Thing #10

As a news junkie, I already had a Google Reader account, but from what I remember it was very simple to create - just a few clicks here, a few clicks there. Adding and removing feeds is very simple (I have PLENTY of experience here) - you simply click "add a subscription" and to remove one you simply click on "manage subscriptions," check the box next to the ones that you do not want/do not like and then click "unsubscribe."

I liked this post much more than the previous one. To me, the RSS feed perfectly represents the promise of technology. RSS feeds put the news of the world at your fingertips. I am currently subscribed to many feeds, but my 5 favorites are NPR politics, Real Clear Politics, Scientific American, The Economist, and NY Times: Mideast News. Each day, in just a few minutes, I can catch up on what is happening in politics, science, and the economy.

The possibilities for using this technology in the classroom are limitless. As a future government teacher, one of the major things I want to stress to my students is that they need to keep up with current events. RSS feeds are a ridiculously easy way to do this. The best part is that you can subscribe to diverse feeds (like CNN and FOX News), which makes it very easy to broaden your horizons.

Although I did not do this today, when I get into the classroom I will certainly create a public page for my students to use. One assignment that I envision for my students is to read the news and write summaries of stories that strike them. If I create a public page, I can provide them with one place to find enough stories to complete their assingment, plus I can screent the stories/sources to ensure that they are appropriate.

What do you think? Do you use news aggregators? Will you use them in the classroom? To be more controversial - Is there anything not to love about RSS?