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RSS (Real Simple Syndication) FeedsI have been using RSS for many years starting with a PC application called RSS Reader. Thanks to Google and Web 2.0 technology you can configure Google Reader as your online RSS reader which is much more convenient because you can now access your feeds from any computer. As a teacher I primarily I use RSS for deal shopping and this means taking advantage of websites like:
Being able to aggregate all of the deal sites is great for finding stuff that is free, close to free, clearance, or a really good deal. It is especially nice around the holidays when the Black Friday deals start to leak. However, I must give you a word of caution about these sites. Deal shoppers have a saying, "I'm saving so much money that I'm going broke" so please deal shop responsibly.
Next up on my RSS feed lists are sites that I pull technology education material from:
On Friday in my classroom I have "Big Idea Day" where I typically show a TED video then have a followup activity like a debate, journal, or hands-on activity. Lifehacker is great website for random tips on everything from working more productively to fixing electronics to staying healthy. Slashdot is a website with the tag-line, "News for Nerds and Stuff that Matters" and if you want to be a geek, you have to read Slashdot every day or hour. Slashdot used to be one of the biggest blogs on the Internet and posting a link to a website on Slashdot would generate so much traffic that it could crush any website and the term "The Slashdot Effect" was coined. Tom's Hardware is a great blog for learning about new technology and the relative price performance of the new technology. I rely on Tom to guide me to the best hardware and then provide a guide on how to overclock or modify it for even more performance.
Two of the heavy sites on my list are:
MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) started putting all of it's courses online way before the idea was en-vogue and you can now experience nearly any MIT course online for free. This is a great website for learning and reteaching even though YouTube Channels like Khan Academy have stolen the limelight in recent times, MIT was "kicking it oldschool" using RealAudio and RealPlayer before YouTube even came on the scene. Another topic I follow is religion and the Experimental Theology blog is in my opinion one of the most thought provoking Christian blogs on the Internet today. One of my favorite blogs posts is The Bait and Switch of Contemporary Christianity.
Mike. Great post. You really covered the spectrum here. I love the bargain hunting feeds! Now I just need to find some money to spend on those bargains...
ReplyDeleteMike. As I said before I really love how you opened up and did more than just 5 feeds. I could really see that you use these tools already and really get some use out of them. Your enthusiasm has inspired my enthusiasm! Great work finding useful tools for teachers and breaking them down.
ReplyDeleteI really love the bargain tools. Since I have read your post I have found three things on sale that I needed and was able to get them much cheaper than I would have going to a retail store.