RSS stands for Rich Site Summary, a format for delivering regularly changing web content. The purpose of RSS feeds are “to have web sites of your choice deliver their latest news directly to your monitor. So instead of having to visit 14 different places to get your weather, sports, favorite photos, latest gossip, or latest political debates, you just go to one screen and see it combined ("aggregated") into a single window.” For educators interested in the latest technology, this means being able to browse many sites quickly to locate the most relevant news.
There are many types of RSS aggregators. Feedly, RSS Feed Aggregator for Chrome, and Digg are three that I have tried. Feedly and Digg both have a very pleasant interface with a magazine-like look. RSS Feed Aggregator for Chrome has a more basic look but is very simple to use. Many websites today are RSS feed enabled. This means you can subscribe to the site and receive updates through a feed reader when new content arrives. One great advantage of using RSS is all of your sites update in one place as soon as they are updated on the web. This is much better than having to receive numerous emails. In addition, you do not have to open the entire web site in order to read the newest posts.
RSS feeds can have many uses in the classroom. Examples may be helping your students to keep up with current events, helping students evaluate sites to look for the most reliable information, or listen to literature and improve comprehension skills through podcasts. Three ways to use RSS feeds could be most useful in the classroom would be to help promote global understanding, promote authentic learning, or introduce a daily bit of inspiration.
Promoting global understanding is paramount in our ever-changing, always connected world. Students are exposed to so much through social media and news sites, and yet they don’t always know how to filter this mass of information. A teacher may choose to create a news feed that focuses on other cultures and lifestyles that differ from their students’. This can help young people to develop understanding, promote empathy, and help them to realize that there is a world outside of their own. Students can compare and contrast religion, types of government, and make historical connections. RSS feeds can provide a window into the world.
Authentic learning is a constructivist approach that encourages students to explore real-world problems that are relevant to them. When students see a connection to their world, they are motivated to investigate and reflect more deeply. The teacher can direct students to live feeds such as zoo cams, weather centers, or news blogs and help them connect to sites that are meaningful and important to them. Data collection becomes much more meaningful when students can apply it to real life.
A third usefulness of RSS feeds could be to provide daily inspiration to the classroom. Beautiful photographs from a photo blog or a poem of the day can motivate students to begin their day with positive thinking. Teachers can spark students’ interests, allowing them to journal, or even create their own blog, as a morning activity. A simple photograph with a thought provoking quote can promote discussion and collaboration among students.
The uses in the classroom for RSS feeds are as numerous as the feeds themselves. By tailoring their newsfeeds to their students’ interests and needs, teachers can create valuable tools for learning.
Information Avalanche Rescue: RSS Feeds in the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2016, from http://eduscapes.com/sessions/rss/
What Does “RSS” Stand For? (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2016, from http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/rssandlivewebfeeds/f/rss.htm
Joanna, which RSS reader did you settle on? I ask because I was a Bloglines user, then a Google Reader user, than an Old Reader user. I switched when the program was bought by a larger company and rendered useless (e.g., Bloglines) or when the company ceased or was rumoured to be ceasing (e.g., Google Reader and Old Reader). I settled on Feedly and use it in EDTech537 because it was the closest to Google Reader, which was the best of the ones I had used over the years.
ReplyDeleteI tried both Digg and the RSS Aggregator for Chrome for my Edtech 501 class. I subscribed to all of my classmates' learning logs plus a few other news feeds on both of those. On Feedly, I subscribed to all of our classes' blogs plus a few others. RSS Aggregator is very simple to use and update, but it has two downsides: The interface is just a list and I cannot view my feeds on my mobile devices. Feedly and Digg are pretty similar. They both have a pleasant magazine-style interface, which can be modified to various settings depending on the user's preference. They also both have mobile apps which make them very handy when I'm not at home. So far, I think I like Feedly best and will continue to use it after the semester is completed.
DeleteJoanna, thanks for this feedback. I went straight to Feedly from The Old Reader, largely upon the recommendation of colleagues. So I haven't really tested out many of the others that are on the market right now, which is why it is good to hear that is measures up well.
DeleteHi! I like the idea of using RSS for current events. I am following Popular Science blogs on my Feedly (used it from another class and am continuing with it). I follow a few other science blogs too to help integrate current events in my own lessons, never had I thought about my students creating their own RSS feeds to follow science information and incorporate them in their own blogs and classroom discussions. Thanks for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteJoanna,
ReplyDeleteI use RSS reader for my Social Studies classes. I've found that its easier for the students to gain information without having the hassle of searching news outlets and over stimulating the students. I use Feedly as a way to filter news outlets for the students. Giving a little direction on the outlets I want the students to use, this helps them identify what is appropriate and not in terms of reading news outlets.