RSS Feeds 101
Today's Agenda
RSS basics
Aggregators and readers
Ways to make use of RSS
Demonstration using Google Reader
Hands-on: It's your turn!
What is RSS?
http://www.thinkartificial.org/web/how-to-make-the-most-of-rss-feeds-redux/
RSS = Really Simple SyndicationA file format for delivering frequently updated information, such as news headlines, blog posts, and podcasts over the web.
RSSRSS Feeds Web Feeds
http://www.deskshare.com/Resources/articles/rss.aspx
hmm...anything new today?http://flickr.com/photos/glenshock/130800304/
new stuff delivered directly to you!http://flickr.com/photos/wurges/2132738610/
So, How Does It Work?
1. Choose an aggregator.2. Subscribe to RSS feeds. 3. Your aggregator gathers
fresh content and delivers it to you.
4. Open or login to your aggregator and read everything all in one place!
Synonymous:Aggregators and Readers
Different Types of AggregatorsWeb-based
Accessible from any computer with internet connection; requires username and password.
Desktop-based Requires downloading and installation of software applications on your computer.
Browser-based The latest versions of many browsers include the ability
to subscribe to and read RSS feeds directly in the browser.
Web-based Aggregators
Look for an RSS icon to see if a particular website offers feeds!
http://www.miguelsanchez.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsphotos/279280606/
Take Advantage of RSS!Subscribe and track...
Favorite blogs Shopping deals News headlines Packages Job listings Real estate New library materials Events eBay listings Government info
Traffic UpdatesTravel dealsTV listingsTee timesFlickr photosYouTube videosPodcastsNew iTunes musicSearch resultsFun stuff
Demonstration of Google Reader
Time for some hands-on learning!http://flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/489257240/
Google Readerhttp://www.google.com/reader
Google Reader
Sign in with free account
Follow the steps on the screen Create a new account
RSS Feed: Subscribing1. Find a feed.2. Find the RSS link.3. Copy the URL or link.4. Go to Google Reader.5. Click on Add Subscription.6. Paste in the link. 7. Organize the new feed into your folders or
subject structure.
Skip Steps 3 – 6 if the pagehas an automated feature
Manually Add a Subscription
Automated Subscription
Step 1 - Find WebpageGoogle News Search
Step 2 - Find RSS Link
Feed Button
RSS Links
Step 3 - Copy Link
or
Highlight the URL, ie http://edublogs.org/campus
Edit, Copy or Ctrl + C
Step 4 - Go to Reader
Step 5 - Add Feed
Click on Add subscription
This expands to give you space to paste the URL.
Add subscription
Step 6 - Paste Link
Paste the URL in the box, then click ADD.
Step 7 - Sort FeedThe feed might look like this
Manage subscriptions allow you to group feeds
Manage Subscriptions
Step 7 - Sort FeedChoose a topic folder or create a new folder.
TIP: When you view a folder, you see the newest items for the topic all integrated together.
Automated Subscribing
Some pages offer buttons you can just click on to add a feed.
This allows you to skip steps 2-6!
Step 1 - Find WebpageBrush School District -- Document Manager
Step 2 - Find and click the RSS Link Scan the page for RSS links
Click the RSS button
Step 3 – Subscribe
orSelect Google in the Drop down box if necessary. Checking the Always use Google to subscribe to feeds box will eliminate this step.
Select Google in the Drop down box if necessary. Checking the Always use Google to subscribe to feeds box will eliminate this step.
Click Subscribe NowClick Add to Google Reader
Step 4 - Sort Feeds
The feed might look like this
Manage subscriptions allow you to group feeds
Manage Subscriptions
Shortcut to organize feeds
Step 4 - Sort FeedsChoose a topic folder or create a new folder.
TIP: When you view a folder, you see the newest items for the topic all integrated together.
Using RSS in Education
Pedagogy and Research
Why use RSS in education?
