insights, tips, and stories to help you use Glogster EDU to its fullest potential. Welcome.

We think it’s about time you met the folks behind the big G logo. The team of thinkers, speakers, educational advocates, and most importantly, those teachers around the world who use Glogster EDU in creative and inspiring ways to improve education every day.

If you are interested in contributing to the blog — whether you are a Glogster newbie, veteran, or somewhere in between — please contact Jennifer at jennifer.wineke@glogster.com. We’d love to have you on board.

We hope to introduce all of the Glogster team members in good time. In the meantime, take a look at this video on how the Glogster EDU story got started.

Thanks for taking this journey with us.

-The Glogster EDU Team

And so it begins. . .

18 Oct

I receive amazing comments and emails from people all the time about Glogster EDU and how it’s brought excitement into their teaching by motivating and engaging their kids. It makes my day, each and every day.

I heard Patrik, one of the Glogster founders, say on my very first day here, “Glogster is yours.” I thought, “So what is that? A catchphrase, a gimmick? What does that mean?”

Now I know what it means. It means that the platform has been built from YOUR input and feedback. It means that this is a company that listens to its users and is as committed to you as it’s ever been.

I’ve been with Glogster a year now, and in that short amount of time a lot has happened. Glogster EDU has expanded its product offerings to meet the various needs of our Gloggers and has experienced some growing pains in the process. I’ve heard the grumblings and concerns, but through it all, I have seen the commitment to Glogster EDU remain high.

Why is that? Well, I know that Glogster EDU is one the best education technology platforms for teachers to use with their students, and I guess that you see it too. There is truly nothing else quite like Glogster EDU.

This past year, I’ve seen the growth of a company, been involved in some great programs and events, traveled the country, and met so many wonderful teachers and educators. I’ve made some great friends. I’ve seen some really incredible Glogs. And I’ve listened to and shared some wonderful stories.

It’s those stories that help define us and contribute to who and what we are. And it’s those stories that will help shape our future as a company, and more importantly, our Glogster EDU community.

I was so thrilled to be asked to write this first blog entry. This new blog is here to help enrich our growing Glogster EDU community —  to give you and other guest bloggers an opportunity to share your inspiring stories.

After all –

Glogster is Yours.

-Deena

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