Archive | January, 2012

FETC Reflections & Giveaway Winners

31 Jan


FETC Conference hall

I had a great time traveling to Florida for FETC 2012.   Coming from New England, I really appreciated the 80 degree sunshine in the middle of January!

I had the chance to attend a few sessions, my favorite being “Rock Your Student’s Education with Technology” presented by Caryn Good.  Caryn’s presentation went over everything from Glogster EDU to Blabberize to Vokis. There wasn’t an open seat in room S230E.  I think that there were more people standing or sitting on the floor than in the Technology Shootout that kicked off the conference!

I also attended Lauren Tate’s session, “Increasing Engagement with Web 2.0 tools.” Lauren is a young educator who really knows how to bring life into a classroom.  She captures her students’ attention by using every Web 2.0 tool imaginable.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of our Premium License giveaway winners:

Alex Sadowsky, 5th grade teacher from Flora Ridge Osceola

Kathleen McAllister, Duval County Schools

Arlene Sutherland, librarian from Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy

Barb Bodley, technology teacher from Armleder Education Center

All in all, the FETC conference was a great success!  However, I must admit the best part about the entire trip was when I ran into the Vice President for Wilson Sporting Goods in the airport on the way back to Boston.  He will be sending me a game ball from this weekend’s Super Bowl.  Go Pats!  Go Glogster! Go FETC!!

GO PATS!!

One more time: GO PATS!!

Make your textbook interactive with Glogster EDU

31 Jan

Guest post by Glogster EDU Ambassador Rositsa Mineva, a primary English Language Teacher from Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

In Bulgaria, students start learning English at the age of 8, starting with basic speaking, reading, comprehensive listening, and writing.

When students are this age, they aren’t required to actually write vocabulary. Instead, students memorize words through repetition of new vocabulary, sentences, texts etc. Students need audio and visual aids as much as possible to help them with the learning process.

For a long time, I’ve been brainstorming some ideas on how to facilitate the self training of my students so they can continue to learn, both in and out of the classroom. I discovered that the best way to do this is by supplying them with more audio and visual aids to use at home and in the classroom. From this observation, the idea for a virtual classroom and interactive textbook was born.

Glogster EDU has helped a lot with both. On Glogster EDU, I made my virtual classroom with students. Using the variety of tools on the site,  I could make my textbooks interactive and share them with my students and colleagues (example 1), (example 2).

Making my textbook interactive was quite simple: I needed only to scan the pages of my real textbook as pictures (png, jpeg files), find audio files of my English lessons as mp3 files, find some interesting links in a connection with the topic and main aims of the lesson I was making interactive, and put them together on one page.

See the Glog below for an example.

It’s a fast, easy and fun activity which takes no more than 15 minutes to create. I compiled all units on a contest page.

I also put the link to my interactive textbook on the class wiki and connected it to my Skype information and the school website.

My students can no use their interactive textbook freely at home and listen to lessons and do exercises online. This improves my students’ reading and listening skills and makes learning more fun and engaging. It helps not only  students but parents as well.

Learn more about my internet classroom here.

 

Edutopia Weekly Giveaway Winners Announced!

27 Jan

Congratulations to the winners of the Edutopia weekly giveaway!

The following individuals now have FREE Glogster EDU Teacher Premium Licenses: Mary Hassell, Adam Newall, Jo Beth Dempsey, Adam Babcock and Lanis Taylor.  Congratulations again, and we hope you enjoy innovating your classroom with Glogster EDU!

A very special thank you to Edutopia for organizing this great giveaway.

February Webinars

26 Jan

February’s Webinar topics will include Jim’s project-based learning session from last month (due to your positive feedback — hooray!) and more information on our Premium License options for teachers, schools, and our newest option: districts. We’ve also moved the Tuesday Webinar to 7 PM to give our West Coast friends an opportunity to attend after school.

Again, these Webinars are free and registration is open to everyone. Only the first 100 people to show up are admitted, however, so arrive a few minutes early to secure your spot.

View a comprehensive calendar of all events here.  

1. Glogster EDU Premium: Teacher, School, and District Licenses

Brian and Mike will guide you through the basics of Glogster EDU Premium: creating Glogs, adding and managing student accounts, class administration, and “the 3 P’s”: projects, presentations, and portfolios. You will learn about all of your license options (teacher, school, and district) to help you decide which solution works best for you and your students. You will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end.

View a recording here.

Register for Wednesday, February 1 at 3 pm EST

Register for Tuesday, February 7 at 7 pm EST

Register for Tuesday, February 14 at 7 pm EST

Register for Wednesday, February 15 at 3 pm EST

Register for Tuesday, February 21 at 7 pm EST

Register for Wednesday, February 22 at 3 pm EST

Register for Tuesday, February 28 at 7 pm EST

Register for Wednesday, February 29 at 3 pm EST

2. Using Glogster EDU for Project-Based Learning

Glogster EDU + PBL = A+! Project-based learning is more than just “doing projects.” Glogster EDU makes effective PBL easy. Help your students develop inquiry, research, time management, communication, presentation, leadership, and reflection skills on a fun and engaging platform. Jim from the Glogster EDU Team will show you how to start a Glog project, create a template, assign it to the class, monitor progress, and provide feedback with Glogster EDU Premium. He’ll also provide you with plenty of example Glogs and lesson plans to get you started.

View a recording here. 

