RSS+Feeds

= What is an RSS Feed and How Do I Use Them? =

Did you ever wonder what this symbol is when you are on a webpage? This is an RSS feed. It is a great way to view the wealth of information on the internet on your own terms. You don't need to go to 25 different sites to read the latest news on a particular topic. With RSS feeds the websites you want come directly to you! You can also use them in your classroom. Check out this quick video to get an idea of what they are and then read the procedure below on how to set them up.

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Locating Feeds and Using Google Reader

 * 1) As with all new technology, it will take a few minutes to set up. However, once you get the hang of it, it goes very quickly.
 * 2) ﻿ ﻿In order to effectively use RSS feeds, the first thing you will need to do is create an account for an RSS reader. This is the location where all of your RSS feeds will go. The most convenient one to use is Google Reader.
 * 3) Go to [|www.google.com] and sign up for a free gmail account.
 * 4) Once you create your account, look along the top of the Google homepage and click "More-> Reader"[[image:GoogleReader_1.jpg width="454" height="311"]]
 * 5) This will bring you to the Google Reader homepage. Once you are there, look at the bottom of the left column and click on "Manage Subscriptions." Click on the tab that says "Goodies."
 * 6) Scroll down until you see the link for "Subscribe as You Surf."
 * 7) You will see a little link that says, "Subscribe." RIGHT CLICK the link and choose "Add to Favorites."
 * 8) A box will open with options on where to save your favorites. You want to choose "Favorites Bar." [[image:Reader_3.jpg width="307" height="175"]]
 * 9) Now in your favorites bar of your browser, you will see a button that says "Subscribe."
 * 10) Go to your favorite websites. Once you are there, you can click on the "Subscribe" button. This will add the RSS feed from that page (if there is one. If there is not, your browser will tell you).
 * 11) You can also click the [[image:rss_logo.jpg width="18" height="16"]] logo on a page and it will bring you to another web page. Copy the URL from that web page.
 * 12) Go back to Google Reader and click the button on the left side that says, "Add a Subscription." Paste the URL in that box. This will also subscribe you to an RSS feed.
 * 13) Now comes the best part!! In Google Reader, all of the subscriptions that you added are now visible. All of your favorite websites are in one spot. Everytime that a site gets updated, it will show up in your Google Reader. Instead of searching all of your sites, they are now in one spot.
 * 14) Check out more ways to access RSS feeds and XML documents by Will Richardson here: [[file:RSS and weblogs.pdf]]

Big Deal...What Do I Use Them for in My Classroom?
Now that you have created RSS feeds in Google Reader, you can start to use them in your classroom. Here a few suggestions:
 * 1) Import your feeds in @Pageflakes
 * 2) Use Google Reader as a way for students to gather current information
 * 3) Use that information as a writing prompt or a journal entry
 * 4) Check out more classroom ideas here.
 * 5) Even more ideas are here.