RSS FeedsPresented by:

Molly Hug and Melanie Davis

• Learn what RSS Feeds are and how they can be used in the educational setting.

Learn how to sign up for Google reader and find RSS Feeds.

Objectives:

What is RSS Feeds?RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.

Why RSS Feeds?RSS solves a problem for people who regularly use the web. It allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visit each site individually. You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each site's email newsletter. The number of sites offering RSS feeds is growing rapidly and includes big names like Yahoo News.

How it worksRefer to YouTube tutorial (3.44)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

Examples of RSS Readerswww.google.com/reader

www.bloglines.com

www.newsgator.com

my yahoo

3 Steps to Using ReadersStep 1 Get a feed readerWeb-based: With this type of reader, you can check your feeds from any computer, which is very convenient but it comes at a cost: limited functionality and speed.Application-based: With this type of reader, you get a more polished and full-featured product, but it lacks mobility.For this presentation I am going to use Google Reader which is Web-based. To use Google Reader you must have a Google Account. If not you must create a Google account to access this feature.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPZ2Uu_X3Y 

Step 2Subscribe to feeds. (Directly from a website or search on Google Reader)Directly from a website: Image, Button or a text link. Sadly, there is no single way that all Web sites let you know that you can syndicate their content. The most common method is the orange XML button. Clicking the button will add that feed to your feed reader list and will ensure that you receive updated notifications and contents from that site.

Search on Google Reader: Click on "Add a subscription", then type in keywords to search for websites that support RSS feeds. 

Step 3Read and manage the scoped information you receive: RSS feeds are great time savers. They are not only a technology but also a new communication medium. They enable you to customize the flow of information and control the content that you choose to read and share for work, for school, for business reasons, or just for fun.

Pros• RSS feeds are timely because subscribers get updates and breaking news as soon as they are

available.

• RSS feeds are cost effective because distribution and delivery costs are very low.

• RSS works well with e-mail. An e-mail client is not required to view RSS feeds but they can also be received, viewed, and managed in your e-mail client.

• RSS helps you manage and organize content. Messages and articles can easily be archived, sorted, and categorized automatically.

• RSS maintains privacy and anonymity. You fully control the subscription to and removal from RSS feeds. You dont have to provide your e-mail address or any other personal information when selecting the feeds you want to syndicate.

• RSS feeds help you save time by scoping the content that you receive to your specific interests and ensuring that the information is always up to date.

Cons• RSS feeds provide no history, which means that although you always get the newest information,

you can easily miss an article of interest to you if you dont check the feeds for a few days (when youre on vacation, for example).

• RSS feeds are a bandwidth waster because they automatically download RSS files (usually hourly) to check for updates and changes.

• RSS feeds are complicated to set up. As people hear about RSS and understand its value, they also become disappointed by the fact that it is not as easy as surfing the Web.

• RSS content doesnt lend itself to search. Many search engines include RSS feeds but they struggle to identify which information is new and, hence, greatly limit the value of search operations on this type of content.

• RSS feeds usually only show an abridged version of the content, which can be cryptic and may require you to open your Web browser to see the full article.

How can RSS Feeds ehance student learning in the classroom? 

• Allows students to retrieve the latest data/content from the latest sites they may have interest in.

• Saves time to those who are looking up information since the student/teacher does not have to visit each site individually.

• This tool can be used when giving assignments as well as delivering information to students in & out of classroom. 

• Feeds can also be used for updating websites with current articles pertaining to certain subject areas (ex: Our websites we are creating.)

Week 11RSS Feed Assignment

 • Find two websites which contain RSS feeds.  One must

be an educational website, and the other can be one used outside of the classroom. Post to the classroom forum.

• Comment on two other post in the forum. Do you find the feed useful?

• How can Feeds be a useful tool for your classroom?• In your Google account access Google Reader and add

two RSS feeds. 

Work Citedwww.whatisrss.com

http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/manageinfo/rss.mspx

www.youtube.com