Throughout my educational career I have always been a supporter of utilizing technology in the classroom. If we take a step back and think about how much the world has changed when it comes to technology, we will realize that technology is always advancing and it is sometimes hard to keep up with all of the changes. Along with all the changes we need to remember that our students are constantly using technology whether it is a cell phone, the internet, video games or even their televisions at home. Due to the fact that children are exposed to and good at using technology we need to ask ourselves: why not use technology in the classroom?
The last assignment that we worked on for the class that I am currently taking, that is all about including technology in the classroom, was called Glogster. Glogster is a site that allows students to make online interactive posters. These posters can be about any topic that the students are studying in school. I will admit that I was a little skeptical about this tool at first because I was worried about it not being user friendly enough for the younger students that I hope to some day teach. I was quickly proven wrong when every step is well explained or at least easy to figure out. When creating a Glog students can pick what every aspect of the poster looks like as well as what is included in the poster. Some examples are: URL links, pictures, videos, songs, audio clips and much more. Glogs are a great way for students to work in groups as well. Students can share their Glogs with one another and it is also a simple task for their teacher to access the Glogs that they have made in order to grade them. I also appreciate learning new ways to be green. Using Glogster is green because of the fact that it is all online and saves parents from buying and using poster board and construction paper that cannot be reused.
When I was younger I was definitely one of those students that liked doing projects rather than being tested with paper and pen. I truly believe that using Glogster in the classroom will help reach a broader range of students due to its combination of projects and technology. I loved this assignment so much that I shared the information that I learned with my mother who is also a teacher and she is now using it with her students.
