Blogging Newbies...Welcome to the World of RSS!

Even though it's been a couple of weeks since I started my blog, I think it would be safe to say that the world of blogging is something that many of us are still getting used to.  And with each passing day, it seems as though there's something new to be learned.  But that's just it...we live in an ever changing world, so we can't help but keep up with all of the latest trends.  Well, I'm not sure if you would call RSS a trend, but whatever you call it, it's pretty amazing! RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is just that...simple!  RSS allows you to subscribe to content from various weblogs so that you can save the time of having to visit each individual blog, but still have access to all of the information that interests you.

It's pretty simple to set up, too!  Although there are many RSS feeds to subscribe to, I've chosen to use Google.  Many people use Google for the convenience it offers as a search engine, but there's so much more behind searching for key words.  Google offers many options to anyone who is willing to learn.  With access to Blogger, Google Drive, Gmail, and yes, you guessed it, Google Reader, the World Wide Web is offering more convenience than ever before.  

And the best part...it's easy to use!  Since Google Reader is attached to your Google account, there's no need to create any more usernames or try to come up with anymore catchy passwords.  It's all in the same place.  But, where do you start?  After creating a Google account, you can begin to subscribe to all of the blogs you want.  Blogs that interest you of course.  So say, for example, you want to keep up on all things related to the Common Core State Standards.  Once you find blogs that will help you keep up with all things Common Core, all you do is subscribe to that blog.  Just look for the subscribe button, and voilà!  Your Google Reader will automatically feed anything related to the Common Core into your account.  This way, there's no more time wasted clicking from blog to blog trying to find what you're looking for.  

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs

Blogging:

Communicating.

Creating.

Sharing.

Exploring.

Thinking.

Welcome to the world of classrooms today.  With the many technological advances taking place within our schools, children are being provided with more ways than ever to communicate with their teachers, peers, and others from around the globe.  Evidently, teachers who spend the most time teaching their students how to properly and effectively blog, have the most success.  Blogging provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their learning by achieving curricular standards in new ways.  With creativity, students are able to showcase their best work that will reach an audience beyond the classroom setting.  Blogging allows students the opportunity to respond to blog posts, to carry a conversation, and most importantly, interact with with others.  Students are able to develop a sense of global awareness through blogging.  Many blogging sites such as The Global Read Aloud, allows students to report responses to a common text while collaborating globally with students.  Participating in a blog like this allows students to understand how students from different countries interpret a common work of literature.