Educational Uses for RSS

Educational Uses for RSS

http://technologysource.org/article/rss/

Prognoses are hardly ever accurate, yet that is the attraction to this resource.  It gives the 2003 perspective of why this tool would be of value in the future contexts.  It also provides a definition of RSS-rich site summary.   With the educator in mind, this author contextualizes the use of RSS as another tool to network among teachers.  Data sharing is possible between many.  The examples provided help demonstrate the relativity of ease and efficiency that RSS is for teachers.  This site also offers may links so that the information provided in each example is authenticated by real access in an effort to get the reader active with the tools.  The article does reveal its dated feel though it is interesting to see how the forecast was true; this is a pervasive tool.

http://web2practice.jiscinvolve.org/rss-2/

 The United Kingdom continues to provide gainful insight as the Joint Information Systems committee (JISC) offers value to RSS in the realm of college academics.  RSS is defined as ‘really simple syndication’ and offers balanced benefit for both the reader and the source’s host or manager.  RSS as a media asset is itemized for a variety of interested parties.  In an educational context, RSS can be used by researchers for organizing journal entries, blogs, and funding sources; by administrators to be informed about various institutional information, school news, and other notifications; and by teachers for a host of items including monitoring student work, managing wikis, and blogging.   As an academic journal,  (JISC) the perspective given also offered an enriching glimpse into how the Table of Contents of academic publications can be catalogued through a service called ticTOCs (www.tictocs.ac.uk/)  The authors have also provided the reader with ten steps that should be attempted with regard to this tool.  Wisely, readers are encouraged to integrate RSS with wikipages and other sites, as well as accessing RSS through other mobile devices.

http://www.techteachers.com/rss.htm

As a tutorial, this site makes familiarity of use a reality.  As RSS continues to personalize the access to information, this site provides a cache of resources that allow for the user to find the news aggregator of choice and begin to access relevant  sites of interest.   The metaphor of the aggregator as the TV and the RSS being the channels is quite helpful for those who need clarity with the concept of RSS feeds.  The benefits of customization are emphasized and links are provided to help the novice enter access.  Screen shots make the visual connection supportive for teachers who are unsure of their progress.   Practical steps are given for users to subscribe and search for useful sources of news and information.

 

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6632973.html?q=rss+feeds

Screencasting is a digital tool that all progressive teachers should utilize in the digital age.  As a means of independent practice, teachers can support yet provide the opportunity for autonomous self-instruction.   Tutorials are valuable resources that will often support the efforts of the instructor providing technical skills for the varying abilities students have.  RSS feeds are a way to ensure that all relevant resources are available and that students can have immediate access to them.

http://www.socialmedia.biz/2009/07/24/survival-guide-chapter-3-rss-feeds-blogs/

As a compilation of excerpts from her book A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization, author Deltina Hay delivers concise and informative steps for making all Web-based business and interaction more efficient, thus the title.   From a marketing perspective, Chapter 3 of her text engages the issue of using RSS to increase traffic for bloggers and using RSS as the major source to do this.   A major emphasis of this chapter focused on the need to optimize sites to be effective for ease of use and to maximize traffic flow.  Recommendations included editing content for brevity, using appropriate tags and categories, providing accurate links, and adding a signature.  The ultimate goal is to get the site, or more specifically, the blog site more traffic.  One very helpful suggestion was in regard to Wordpress.com and the need to use a separate plug-in that would allow search engines to recognize the PHP code that is use on that site.