Have you met Maybelle?

12 Apr

Thanks to everyone who joined us for yesterday’s Webinar on Mary Carole Strother’s ISTE award winning project, “Maybelle the Cockroach!” If you couldn’t make it to the live presentation, you can view a recording here.

Maybelle has travelled the country getting students excited to read and learn. Have you met Maybelle? Take a look at her adventures here:

Maybelle the Cockroach: http://maybellethecockroach.wikispaces.com/

The Maybelle Literacy and Multimedia Festival: https://maybelledigitalfestival.wikispaces.com/home

Want Maybelle to come to your school? Click on the Glog above for Mary Carole’s contact info.

Our next Webinar on is next Thursday, April 19 at 4 pm. Instructional Technology Specialist Andrea Gardner will discuss how to use Glogster EDU to address Common Core State Standards. Learn more and register here.

Hope to see you next week!

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Off to South Dakota…

10 Apr

TIE Conference

Brian will be at the Technology & Innovation in Education Conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota next week from April 15 – 17.

He’ll be holding two sessions:

(1) Project-Based Learning with Glogster EDU on Sunday, April 15 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm in Room 6

(2) Getting Started with Glogster EDU Premium on Monday, April 16 from 2:25 to 3:20 pm in Room 1.

Attendees at each session will be entered into a raffle to win a FREE Glogster EDU Teacher Premium License — that’s a $99 value!

Will you be at TIE? Let us know in the comments, or email brian.williams@glogster.com.

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April Webinars

3 Apr

This month, our Webinars will be hosted by our very own Glogster EDU Ambassadors. As always, registration is free and open to all, but attendance is limited to the first 100 attendees. So show up early to secure your spot!

1. Using Glogster EDU for Project-Based Learning on Wednesday, April 4 at 3 pm EDT

Register here. 

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.

Mike 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.

2. ISTE Technology Innovation Award winning project,”Maybelle the Cockroach” on Wednesday, April 11 at 4 pm EDT

View a recording here. 

Mary Carole Strother will share her 2011 ISTE Technology Innovation Award winning wiki, “Maybelle the Cockroach.” This collaborative project combines Glogster EDU with other Web 2.0 tools like Blabberize, VoiceThread, Mixbook, QR codes, Animoto, Vokis, and Photobabble. Get inspiration for your own digital learning adventure!

Meet Maybelle the Cockroach: http://maybellethecockroach.wikispaces.com

Read about Maybelle in Coverge Magazine:
http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/Maybelle-the-Cockroach-Sparks-Digital-Learning-Adventures.html

3. Navigate Our Digital World Through Glogster EDU Eyes & Make Connections to CCSS (Common Core State Standards) on Thursday, April 19 at 4 pm

View a recording here. 

Hosted by Andrea Gardner, Instructional Technology Specialist at Westford Public School in Westford, MA.

According to their mission statement, the Common Core State Standards “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.”

During this Webinar, we will:

•Understand how technology is part of the Common Core Standards
•Identify specific examples of where technology is located within the CCSS
•Share what that looks like through Glogster EDU eyes
•Review and discuss technology, multimedia and the 4Cs
•Present possible options for moving forward with integrating technology into the classroom

4. Glogster EDU in Higher Education on Tuesday, April 24 at 7 pm EDT

Registration closed.

Hosted by Dr. Torria Bond, Instructional Designer at California Baptist University.

Ideas will be presented for using Glogster EDU to enhance your face-to-face and blended courses; and to build community in your fully online courses. Learn creative and pedagogically sound ways to engage your learners.

View a calendar of all Webinars and events. 

Hope you can make it!

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Avoiding the Path to Panem: An Educurious Learning Challenge

27 Mar

If your students are crazy about The Hunger Games(and who isn’t??), you have to check out our latest Learning Challenge, sponsored by Educurious!

In this project, students are challenged to answer the question, “What can we do to avoid the path that led to Panem, the post-apocalyptic world of The Hunger Games?”

Students must create a Glog with 1. evidence of a social, political, or environmental issue that explains how North America ended up in such a catastrophic predicament and 2. a call to action: what can we do to avoid that future?

