Saturday, January 19, 2019

Blogs and Blog Readers


RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.  An RSS feed reader allows a user to subscribe, collect, organize, and read content posted on multiple websites in one location.  Gone are the days of hopping from one website to the next searching for new content.  RSS feed reader tracks, updates, and collects the new content in one location.  

To get started, first select your preferred RSS feed reader.  There are many to choose from, but I will list only three here.

Feedly

Inoreader

The Old Reader


Next, Download applications to your preferred devices.

Then, sign-up for an account.

Finally, start subscribing to the news outlets of your choice; such as blogs, podcasts, news feeds, social media network, or any website news outlet of interest to you.  Any new content posted by these news outlets will be placed in your RSS feed reader que.  When you are ready to read the new content visit your feed reader website or app.

For my RSS feed reader needs, I chose Feedly.  Feedly is a web-based application that is also available on iOS and Android devices.  I like having the option to use it on my computer, tablet, or mobile phone.  Feedly has over 14 million users and favorable reviews for its iOS application.  I don’t like working out the kinks on start-up technology.  For that reason, I typically choose technology that has a strong following.  With that many users, Feedly is likely to be reliable and will be around for a long while.  

I add the following blogs to my new Feedly account.  Here is what I chose and why I chose them.

Learning Through Literature
Learning Through Literature is a blog created by a mother daughter team who also happen to be my neighbors.  They both have a background in education and home schooling and know the value of good literature in a child’s life.  According to Learning Through Literature, the blog posts are created to help you, “Nurture your children’s soul through excellent books.”

Library Lessons
Library Lessons blog is the inspiration of Rebecca Granatini and Maureen Schlosser.  Together they coauthored Lessons Inspired by Picture Books for Primary Grades.  Both women are experienced educators.  Schlosser is a retired librarian, writer for Knowledge Quest, presenter at various library conferences, and published in the Library Journal.  Library Lessons features lessons, tied to the national library standards, on picture books. 

Class Tech Tips
Dr. Monica Burns is an EdTech consultant, published author, and founder of Class Tech Tips blog.  Her blog is dedicated to providing practical information for incorporating technology into the classroom.  In addition to her blog she also offers books, courses, workshops, and speaking engagements.

School Librarian in Action
Zarah Gagatiga, creator of School Librarian in Action, is an active blogger since 2005.   Her blog posts represent a variety of school library related topics; such as bulletin boards, author visits, education technology, book and movie reviews, etc.  The School Librarian in Action provides an eclectic variety of interesting school library related content.

Knowledge Quest
Okay, I feel like I cheated by choosing Knowledge Quest.  It’s not breaking news that Knowledge Quest provides great content.  Knowledge Quest is different from the other blogs I’ve mentioned because they produce numerous posts from many different contributors each week.  For example, this week Knowledge Quest posted nine articles all written by different authors.  By following Knowledge Quest, you are sure to get current relevant information from experienced school librarians.    


I’m new to Tumblr.  Check it out https://jangelar.tumblr.com/
 
Sources:
Barrett, B. (2018. March 30). It’s time for an RSS revival. Retrieved from Wired website https://www.wired.com/story/rss-readers-feedly-inoreader-old-reader/
 
Schlosser, M. & Granatini, R. (2019). Lessons inspired by picture books for primary grades. Chicago, Il: American Association of School Librarians.  

Tiwari, A. (2018, July 24). 6 best RSS reader apps for 2018: Get your daily dose of RSS feeds. Retrieved from Fossbytes website https://fossbytes.com/best-rss-reader-apps/
 
Volvovski, V. (2018, September 21). The 10 best free RSS reader apps for 2018. Retrieved from Zapier website https://zapier.com/blog/best-rss-feed-reader-apps/

5 comments:

  1. Anglea,
    I preferred Feedly too. Thank you for sharing the 3 blogs that you follow. I wasn't currently following any of them. I went ahead and added them to my Feedly Feed. Can't wait to see what they offer.
    Heather

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your blog post! I haven't used many of the RSS feed readers in the past; however, I love how you can follow your favorite blogs all in one place! Inoreader was my favorite. :)

    Thanks for sharing your favorite blogs! I always love to find new people to follow. It is a wonderful way to get new ideas!

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  3. Hi Angela!
    I had a very similar post to yours! I do not regularly keep a blog for my classroom/library, but I plan to in the future. For now I love following the blogs of others because I think they are a wealth of knowledge and ideas! The ones that you chose are not ones I presently follow, so I will add them to my list!
    Good job!:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for your insightful post. Its a struggle to manage and keep up with blogs but RSS feeds really help out a lot! I have learned so much with blog and the knowledge of fellow teachers.

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  5. Feedly was more my speed too. Very thoughtful of you to share what "RSS" meant. I honestly never thought about it until I read your post. Associated acronyms are very good things to know! Great job!

    ReplyDelete

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