RSS Page Reflection Part II

I have learned a lot from keeping up with my RSS feeds.  In particular, I have enjoyed NPR Education and TUAW.  NPR Education keeps me up to date with national education news.  They have issues relating to legislation, research-based approaches to teaching, and trends in schools.  TUAW is all about Apple products and third-party accessories.  I've been an avid reader of TUAW for the past 3-4 years, and have found that the RSS feed saves me a little bit of time each day.

For the past couple weeks I have been following CNET, CNN Education, EduTech Today, History.com. ISTE Connects, NPR Education, Science Daily, Techlearning, TUAW, and Weblogg-ed on Google Reader.  I commented on a blog post from TUAW awhile back.

Part of our assignment is to demonstrate proof that we have been checking our RSS reader regularly.  Here's a screenshot showing the # of articles that I read (orange) versus the # of articles posted (blue).

We were also asked to demonstrate that we can gain from other sites.  I was a Twitter skeptic going into this assignment, but must say that I've been impressed with the community.  I posted a question to the #edchat hash tag, and received feedback within an hour.  I had four people answer my question and even provide unsolicited, helpful links!


Reading my RSS feeds will help me help teacher integrate technology into their classrooms more effectively.  I get to learn about new technology hardware and software, ways to use Twitter and Facebook in the classroom, and what other teachers are doing across the country.

Getting Things Done

According to David Allen, there are 5 stages to Getting Things Done: Collect, Process, Organize, Review, and Do.

My Process
In order to collect, I ordered the Rolodex 23360 Mahogany Desk Tray (pictured left).  While I wait for it to arrive, I am using the cardboard piece from a case of water.  Yeah, it's going to be a significant upgrade.  Anyway, as soon as I get something to do, or to review, I put it my cardboard tray.  This includes things from my principal, requests from a teacher, or anyone else.  If I have to, I'll write on a sheet of paper, and put that in my inbox.

Conclusion
Going through this process actually seemed like a natural thing to do.  It has certainly de-cluttered my desk.  Following some form of this process will actually help me keep my desk cleaner, and help me make sure I don't forget to complete any tasks.  I do see myself using this process in the future.

Social Networking

In the beginning...
I wasn't a fan of social networks.  Back in 2004 MySpace was all the rage, and Facebook was really just getting started.  As an RA, my boss recommended that I join Facebook to connect with the incoming Freshmen.  I didn't see the point, but figured that it couldn't hurt (and I liked my job, so did it to appease my boss).  I'm glad that I was forced into joining Facebook.  It did help me connect with the new students, and taught me the basics of how to use a social network at work.

How it Fits (for teachers)
As a teacher, I have used Facebook to send reminders about upcoming tests and tutoring sessions, as a megaphone for general school news, to chat/private message students after school hours, and to share selected things about myself.  Teachers should, of course, exercise common sense with this last part.  You want your students to know that you are in fact human, but you don't want to share too much.  If you wouldn't want your most uptight parent reading it, you probably shouldn't post it.

How it Fits (for students)
Students use Facebook to varying degrees.  I don't know if it's fair to say that all students are posting status updates between classes and on bathroom breaks from their phones--but some certainly are.  Some students share too much personal information online, while others are petrified of sharing anything (or their parents have banned them from using the site).  From an educational standpoint, most students that have Facebook accounts and teachers that use a Facebook account, will "friend" their teacher.

My Advice
If teachers plan to use Facebook or other social networks, they should start with realistic goals.  Have fun, be creative, and stay safe with it.  Just don't screw it up for the rest of us! ;)

RSS Page Reflection

What I Did
In addition to adding the required feeds to my Google Reader, I added Science Daily: The Latest Science News, TUAW: The Unofficial Apple Weblog, CNN Education, and History.com: This Day in History.  It was kind of a fun process.  I was able to search local newspapers from various places I have lived as well as sports teams--just for fun.  I knew about RSS feeds, but I guess I did not realize how prevalent they have become.

I commented on TUAW about a custom-made iOS stand.  Some guy created a stand that holds an iPad, iPod Classic, and iPhone.  It also has a slot for a pen and iPad dock connector (to the keyboard).  I know it might seem silly, but it can really cut down on clutter, and help people from temporarily losing their devices.

What I Learned
As I expected, there was a lot of information coming from each of the feeds.  I already visit some of the sites daily.  Ever since I have been using Google Reader, I have been able to scan the articles more quickly to determine whether or not I want to read the whole thing.

One of the articles from CNN was written by Michelle Rhee, the former Washington DC superintendent.  Her argument was that school districts should get rid of their "last in, first out" policy regarding layoffs.  As the absolute low man on the totem pole (I was hired a little over a month ago), it is easy for me to agree with this. But it does make sense.  Some veteran teachers are ineffective, while others break rules and get suspended.  But when it comes time to layoff teachers, those teachers are safe, and the most recent hires are let go.  While I was well aware of this policy, I did not know that such a big name was touting reform nationwide.  I do not think she will be successful (at least not this year), but I sure hope she is!

Using Google Reader will make me better at my job.  Articles are constantly being published about new hardware and software.  I actively seek these articles out because I think they are fun to read.  It is now also my job to look for new, better ways for teachers to teach, and students to learn--using technology.  Google Reader will pull in a lot of the articles that I would have probably read anyway--but the whole process will be faster.

Blogs vs. Traditional Websites

Blogs
Blogs really are a niche website.  They typically display information that has been posted most recently at the top of the page, with progressively older information appearing further down the page.  Advantages of using blogs are that they are easy to create and update, can be edited using simple blog creation Internet applications (e.g. Blogger and Wordpress) and mobile devices, and often require little or no programming skills.

Traditional Websites
Traditional websites can contain more information than blogs, and display that information in easy-to-find locations.  Whereas blogs constantly display new information at the top of the page, traditional websites typically show stagnant information.  While this admittedly sounds boring, it can be very useful for users that are trying to access information that does not change regularly (e.g. contact information).

Summary
Blogs and traditional websites both have a future in web publishing.  They accomplish different tasks.  When used appropriately, they can be very useful.