Ole

After my limited experience using it, I'd give Glogster 4 stars out of 5.

Pluses: Free, shareable, fairly (see below) easy-to-use, very adaptable for lessons, and exciting for all kids, especially those who are spatial and visual learners. Having to fit all the elements in was a graphic-design problem unto itself apart from any content. Using this for any assignment integrates the design standard from NJCCS pretty transparently.

Minuses: Regardless of how petty, minor, and probably subjective the following issues are, I stand by my decision to deduct one star from Glogster. Maybe it's me, but the box resizing was temperamental as a borrowed mule. And I struggled a little to find decorative elements that were somber or restrained. The splashy graphics make treating a somewhat serious topic (like the ethics of a culturally specific blood sport, for instance) kind of challenging. I warned you these were not earthshaking problems...

As a prospective English teacher, I think Glogster would be a great way to brainstorm before writing a paper. It's a virtual canvas you can slap images and words down on in a free-associative way that gets creative juices flowing and overcomes the hateful blank page and blinking cursor that plagues even experienced writers. It is also a wonderful way to start a class discussion of a contentious issue. Images and big headlines or thought bubbles can be juxtaposed and the friction of having those contrasting ideas occupying one space is bound to spark opinions and debate. As mentioned before, it offers a perfect way to reach out to tech savvy, visually oriented learners. It made me wish I'd had this stuff when I was in school, that's for sure. I'm psyched to have seen what this can do and look forward to using it more in the future.