Register for Thursday, February 16 at 4 pm EST

Register for Thursday, February  23 at 4 pm EST

After you register, leave a comment with any topic requests so we can tailor your session for you! Hope to see you there.

My Internet Classroom

25 Jan

Guest post by Glogster EDU Ambassador Rositsa Mineva, a primary English Language Teacher from Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

To make learning accessible both at home and in school, I created an “internet classroom” for my students using Glogster EDU and a classroom wiki.

While my students are home, I can connect with them through Skype, which is an easy and fast way for me to give directions as well as get student feedback. If I want to communicate with my students outside of the classroom, I give them a link through Skype. They can use internet resources (e-textbooks,  e- tests, online exercises, projects, and other forms of project-based learning on different topics) freely from home. This improves students’ language and time management skills.

Example of a Test Preparation Glog

With Glogster EDU, students have the opportunity to interact in a safe, digital environment. With their student accounts, they can create Glog presentations or simply Glog about a  topic that interests them.

Project-based learning is accessible and fun for students on the site.  This kind of learning fosters teamwork, keeps students engaged in course content, and makes teaching and learning more fun.

This type of activity leads to the development of key skills which real 21st century students need: critical thinking, collaboration, presentation, and digital literacy skills.

Creating a digital learning environment with Glogster EDU, communicating with my students on Skype, and collaborating with them on a class wiki facilitates positive student-teacher relationships and allows both to explore Web 2.0 and learning concepts together.

Here are the resources I use in my online classroom:

My Glogster EDU profile

My class wiki 

E-textbooks 

E-tests 

Online exercises 

Glog projects 

Project-based learning

Glog presentations

Web 2.0 resources wiki

Bridge Learning from Home to School: Create an IT classroom with wiki, Skype, and Glogster

My Internet Classroom Glog

Last call for FCCLA contest entries!

24 Jan

Click for details!The Family, Career and Community Leaders of America are accepting entries for the Virtual Poster STAR Event now through February 1st.

To enter, create a Glog related to one of the following categories: Eat Right, Be Fit, and Make Healthy Choices. 20 finalists will be invited to present their Glog and give an oral presentation at the 2012 National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida this summer. More details here.

The FCCLA Virtual Poster STAR Event is a perfect opportunity  to combine health, technology, and research/presentation skills in highly relevant content areas. You’ve got one week until the deadline, Gloggers. Good luck!

Questions? Leave ‘em in the comments!

Student-led Glogster EDU Tutorials

23 Jan
Click to view!
Click here to view!
Glogster EDU Ambassador Kristina Holzweiss showed us these Glogster EDU video tutorials led by one of her students, Jessie.

Let Jessie take you and your students through all the steps involved in making a Glog, from logging in to saving your work. Isn’t she great?

You can get in touch with Kristina through her website or Edmodo group #siutd6.

Thanks, Kristina and Jessie!

Fun with the Google Chromebook

20 Jan

We received a special package in the mail today – a Google Chromebook! It’s small and light, boots up quickly, and couldn’t be simpler to use. A great netbook for easy student access to Web 2.0 sites like Glogster EDU.  I’ve been hogging it in the office all morning (sorry, guys!) for basic web browsing, Google Docs, Glogging, and blogging (on it now, in fact), and the battery is still going strong. If you or your students spend most of your time on your laptop online, then a simple Chromebook might be the way to go.

Glogging on the Chromebook

Mike will be demonstrating Glogster EDU on the Chromebook at FETC next week. Stop by the Google booth (#1101) on Thursday, January 26 between 1:45 and 2:00 PM to see this baby in action.

Does anyone else have a Chromebook? Considering cloud computers for your students? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

Last Chance to win a FREE Glogster EDU Teacher Premium License!

20 Jan


Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to win one of SIX free Glogster EDU Teacher Premium Licenses from Edutopia. That’s a $99 value – for FREE!

Click here to enter.

Entries close this Sunday, January 22nd at midnight!

Getting ready for FETC!

18 Jan

FETC 2012Next week I’ll be heading down to Orlando for the Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC). I can’t wait to meet educators and fellow technology professionals who are shaping the future of education. (And maybe try to soak up some sun while I’m at it!)

There are a ton of interesting sessions on the schedule, but I’ve picked out three in particular that I’ll definitely be attending. At the end of these presentations, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win a FREE Teacher Premium License. So come on by!

1. K-5 Research Projects Go Digital (CS5426) - Wednesday, January 25 at 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Deborah Icard and Jane Brady Hudson will show how to bring elementary research projects into the digital world with Web 2.0 tools such as Prezi, Animoto, Glogster, Voicethread, Xtranormal, Blabberize, blogs, & podcasts.

2. Increasing Engagement with Web 2.0 Tools (CS8233) – Thursday, January 26 at 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Lauren Tate will guide you through an introduction of a few key Web 2.0 tools: Prezi, Glogster, Voicethread, and Storybird. There will be time for group collaboration, assistance, and discussion. Bring your laptops!

3. Rock Your Student’s Education with Technology! (CS9743) - Thursday, January 26 at 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Caryn Good’s session will be jam-packed with great ideas for utilizing free technologies in all subject areas. Learn about Glogster EDU, VuVox, Blabberize, Popplet, Symbaloo, Voki and more.

Make sure to stop by the Google booth (#1101) on Thursday, January 26 between 1:45 and 2:00 PM to watch me demo Glogster EDU on a Google Chromebook. 

Will you be at FETC? Email me at mike.sielawa@glogster.com, and we’ll find a time to meet!

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