Click here for the complete Learning Challenge.

Huge thanks to Educurious for being such an awesome partner! 

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Go green with our Earth Day contest!

23 Mar

After a week full of “flipped classroom” discussion, I’m proud to announce our latest contest, which provides the perfect opportunity for extending learning outside your classroom walls!

Glogster EDU and the Go Green Initiative are challenging you and your students to take a good hard look at the water, energy, and food systems in your community. Where do your food, water, and energy come from? How does it make its way to your door? And what can you do to make those systems more sustainable?

We’re giving away almost $10,000 worth of prizes to individual students, classrooms, and schools, including water bottles, T-shirts, DVD’s, an organic garden, a ride on a stagecoach….seriously! These prizes are incredible.

The contest runs now through Earth Day, April 22, 2012. Click here for all the info .

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In the words of a Glogster EDU flipper…

22 Mar
Today, I’ll let Glogster EDU Ambassador Lisa Salyer tell you in her in her own words how she uses Glogster EDU for flipped teaching. Take it away, Lisa!

When I discovered Glogster EDU,  I was struggling with how to incorporate meaningful higher level activities and project- based learning methods into my classroom.  Most educational software is limited to rote practice and memorization.  Glogster EDU is the only platform that I have found that allows for organization of teacher lessons, student projects, etc.

Glogster EDU is the absolute perfect platform for the flipped approach.  I think it is so important to demonstrate how you can create Glogs to meet diverse learning styles.  When possible I try to include a story, song, poetry, quotes, instructional podcasts, interactive practice, and enrichment through student creation of Glogs.

Oh! The Place You'll Go

I strive to design my own Glogs so that students who are absent can access the Glog and make up the lesson at home.  My goal in creating Glogs vary; however, my instructional Glogs aim to set purpose, provide review, instruct, and provide guided/independent practice.  I am also able to extend and remediate through Glogs.

As for preparing, recording and assembling,  a teacher must be motivated to do this during evenings and weekends.  With that being said, once you establish your core then enriching and making changes is easily done!  I try to find podcasts that already meet my instructional needs — no need to reinvent the wheel, plus pre-made podcasts save me a huge amount of time. (Click on the Glog thumbnails for examples.)

Night Letters (click on the Voki!

 On those days when I become a facilitator in my class, I feel a great since of accomplishment. My students are all exploring and learning, and I am monitoring, correcting misconceptions, or challenging students to extend their learning.  Some of the proudest moments I have are when  students self-inititate Glogs on topics of interest to them and learn through their own research!

Lisa has generously provided a few of her own Glog presentations:

Language Arts Glogs 

Math Glogs

Famous Americans Glog Project

Student Podcasts <— If you’re only going to click on one link, make it this one! So great.

Thanks so much, Lisa. I’m inspired; are you?

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What about younger learners? Flipped classrooms vs. flipped teaching

21 Mar
Today I attended a fantastic webinar titled The Art of a Flipped Classroom – Turning Learning on its Head, hosted by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, pioneers of the flipped movement. They brought up a question that comes up often in flipped discussions: How do primary school teachers flip their classrooms? Younger learners may not be equipped with the technological skills, self direction, or parental guidance required to learn material independently at home.

 

Jon Bergmann responded by making a distinction between a flipped classroom and the idea of flipped teaching as a general approach. It’s not necessary to flip every class every day! The question to ask yourself, he says, is simple: What is the best use of your class time? Focus on the answer to that question, and then see if you can shift anything not included in that answer outside your class time. Even if you flip just a few classes or units, if you’re making better use of your time together –interacting more, providing more opportunities for collaboration– then students will feel the positive effects.

 

Glogster EDU Ambassador Meghan Gagne teaches 3rd grade. While her students are not ready for a true flipped classroom, she incorporates flipped teaching by providing her students with Glogs to review at home.

 

 I use Glogs to  present a review of difficult concepts and pose extra credit assignments. I find it to be a very engaging way to give extra help when my kids need it most — when they are tackling homework without me. 

 

Do you think the flipped approach can be adapted to younger learners? How do you incorporate flipped teaching into your primary classrooms? Do tell!

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