Book: RSS for Educators

  • 1997 – First Website
  • 1999 – First Weblog
  • 2004 – First Podcast
  • 2005 – First Presentation at NECC (on RSS)
  • 2008 – First Book Published

Beginning in March, 2008, my book RSS for Educators will be available through ISTE and Amazon.com. Begun in the spring of 2006, it contains lesson ideas and classroom examples for educators who wish to leverage the power of blogs, newsfeeds, podcasts, and wikis in the classroom. Read the review of my book by Professor Andy Brovey.

This book came about from my own experiences as an instructional technologist, my 2005 presentation at NECC, and my own personal interest in the so-called Read/Write Web.

By purchasing the book through the link on the right, you help support johnhendron.net!

Resources for RSS for Educators

The Read/Write Web is ripe for innovation, and it’s happening everyday! Parts of the book are now 2 years old; the latest resources are a year old. That’s not to say they no longer exist! But some go out of fashion, and some are still emerging on the scene. I plan to add content here that supplants the resources I have provided in the book.

Weblinks

  • 5min.com – www.5min.com – One of several emerging “how-to” video hosting services. You can subscribe to new submissions via RSS.
  • Cool Tools for Schools – http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com -Why re-list so many interesting sites? A wiki space that highlights a lot of Web. 2.0 tools with potential application in schools today.
  • diigo – http://groups.diigo.com – Diigo is a website that allows users to annotate webpages with their own comments and ideas. Their groups support RSS, where multiple users tag and comment on different webpages. Diigo is used by many as an online research tool.
  • drop.io – http://drop.io/ – Drop.io is a convenient tool for exchanging files between users online; it creates RSS feeds for files you upload, and can be used as a podcast publishing platform.
  • elgg – http://elgg.org – Elgg, like Ning, is a platform for creating your own social network, including blogs, podcasts, and full RSS support.
  • G-Cast – http://www.gcast.com/ – GCast allows you to phone-in podcasts without using the computer; similar to the technique I mention in the book with Odeo.
  • Google Alerts – Google Alerts via RSS – You can now order your own custom Google searches delivered to you not only via e-mail (old-school) but now via RSS feed (new feature)
  • IceRocket – IceRocket – this is a “meta” style search engine that tracks the latest trends found through read-write tools (blogs, news) and supports RSS feeds for your search queries.
  • Jottit – http://jottit.com – Part blog, part wiki, all-webpage, Jottit allows anyone with an e-mail address to post their ideas online. You can track changes via RSS.
  • Ning – www.ning.com – Ning streamlines the creation of your own social network. Users in a Ning community get a blog, and RSS support is to be found in about every feature.
  • OpenEducational Resources – www.oercommons.org – a place to track emerging, free tools for educators.
  • Shared Copy – http://www.sharedcopy.com – Add sticky notes that other users can see to webpages. Similar to diigo.com.
  • SketchCast – http://sketchcast.com – Modeled after video sharing services, it allows users to create video sketches with audio commentary. You can track a user’s sketches via RSS.
  • Sound Snap – www.soundsnap.com – A sound effects sharing library – for sharing your own audio clips, and finding others to use in projects. You can subscribe to a category of sound effects via RSS.
  • Vimeo – www.vimeo.com – Similar to You Tube, a video posting/hosting service that allows users to subscribe to videos, comment on videos, and plug video content into blogs. First to support HD videos.
  • VoiceThread – http://voicethread.com – Modeled after video sharing services, it allows users to create digital stories and sketches by uploading pictures, and allows viewers to leave audio and text-based comments. VoiceThreads can be embedded into blog posts.
  • WebWare – www.webware.com – Webware is a blog by C-Net that tracks new and developing Web 2.0 applications. Their 2007 awards highlight some of the more popular Web 2.0 applications, many of which support RSS.
  • Write With – http://writewith.com – A classic example of Web 2.0, a sociable, online word processor. Similar to Google Docs.
  • Yahoo! Mash – http://mash.yahoo.com – Social networking site from Yahoo! for sharing links, messages, and interests; tight integration of RSS services. Replaces their 360 service mentioned in the book.

Worksheets

© 2011 The Integration Lab, LLC