RSS Feed Reflection

RSS Feed Reflection

I am currently using Google Reader to collect my RSS feeds. Before this course, I had no idea what RSS was or how to collect “feeds.” I asked my tech-savvy cousin if she was familiar with RSS feeds. Of course, as a web-designer she did. For this course I subscribed to the following feeds: Technology and Learning, NPR Topics: Education, Weblogg-ed, and Literacy Education Updates. I also subscribed to some RSS feeds of my own such as: MDE-Michigan Department of Education, New York Times-Arts, ArtNews, NPR and of course Sports Illustrated.

The blog article that caught my eye was one by Will Richardson at http://willrichardson.com/post/11028447664/no-quick-fix#disqus_thread. 

The blog was titled, No Quick Fix. The article brings attention to when there is a change needed, instead of changing our schools why don’t we ask, “How do we change ourselves.” Unfortunately, many people do not think that way. I responded with the comment below.

I have witnessed this multiple times in my 5 short years as a teacher. When teachers are told they are going to have to change the way they do something, they demand for new books to follow, programs to implement or compensation in some way. I don't think getting new math books will improve our students' success, I believe it is the delivery of the information that will cause the "change."

I have found in my short time using an RSS Feed reader that the topics change quite frequently. One day the New York Times-Arts will flood my Google Reader with articles on the latest gallery openings and ballets, and others the MDE will have multiple articles on the MEAP. I tend to see a lot of art-related topics on my feed due to my subscriptions. Some of the other subscriptions must not update as often as Artnews and The New York Times.

Using Google Reader I have explored many of the links and categories on the side. I clicked on Trend thinking that it would show me what is trending on Google Reader, giving me good articles to read and instead I find out what I have done in the last 30 days.

I think that having students create an RSS Reader page would be perfect for a current events class. I think that it could be modified to fit in my curriculum as well, if I asked students to follow art related news source to integrate into my teachings.