Challenge #1: Set up Your RSS Reader

[Vicki Davis]

Do: Set up your personal learning network (PLN) using the RSS reader of your choice.  Set an appointment with yourself for at least fifteen minutes three times during the next week to learn from your PLN.
Share: Comment on at least three blogs or sites in your PLN with your reflections on what they are saying.
Tag: fcc1_pln

 

As you did this challenge, please share screenshots or feedback with everyone about how it went for you.

• What software did you choose?
• Did you find it useful?
• Did you learn anything that you used in your classroom?
• Did you get any response when you commented? Where did you comment?
  

[Mark Meyers]

I posted here about a year ago when I first started using Netvibes.  I still use it on a daily basis on my work desktop machine.  I have found numerous educational blogs and made connections through this method. I tried using Google Reader but found the interface to be cumbersome.  I found a great iPad app called Reeder that makes your Google Reader feed easier to manage so I use that.  I also use Flipboard which incorporates my Twitter and Facebook feeds.  I've lost track of the number of resources I've used in the classroom from finding resources here.  My biggest issue is keeping up with the flood of information.

[Roseanne]

I am using Flipboard on my iPad. We have just introduced 1:1 iPads at our school for Year 8 and 9 students. We do a mini research project with our Year 8 students in a subject called 'Open Learning'. I think this would be a valuable tool for them as they will be able to "pull" information that will aid them in their research and get continuous updates.

Edutopia is one of my favourite sites with links to blogs that I avidly follow (could be called stalking!)- and this is a much better way than bookmarking. Within10 minutes of adding to flipboard I had read 5 articles and commented on two. A time saver :) I commented on http://www.edutopia.org/blog/self-organized-learning-sugata-mitra and have had no responses as yet.

On my work PC I am using Google Reader. I only installed today so it is a work in progress.

[Avylon Magarey]

I have also commented on some blogs, including blogs on the Powerful Learning Practice website and the lovely Roseanne Madden's blog! Its great to get some love back especially the birthday wishes from Lisa Durff. I also got a booklet on how to use twitter better from the PLP people.

[Claudia Felske]

I've been a user of Google Reader for the past year and a half, and just learned it is not long for this world - available through July and then it's going away : (  I've found it to be a very easy way to consolodate news sources and blogs I follow, including my students. This year, I used them in my Acc. Freshman English class and although it hasn't been as seamless as I'd hoped, what I did like was: 1) access: students can use it without signing up for an extra tool, since they have google accoungs 2) choice: students have choices about following subjects their interested in  3) ease of use: since we use Blogger to blog (another Google product) it's all pretty seamless and they can use Reader to follow each others' blogs. One thing that's been a bit of a pain is that commenting requires going to the link for the actual blog and then commenting (an extra step) followed by an annoying verification cryptic code. Small price for a great service. I also believe it's going to help my English Department as we continue to implement ELA Common Core. RSS feeds bring meaningful nonfiction writing (an enormous part of the new common core) to the fingertips, literally, of our students. Once they got the hang of it, students were amazed at how much information is out there. Empowering. #fcc1_pln