A Look at RSS

As a child growing up I was never very interested in news or current events. The biggest reason why is because it was something that I considered boring. Many children in today’s society also suffer from the same problem. Parents and educators realize that we can keep our children entertained with technological toys and gadgets. Cell phones, laptops, iPods, eReaders, gaming devices, and more are one way that we keep our children happy with electronic fun. Now there is a way to encourage to children to read and stay more informed about what is going on in the world around them. Children and adults can subscribe to RSS feeds to stay connected with news and happenings in their favorite areas; whether it is in sports, fashion, music, or animals.

According to the University of California at Berkeley's Library, RSS, or Real Simple Syndication, is technology that delivers frequently updated content on the web. In order to receive these updates, you need a reader. There are web-based readers such as Google Reader and NetVibes that can be accessed from any computer or other Internet device. Also, you can install RSSOwl, Feed Demon, or other desktop-based RSS readers. With any of these readers, the user can chose certain websites to include on their readers. The biggest advantage of the RSS reader is the ability to customize the news, blogs, or articles that come into the feed. This is a useful time-saver, since you do not have to go from website to website to read the information.

Since I already have a Google account, I chose to use Google Reader for my online reader. Setup was simple; all I had to do was click on Google Reader and everything was already done for me. The most difficult part was deciding which websites to include in my feed. The goal was to keep everything based in technology or education, but I could not resist checking out the Day in Rock Report and The Daily Treat: Animal Planet. These were both a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed reading the postings. Normally I would not take the time the look at these websites, but the RSS readers gave me a chance to check things quickly. Google Reader is easy to use, but I did not like it as much as my installed reader. I do like the fact that it can be accessed anywhere I go, but the layout was not very appealing to me. There is just too much information all bunched together and I found myself skimming very quickly through the updates.

For the installed reader, I decided to try RSSOwl. Installation was quick and easy, and I was able to import the subscriptions from Google Reader into RSSOwl. My favorite part of this desktop reader is that a window will pop up to let you know when your feeds update. It also appears less cluttered on the screen, and was easier for me to read. Another nice feature is that the new information is bolded, and once you click on it, the text goes to normal.

My experiences with the RSS readers has been very positive. I think that with a little guidance my students could set up RSS readers. Last week we started blogging in class, and I could have students use the RSS feeds to find information for the blogs. Previously the students would do a Google search on technology, which caused some frustration and wasted time. I really think that students would enjoy having some of their favorite websites included in the RSS feeds. There are many teachers and administrators who could benefit from this time-saving tool. Content teachers in Science, Social Studies, and English could subscribe to specific sites to incorporate in the curriculum. Administrators could stay informed of trends in education through several sites such as EduCause, and could encourage teachers to use RSS readers.

It has been difficult to follow all of my classmates' blogs, and keep up with ten other RSS feeds for this assignment. However, I have really learned so much through this activity, and there are a couple of feeds that I will continue to read. One of these is Stephen Downes' blog. He is Canadian researcher who encourages the use of online tools in education. His writing style is humorous, and at times very blunt. He is very passionate about using technology in education. Two others that I really like are TechCrunch and Wired. These sites provide so much information about changing technology, and although the focus is not specifically technology in education; it provides a lot of insight into the potential of using technology.

Since beginning my classes in Educational Technology, there have been so many new tools to incorporate into my classroom. Many of them are very intimidating and somewhat challenging to use. However, the RSS readers is something that anyone can use, and it is such a time-saving device.

My path to learning Open Source

It is my understanding that the term free software existed before the term open source came around.  Open source software is free to download, and can run on multiple platforms such as Windows and others.  Also, the source code is available and open, so open source applications can be customized by the user. 

There appears to be a great debate between the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation over the correct terminology.  According to the definition of free software, the Open Source  Initiative group has started using the term “open source” to mean something close to “free software.” The Free Software Foundation argues for the term “free software” because, once you have heard that it refers to freedom rather than price, it calls to mind freedom. Their philosophy is that the word “open” does not refer to freedom.


Proprietary apps are usually purchased, and the source code is usually closed to prevent the user from changing the software .  The most commonly used proprietary software in our middle school is Microsoft Office, and at our high school it is MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite 3.

Through my research, I learned that many  Open Source applications are generally licensed under GNU General Public License, GPLv2 and GPLv3.  To be honest, I was not aware of any of this licensing information.

Several classmates have already mentioned Open Office and Moodle as open source applications that are great and useful in education.  One that I would like to try is Blender.  It is a 3d graphics application that can be used for video editing.  I have heard that it can be a bit difficult to use, but have no experience with it.  It is something that I would love to try!

Additional sources included in my research:

http://www.damicon.com/resources/opensoftware.html

http://software.ivertech.com/_ivertechArticle13894_OpenSourceSoftwarevsProprietarySoftware.htm

Introduction

Hi!  This is my 13th year teaching Spanish.  Currently, I'm employed in Knob Noster, previously splitting time between the high school and middle school for 5 years before switching to full-time at the middle school.  This year I was asked to take on an additional prep called High School Readiness Tools, which is a combination of many topics.  It's a new class, required for all 8th graders.  To be honest, I am still developing the curriculum; so far the focus is on technology and computer skills, digital citizenship, information literacy, and introducing tools such as digital lockers and homework drop boxes.  I get to teach in a classroom with the oldest computers in the building (which I call "the dinosaurs"), and the students get lots of practice troubleshooting simple problems.


This is the 4th semester working towards my MS in Educational Technology; my plan is to finish in December of this year!!  Last summer I completed 2 classes in 6 weeks, which was absolutely nuts!  So, this summer I want to focus on my family and some projects around the house.


The last good book I read was written by the daughter of one of my high school friends.  The amazing thing is that this young lady is currently a sophomore in high school.  The book is called "Partal" and is very good if you consider the age of the author!