• RSS has transformed the way that content is distributed, accessed, and processed
• 21st century students are no longer faced with the challenge of “finding” enough information – rather, they are faced with an avalanche of information
• RSS is one way for students to locate information more efficiently
• Of course, they still need to be taught how to process, analyze, and evaluate
Why use RSS in education?
• It is also a way to leverage the talent of millions of individuals to identify truly useful information in the tidal wave of data the internet has become. – Mary Harrsch, “RSS: The Next Killer App for
Education” • http://technologysource.org/article/rss/
Using RSS is Research-Based
• Dr. Henry Jenkins– Director of the Comparative Media Studies
Program at MIT– “Confronting the Challenges of a Participatory
Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century”• Participatory culture and its implications for
learning in the 21st century (RSS is all about participation, networking, and community)
• 21st century skills and literacies (applied skills students need to be school, work, and life ready)
21st Century Participatory Culture
• Relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement
• Strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations with others
• Some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices
Confronting the Challenges of a Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century
21st Century Participatory Culture
• Members believe that their contributions matter
• Members feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care what other people think about what they have created)
Confronting the Challenges of a Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century
Implications
• A growing body of scholarship suggests potential benefits of these forms of participatory culture, including:– opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, – a changed attitude toward intellectual
property, – the diversification of cultural expression, – the development of skills valued in the
modern workplace, and a more empowered conception of citizenship.
Confronting the Challenges of a Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century
RSS for Teaching and Learning
Practical Applications
Professional Learning Communities
• Educators are professionals who, by nature, are always learning
• Through RSS feed readers and personalized home pages educators can create their own learning network and learn from other educators
Classroom Applications for RSS
• Have students subscribe to each other’s blogs and/or the teacher’s blog
• Have students and parents subscribe to your blog, podcast, or wiki feed to keep abreast of what is going on in class
Classroom Applications for RSS
RSS Feeds for News, Blog, and Website Searches
– Create a feed for what’s in the daily news about a particular topic, you can make a syndicated feed of search results of Google News
– Aggregate targeted news feeds with a shared (published) feed reader (Pageflakes, Google, etc.)
– This basically creates a constantly updating targeted “current events” text for students
Targeted News Feeds
Classroom Applications for RSS
RSS Feeds for Bookmarks– Teachers can create a social bookmarking account
and publish the list for their students (instant hotlists)– Teachers can create a class account and all students
can add to the content– Students can create accounts to collaborate with
group members and share resources more effectively
All the feeds can be aggregated with the same feed readers used for blogs, podcasts, news, and other media sites
Classroom Applications for RSS
RSS Feeds for Bookmarks
• The following social bookmarking applications allow for publishing Internet bookmarks through RSS feeds:– http://del.icio.us/– http://www.diigo.com/– http://www.furl.net/– http://www.blinklist.com/
Classroom Blog
• Ready to build your own Classroom Blog– Edublogs - http://www.edublogs.org
More Explanations of RSSHOW TO: Getting Started with RSShttp://paulstamatiou.com/2005/11/13/how-to-getting-started-with-rss
What is RSS?http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html
Wikipedia Article on RSShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)
How to Explain RSS the Oprah Wayhttp://www.backinskinnyjeans.com/2006/09/how_to_explain_.html
RSS Feeds 101 – credit for presentationhttp://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dfvx2r6j_52cvp94tfb&skipauth=true
What is RSS and Why Should I Care? A Presentation for Educators and School Administratorshttp://www.slideshare.net/lcstephenson/what-is-rss-and-why-should-i-care-a-presentation-for-educators-and-school-administrators
References
• RSS Feeds 101 - Google Docs– http://docs.google.com/Present?
docid=dfvx2r6j_52cvp94tfb&skipauth=true
• Britt Watwood, VCU• “Using RSS Personally and Professionally”
Patricia F. Anderson, U. Mich• “RSS Demystified”
Perter Bromberg, SJRLC