3.3 Reflection: Using Web 2.0 Tools

3.3 Reflection: Using Web 2.0 Tools

Glogster is a great tool to help bring all the facets of online learning into one great online poster. Students are able to display the product of their individual or group research in such a fashion that it makes use of video, audio, graphics, interaction with their audience, and creativity. In the past I’ve enjoyed using Glogster with my students and they have reported enjoying the tools and the activity as well. The ability of the instructor to be able to have students access and utilize educational goals at the higher end of Blooms Taxonomy is also an important feature of this tool. Analysis, synthesis, and evaluation are all critical aspects of utilizing Glogster. A well thought out lesson plan using this tool and clearly providing guidance and instruction to the students will help in supporting these goals.

• What the experience looks like for students.
• Students need to create an account or have their teacher create an account for them. I’ve always created accounts for my students so that I can monitor their progress and provide comments along the way.
• The student interface is not unlike the traditional poster. It reminds me of creating a poster in Microsoft PowerPoint but much more enhanced and multi-media enabled. You are able to drop in text boxes, images, video boxes, even ask questions of your viewer.
•  Animation tools and audio tools enhance the product created by the students.
• Many “canned” graphics and audio files are available.
• Students can share their products with the class or just with the teacher. They can also share their finished product with the public.
• There are many projects on the web site that will allow students to view other people’s creations – help motivate and inspire them – display what can be done with the tool.

• Types of outcomes students might have.
• Students will have effective communication skills.
• Students will work effectively as a team
• How the outcome is tied to curriculum objectives.
• Students can apply what they have learned about feudal Japan by providing insightful research documentation on specific content area that is meaningful to both the student and the curriculum objective.
• Kinds of directions or guidelines you will provide in order to ensure success.
• When creating a lesson that includes student work in Glogster, I have always provided an in-class tutorial; however, I have been inspired by the Google Presentation video for this module and am going to change that going forward. In the future I will provide a video tutorial that my students may re-watch at home if they missed instructions and pre-load the class prior to the in-class tutorial.
• I have always liked it when my instructors provide rubrics for course assignments. Rubrics help to keep me focused on the content the instructor was expecting to find in the assignment. I try to create detailed rubrics that my students can use as a check-off list to ensure that they have met all the desired outcomes.
• I find it helpful to see a model of work done in the past so I also provide the students with a sample to review.
• A timeline is helpful as well, breaking the various pieces of the full project into sub-categories with dates for completion and opportunities for editing.

Usually my students in the 7^th grade would be just finishing their unit on medieval Japan. As a culminating activity I could ask them to create individually or in a group a Glogster Edu poster to make use of their knowledge in a specific area of Japanese culture for this time period. I could minimize challenges for the students by using Screencast-O-Matic.com to make a video of me creating a Glog from the initial steps through final publication. If I posted this video for them to refer to at home it might allay fears that they may have of using unfamiliar tools. Additionally, by posting the rubric and the instructions students that tend to loose paper instruction sets would not waste time waiting to talk to the teacher. They could use the rubric as a check off list to ensure that they had completed all the requirements of the project.

Instructions for Japan Glog – Due October 10, 2013

Make sure that you have changed your password as instructed in class on 10/1/13. Bring new password to class on Thursday, 10/3/13.

Choose one of the following main areas to focus (some subtopics are suggested; however, you may choose something different that fits under that topic) on for your Japan Glog Poster:

• Art/Literature
• Tanka Poetry
• Landscape, paintings
• The Diary of Lady Murasaki
• Tale of Genji
• Snowflower and the Secret Fan
• Noh Drama (Plays/Theatre)
• Calligraphy
• Origami
• Japanese Flower Arranging
• Haiku
• Architecture
• Shrines
• Temples
• Oldest Wooden Building in the World
• Zen Gardens
• Feudal System
• Shogun
• Samurai
• Daimyo
• Weaponry or Armor
• Bushido Code
• Martial Arts
• Religion
• Buddhism
• Animism
• Shinto
• Geography

Approved Web Sites to Visit:

• The Archaeology Channel -  http://www.archaeologychannel.org/
• Kidsweb Japan - http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/
• National Geographic - http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/japan/
• Japan Resources for Kids and Teachers - http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/countries/japan.html

 

Glogster Japan Poster Rubric

Project is Due October 10, 2013

Value 100 points

Student Name/No.:____________________________________________________

Topic Selected (be specific): _____________________________________________________

Parent Signature: ________________________________________________________________

Parent is signing that they have reviewed the rubric and the finished product with their child.

