Ever feel swamped by all the info on the web? Yes, then these tools are for you! "Read" on...

What is RSS? RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication, and according to Will Richardson(an expert on education and web tools), "...if you're an educator, I think it's the one technology that you should start using today, right now, this minute. And tomorrow, you should teach your students to use it." (Richardson: Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tolls for Classrooms.  He's got some great material if this Wiki interests you...check out his work!)

The Basics of RSS:

*Blogs and lots of websites have a code running in the background

*That code, XML, makes it possible for people to "subscribe" to the feed (activity) on that page

*By subscribing to an RSS "feed," you are updated on what's happening on that page without having to GO to individual websites

*Your RSS Feed information is sent to a 'Reader'

*You go to your reader (one page) and click through the updates--read some, delete some, share some, hold some for later...all up to you...on ONE page without clicking on tens of websites

*HOW COOL! The web comes to you instead of the other way around

The Basics of a Reader

*You set it up by picking a platform--the most popular starters are Google Reader, and Bloglines, 

*Start to subscribe to feeds by clicking on the orange 'feed' button on websites and blogs (newspapers, blogs, other websites, etc)

*Set it up to search the web for you--very handy! You set up key word search terms and the reader will search the web for any recent action with those words.  (locations, events, schools, names, types of disabilities, lesson content, etc can all come to you)

*You go to your reader however often you want (once a day is a good habit). There are the web topics and site action most interesting to you all on ONE PAGE.

*You go to your reader (one page) and click through the updates--read some, delete some, share some, hold some for later...all up to you...on ONE page

Keep in Mind:

*It takes a little time to adjust to this...give it a chance to become a habit

*At first it might feel like it isn't saving you time...again, give it a chance to become a behavior that is the way you process the millions of pieces of information on the web

*Update your search terms if you aren't getting what you want

*You might find those e-mail updates from various websites are now annoying and cluttering up your inbox