From Blogging to Glogging
Inspired by Jessica’s blog post on glogging, I thought I’d try my hand at it, as well. See the results of my experiment below. (Hover over the Glogster banner for the option to view it at full-size.)
The verdict on Glogster? Pretty fun and pretty easy, although it took me more than an hour to create the simple poster above. Of course, I’m new to the platform, and much of that time was spent trying to choose colours, frames, wall patterns, etc. That is one of the potential pitfalls of social media, in general, I think – it’s really easy to spend a great deal of time on things of relatively little consequence.
In this particular case, I was trying out a new technology as a learning experience for an academic course, so it was a good investment of my time – learn something, use a new technology, earn participation points for class.
But if, as a manager, I gave an employee the task of creating a Glogster poster to promote a service in the library, I would probably give a very specific timeframe for completing it, because it would be all too easy for an employee to spend all day on what should be a relatively simple task. When we get carried away by all the bells and whistles a tool offers, too often the task becomes a vehicle for showing off our technical skills rather than communicating our message in the most effective way possible.
I have seen very intelligent, highly educated people waste an inordinate amount of time choosing colours, fonts, and effects for a Powerpoint presentation that, ironically, made the finished product look amateurish. (Personally, if I never see a “checkerboard wipe” in a Powerpoint presentation again, it will be too soon.)
As always, the tool must serve a purpose greater than “it’s cool.” It’s important to be open to the opportunities that a new technology can give us, but before investing a great deal of time and money in obtaining, mastering, and using the latest thing, ask yourself:
- What do I want to accomplish?
- Will this tool help me accomplish that goal better (more quickly, more easily, etc.) than what I’m currently doing?
If the answer to Question 2 is “yes,” then the tool is worth further investigation. (For instance, if a very expensive tool will help you accomplish a task that you only do once every 5 years and can be easily outsourced, then the tool is probably not worth your investment.)
If the answer to Question 2 is “no,” move on. A tool is only a tool when it helps you accomplish something worthwhile. Otherwise, it’s a waste, no matter how pretty and shiny it is.
August 3rd, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Ha ha, you beat me to the punch! I was also inspired by Jessica’s post to play around with Glogster.
August 4th, 2011 at 7:29 pm
I get the whole concept of how sometimes it can be a time waster just deciding what to do. I have been watching everyone get a jump on learning something new and still I am uneasy about jumping in. On the other hand I have learned a lot from watching other peoples blogs and glogs and other presentations.
August 4th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Your post is filled with good ideas. That alone justifies trying Glogster.
I agree with you to a large extent that putting some limits on time spent on the web (not just social media) is advisable when we are supervising people. However, we can still encourage our staff to be creative without the usual concerns associated with work and deadlines.
Google, in fact, allows for up to 25% of the day to be used in pursuit of new skills. That’s where I got the idea for this activity.
Dean