 

CATEGORY	8	6	4	2
Graphics	Graphics are related to the theme/purpose of the Glog, are thoughtfully cropped, are of high quality and enhance reader interest or un­derstanding.	Graphics are related to the theme/purpose of the Glog, are of good qual­ity and enhance reader interest or understanding.	Graphics are related to the theme/purpose of the Glog, and are of good quality.	Graphics seem randomly cho­sen, are of low quality, OR dis­tract the reader.
Links (content)	All links point to high quality, up-to-date, credible sites.	Almost all links point to high quality, up-to-date, credible sites.	Most links point to high quality, up-to-date, cred­ible sites.	Less than ¾ of the links point to high quality, up-to-date, credible sites.
Sounds	Music, au­dio clips and/ or sounds are thoughtfully edited and used only where they add to reader understanding of the content or to make the Glog more accessible to persons with visual handi­caps.	Music, audio clips and/or sounds are used only where they add to reader understanding of the content or to make the Glog more accessible to persons with visual handi­caps.	Music, au­dio clips and/ or sounds are thoughtfully edited and used, but 1 or 2 de­tracted from the overall Glog.	Music, audio clips and/or sounds were seemingly used randomly OR typically de­tracted from the overall Glog.
Content	The site has a well-stated clear purpose and theme that is carried out throughout the Glog.	The Glog has a clearly stated purpose and theme, but may have one or two elements that do not seem to be related to it.	The purpose and theme of the Glog is some­what muddy or vague.	The Glog lacks a purpose and theme.
Learning of Material	The student has an exceptional understanding of the material included in the site and where to find additional information. Can easily answer questions about the content and procedures used to make the Glog.	The student has a good understanding of the material included in the site. Can easily answer ques­tions about the content and pro­cedures used to make the Glog.	The student has a fair un­derstanding of the material included in the site. Can eas­ily answer most questions about the content and procedures used to make the Glog.	Student did not appear to learn much from this project. Cannot answer most questions about the content and the procedures used to make the Glog.
Color Choices	Colors of back­ground, fonts, unvisited and visited links form a pleasing palette, do not detract from the content, and are consistent across pages.	Colors of back­ground, fonts, unvisited and visited links do not detract from the content, and are consistent across pages.	Colors of back­ground, fonts, unvisited and visited links do not detract from the content.	Colors of back­ground, fonts, unvisited and visited links make the content hard to read or otherwise dis­tract the reader.
Fonts	The fonts are consistent, easy to read and point size varies ap­propriately for headings and text. Use of font styles (italic, bold, underline) is used con­sistently and improves read­ability.	The fonts are consistent, easy to read and point size varies ap­propriately for headings and text.	The fonts are consistent and point size varies appropriately for headings and text.	A wide variety of fonts, styles and point sizes was used.
Layout	The Glog has an exceptionally attractive and usable layout. It is easy to locate all important elements. White space, graphic elements and/ or alignment are used effectively to organize ma­terial.	The Glog has an attractive and usable layout. It is easy to locate all important elements.	The Glog has a usable layout, but may appear busy or bor­ing. It is easy to locate most of the important elements.	The Glog is clut­tered looking or confusing. It is often difficult to locate important elements.
Signed Rubric	Rubric included with project, signed by parent.	Rubric not included with project. Documentation signed by parent.	Rubric included. No parent signature.	No rubric, no signature.
Listing of Resources	Utilized Works Cited format used in class notes to list all resources used for Glog.	Utilized Works Cited format used in class notes to list most of the resources used for Glog.	Listed all resources used for Glog, but not in format used for class notes.	Listed some of resources used for Glog but not all.