Brent Vaughan
ETAP 623 Spring 2015
Go to: Brent's Personal Page or Benefits of Implementing Glogster into your Curriculum
My topic
The purpose of this course will be to teach educators to meaningfulness of visual aids and hands-on learning to facilitate discussions and learning and will offer educators a new resource to use inside and outside of the classroom. Glogster has been a way for teachers to communicate to students and parents alike. Teachers can make interactive poster boards using Glogster to keep for homework help, and news & notes for parents to stay in touch with their child’s learning, plus countless other projects. With these “poster boards,” they can include not only text and pictures but audio and video thus making a completely interactive presentation or project design.
Since teachers and students from around the world have used Glogster to present information on various topics, they can choose to make their Glogs public and can be viewed from just the click of a mouse. With this wide range of knowledge at one's fingertips, there is no limit to what we can learn from others.
Learning Outcomes
Educators will...
- Educators will explore research about the importance of visual aids in the classroom.
- Educators will have an appreciation of Glogster as a resource in their own classroom.
- Educators will reflect on the implications of Glogster in their own lives.
- Educators will create their own Glog using video, text, and graphics
Needs Assessment
Problem:
In today’s interactive world, many do not utilize the resources they have right in front of them. In schools, especially at the elementary level, students from low-income neighborhoods do not know how to use a computer effectively, or at all. It is hard-pressed to see teachers who have SMART Boards in their classrooms but do not use them to the capacity that is intended. With the rigid structure most of our schools have today, students are not offered time to be creative and have self-expression. Students who are able to work with computers creates a productive environment and students find computer time to be fun. Students who are actively researching a topic are learning more than paper resources instead of “[falling] into a passive roll.” By having an interactive learning environment, students can be at the center of their learning and can work with the tools for them to be successful in accomplishing a goal (Hendricks, 2013).
What is to be Learned?
During this mini-course, educators will learn the benefits of using Glogster in their students’ learning. Educators will learn how Glogster works and how to use this interactive tool to create a positive learning environment for all types of learners.
Analysis of the Learn and Context
The Learners
This mini-course was created for educators in grades PreK-12. Not all of the content learned in this course will be applicable for grades PreK-2. Educators taking this course should have a familiarity with the Internet.
Instructional Context
The necessities of this mini-course include a computer with a stable internet connection since each participant will be doing their work completely online at their own pace. The participants will read articles, create their own Glog with a topic of their choosing, and also will reflect on their perceptions of this technology in their own classroom.
Exploring the Instructional Problem and Solution
To learn more about the problem, participants will read articles explaining the different types of learning and how Glogster plays a role. Participants will also reflect on what they have learned to find a connection with their prior knowledge and the information they have read. By using Glogster, participants will see the benefits of how the resource allows the user to be creative and learn by doing.
Goals of this Mini-Course
The central goal of this mini-course is to allow educators to see other technologies that can help students learn more through research, give teachers a resource to manage each student’s project in real-time, and allow parents the ability to be involved with the happenings within the classroom. All participants should leave this mini-course feeling more confident in the use of Glogster and have intentions of implementing it in their own classroom.
Performance Objectives
Following this mini-course, learners will be able to...
- Identify the three main learning styles.
- Develop understanding of the importance of computer technology in a learning environment.
- Create a Glog with the ability to insert video, pictures, and text.
- Reflect on their learning and discuss the implications of Glogster in their classrooms.
Task Analysis
Course Purpose
The purpose of this course it to give teachers a resource to use in their classroom to help better facilitate student learning when working on project and to get parents more involved in their child’s day-to-day routine.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, participants will...
- Be able to distinguish different types of learners in their own classrooms.
- Be able to understand the importance of visual aids for students
- Be able to reflect on how Glogster could benefit their own classroom.
- Be able to set up their own Glog to teach a subject, introduce a topic, or to gain community attention as what is learning is happening within their classroom.
- Be able to incorporate text, pictures, and video into a Glog.
- Learn the benefits of community involvement in their classrooms.
Prerequisite Skills
Essential Prerequisites
- Understanding of how to use the Internet to find valid sources
- The ability to navigate YouTube
- Must be able to reflect on their own teaching and how it could be made better
Supportive Prerequisites
- Have an open mind for new ideas
- Have a love for using technology effectively in the classroom
- Have an appreciation that all students do not learn in the same manner
Curriculum Map
References
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-hendricks/technology-education_b_2867458.html
http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles.shtml
http://blog.edu.glogster.com/2013/05/13/40_ways_to_innovative_teaching_using_glogster_edu/
