The chapter, RSS, is basically about creating a way to find
and assimilate a lot of information quickly and efficiently. RSS is an acronym for Rich Site Summary, but
one could interpret it as simply scan and synthesize.( www.whatisrss.com). An RSS feed is an aggregator or
compiler that feeds updated information to a page or location that you have
created. You can perform research
quickly about specific topics by having the RSS feed search the web for you and
feed new info onto your page to read.
The chapter goes on to explain the specifics of setting up
an RSS feed. You create a mailbox on an
aggregator like Google Reader, for example; go to the sites that you like and
subscribe to them by clicking on the RSS icon, then add the subscriptions to your
aggregator account. Google Reader (the
aggregator) will feed new info from those sites to your mailbox. Now you can read from just one site and save
time. You can star topics to read later,
too. Of course, you need to organize
your info by creating folders and tagging specific topics of interest; and you
need to be sure the sites are actually quality reads.
I can use this for a class research project. I would embed
an RSS feed into blogs and posts I have created for the class to provide quick,
continually updated material for research purposes. I am also pleased about using
an RSS feed to quickly read anything the students have posted in one place. In
that manner, I could dipstick how students are progressing in their research. I
believe that this would be a very useful web tool for me.
First of all, I just wanted to tell you how nice your blog looks! Really cool background and graphics. Yes, RSS seems like a tool that can make an educators life easier. I am not sure what grade you teach, but also having students create an RSS feed would also be very beneficial. With the presence of the Read/Write Web, students are inundated with information. If they can learn early on to create relevant connections to the ideas and sources that they need, it will further promote good 21st Century Literacy Skills. Skimming, scanning and synthesizing information are all reading skills that students are required to develop. I would like to have my students to start usning RSS in the Fall. However, I need to be accustomed to it first!
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