Let the Information Find You Presented by Pamela Newman and Mark Hoffman Bucks County Intermediate Unit Doylestown, PA December 10, 2008

What resources do you regularly access as a part of your professional learning? What resources do you regularly recommend to others for their professional learning?

Objectives  Define and compare Web 1.0 and Web 2.0  Understand the concept of RSS and an aggregator  Identify and subscribe to an RSS feed on a website  Access RSS feeds on the aggregator  Identify ways this tool can be used in professional learning

KWLM  Complete K W  Share with group

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

Reign It In The Internet

What is RSS?  Stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary

RSS- Really Simple Syndication You choose the information, and it comes to you.

RSS in Plain English

How does it work?  An RSS aggregator checks the feeds you subscribe to and it collects all the new content from those sites you are subscribed to.  Then, when you’re ready, you open up your aggregator to read the individual stories, file them for later use, click through the site itself, or delete them if they are not relevant.  In other words, you check one site instead of dozens of individual sites.

Sit back and Relax

Step 1: What is a “feed?”  Computer Language- HTML  Blogs, podcasts, news sites, and an ever- growing number of other media sites generate a behind-the-scenes code in a language similar to HTML called XML.  This code, usually referred to as a “feed,” makes it possible for readers to “subscribe” to the content that is created on a particular website so they no longer have to visit the site itself to get it.

Step 2: What is an Aggregator?  An application, either desktop or web based, that allows us to collect the feeds (content) from many websites all in one spot.  Also called Readers  Examples Google Reader Bloglines.com, Netvibes.com, Pageflakes,com

Step 3: The Content

Google Reader in Plain English

KWLM  Review KW  Complete L  Share with group

Using RSS as a learning tool?  RSS has transformed the way that content is distributed, accessed, and processed.  21 st century learners are no longer faced with the challenge of “finding” enough information- rather, they are faced with an avalanche of information.  RSS is one way for learners to locate information more efficiently.

Professional Learning Communities  Educators are professionals who, by nature, are always learning.  Through RSS feed readers, educators create their own learning network and learn from others.

Using RSS as a learning tool?  It is also a way to leverage the talents of millions of individuals to identify truly useful information in the tidal wave of data the internet has become. Mary Harrsch, “RSS: The Next Killer App for Education”

NSDC’s purpose is… Ensuring that every educator engages in effective professional learning every day so every student learns.

KWLM  Review KWL  Complete M  Share with group

Your challenge  Try to become a regular “Reader” over the next month  Find resources that are useful (you will find some that aren’t)resources  Reflect on how many new ideas and resources you have found  Pass along the knowledge

Contact Information Pamela Newman Instructional Technology Specialist Mark Hoffman Director of Instructional Materials & Technology