RSS Lab

As part of this week’s lab, we were asked to create our own RSS Reader page.  We needed to subscribe to four given feeds and then add some from our favorite educational resources.  I have included a screen shot below of my RSS feeds on my Google Reader. 

  

RSS feeds on my Google Reader

Included within my feed are websites that have great ideas and lesson plans, blogs that have become some of my favorite resources, an online journal, a radio show and a professional organization blog.

I was initially drawn to the blog Teaching Mallohitz because of the comic strip picture that the blogger, Erin, attached. I could tell she had a good sense of humor and approached her teaching in a fun manner. There are so many benchmarks and standards that need to be covered that it is often forgotten to enjoy your students and have fun with them. This blog discussed whether it was necessary to have homework in elementary classrooms. I responded to her post below.

Comment on Blog

I also have included another comment on the blog I am following. 

This class was learning how understanding genres helps them to make predictions.

 

Comment on a blog (#2)

Checking my Google Reader became a daily activity as my in-box was filling up every morning with different resources, articles, lesson plans, songs and more!  Since I have been reading what is sent to me so often, I have become very familiar with what type of information each site sends out.  Some of the feeds I am following focus on one topic, while others send out a multitude of information throughout the day and week.  For example, Reading Rockets sends me information solely on literacy, whereas How Stuff Works will send me information on different topics, such as the solar system one day and Steve Jobs the next.

When I was a teacher I taught first grade. Being in the lower elementary hallway of our school did not expose me to the curriculum in higher grades, especially middle school and high school. This assignment was the perfect opportunity for me to see teaching from a different perspective and learn about these grade levels. Free Technology For Teachers was a great resource.  In a recent posting they discussed an interactive periodic table, where instead of students having to carry around a huge Science book, they would be able to access this tool from the classroom and obtain information about each element. What a great resource for middle/high school students and teachers!  This site alone could keep me busy all day (they send a lot of information)! One of the other blogs I follow is called The Whiteboard Blog. It shared information about a 3D Interactive Body website called BioDigital Human.  This tool simplifies the understanding of anatomy, disease and treatments.  Another great tool that is available for that grade level.

I have enjoyed reading the new feeds that I have selected. I have been out of the classroom for a few years now, so I chose sites that incorporated general topics that were going to be helpful in welcoming me back to the teaching world.  For example, classroom management can be a difficult task. One technique may work for one student, while it may not work for another. Therefore, I chose to follow NEA for Classroom Management (http://www.nea.org). It is a feed to keep me updated on different classroom management styles and ideas. Reading the comments of what different teachers have posted and looking at the different activities excites me to get back into the classroom.

I have also learned that I really enjoy reading people’s blogs.  I like to see what a day or activity is like in another educator’s classroom.  Sharing experiences, pictures and ideas with other teachers are so important, as we can learn so much from each other.  One blog that I am a huge fan of is Teaching Mahollitz.  The blogger, Erin, is a lower elementary school teacher who definitely makes learning fun.  She integrates science and math and plays games with the students to help them better understand the concept she is teaching.  She also has other sites and blogs listed that she follows.  I checked them out to see if I would be interested and now I am following some of those as well.  In addition, I am following her on twitter!

I have also learned that RSS feeds are a great time saver! At first it takes time to find quality sites that you want to follow, but once you have some in place it very convenient to have the information sent to you. When I am on the Internet I often get distracted and find myself going on Facebook or checking my mail. I like the idea of having a group of feeds just for educational purposes. This will help to keep me focused on my personal goals of learning about different technologies that I can use in the classroom and just general information to keep me updated in the world of education.

These sites are great for professional development as they keep you updated on current news, whether it be world news or more specifically educational news.  If you are looking to grow in a certain area of your teaching, you can search for certain websites, articles and blogs that will provide you will additional information.  Even better, you will have the opportunity with a lot of these sites to interact with other professionals who want to learn just like you!  Sharing experiences and talking with other educators really allows you to grow and be the best teacher you can be!

I currently work for a computer software company that is focusing on moving customers from On-Premise software to the Hosted solution. I think that the content of my RSS pages that discuss technology are great resources for my setting. I did not start this position with any background in technology, so I am trying to learn as much as I can. Reading different articles and discussions all help me to learn more about this exciting field.

I think that RSS feeds have a lot of potential in my future classroom.  They are a great way to let parents know what is going on in the classroom and school community.  Making suggestions of articles or lessons that I think are important would be beneficial for both the parent and child's education.  Depending on what grade I teach would determine if students would be able to create their own RSS aggregators. Because my experience is in lower elementary grades, I think a classroom feed would be the most appropriate.  Exploring different websites and blogs that reflect information about our Science unit on insects or trips around the world where Flat Stanley has visited would be an awesome project!  Children are so amazed by technology and computers, so I think an activity using an RSS feed would really grab their attention and serve as a good introduction for what is to come in future grades!

Here is a current list of my RSS Feed: