Glogster
 | |
Type of site | Interactive Learning, Online Education |
|---|---|
| Available in | English, Spanish, Czech |
| Slogan(s) | Create and Explore Educational Content Online |
| Website |
www |
| Launched | 2009 |
| Current status | Active |
Glogster is a cloud-based (SaaS) platform for presentation and interactive learning. It allows users to mix all kinds of media on a virtual canvas to create multimedia posters, and access a library of engaging educational content created by students and educators worldwide. Glogster encourages interactive, collaborative education and digital literacy.
Today, the platform is mainly used by educators and students. It has grown into a worldwide community of over 19 million users, who have created over 25 million educational glogs, out of 45 million total glogs on the service. Glogster was launched in 2009 and is based in Prague and Boston.
History
Glogster was developed in 2007 by Martin Santorcl, Patrik Prepsl, Roman Smola, Stanislav Šrámek and Tomáš Plojhar. The platform was initially promoted as a visual network, allowing users to express themselves via “graphic blogs” or “glogs”. In response to needs of educators incorporating Glogster into lessons and assignments, Glogster EDU (or edu.glogster.com) was set up alongside glogster.com in 2009, offering a more secure and specific educational platform.
Features
Online editor
The editor allows users to arrange images, graphics, audio, video and texts on a single page to create multimedia posters. It also provides access to 10,000 original graphic elements such as backgrounds, text boxes, frames and more. Media can be imported from around the web via URL or uploaded from users’ own files.
Creating posters allows learners to engage closely with a subject, exercising critical thinking and research skills in selecting appropriate media and creative skills in structuring and arranging the finished piece.
Content library
The Glogpedia library is a constantly-growing collection of over 21,000 top-quality glogs, hand-picked based for accuracy and presentation, and categorized by 80 subjects under 9 disciplines according to the K-12 currciculum. Glogster users can nominate glogs to be considered for inclusion in the library by clicking a button at the top of any public glog.
Glogpedia content is intended for use in place of or alongside conventional curriculum texts, for example as interactive research material or to engage learners with a new topic. Users can also save editable copies of glogs to their own dashboards, and adapt them to their own needs.
Mobile apps
iOS
In September 2014, Glogster released their iOS application for iPad, bringing an updated version of the editor and the content library to iPad. The Glog interface incorporates a built-in browser known as the Web picker, allowing users to search for media directly from the app, and drag it onto their glog canvas. The app is also synced with the iPad’s built-in camera and mic, allowing users to record video, audio and photos directly onto their glogs.
The iPad application is intended to expand learning beyond the traditional classroom, allowing users to create glogs based on events as they happen, and giving them freedom to learn and create in their own time.
Android
In early 2015, Glogster released a Glogpedia library browser application for Android, with the announcement that full editing functionality for Android would be made available within the year.
Trainings and certifications
In 2015, Glogster launched the GATE (Global Ambassadors for Technology in Education) program, focused on offering Glogster educators training materials and certifications, as well as recruiting a small group of representatives to assist in promoting Glogster online and in their local areas.