RSS, Feeds and Aggregators: Maximizing Benefits for Teachers and Students Alike Esperanza Román-Mendoza George Mason University eromanme @ gmu.edu http://eroman.wordpress.com http://slideshare.net/elearningxxi/eurocall09workshop EUROCALL 2009 Pre-conference Workshop Escuela Polit écnica Superior de Gandía September 9, 2009

Overview RSS / Content syndication Setting up an account with Google Reader Setting up an account with Pageflakes Integration in the FL curriculum Sources

RSS / Content syndication

Setting up an account with Google Reader

Setting up an account with Pageflakes

Integration in the FL curriculum

Sources

Why? Internet expansion – Social Web Constant launching of services, applications and tools Information overload Opportunities for exposure to authentic language use Urgent need to apply strategies to find, sort out, categorize, and reuse information

Internet expansion – Social Web

Constant launching of services, applications and tools

Information overload

Opportunities for exposure to authentic language use

Urgent need to apply strategies to find, sort out, categorize, and reuse information

RSS in plain English http://dotsub.com/view/69aa48a4-a95f-4bc8-a511-bb0a1ee95e12

RSS / Content Syndication Content syndication is the process by which a reader chooses to periodically receive content published by a given source by means of a subscription. Markup language: XML Two leading XML dialects ATOM & RSS Rich Site Summary, Really Simple Syndication or RDF (Resource Description Framework) Site Summary Content syndication has been around since 1997. RSS since 1999. Documents enabled for syndication via XML are called feeds , news or news feeds News aggregators: Google Reader, Bloglines Start pages: MyYahoo, iGoogle Social personalized start pages: Netvibes & Pageflakes

Content syndication is the process by which a reader chooses to periodically receive content published by a given source by means of a subscription.

Markup language: XML

Two leading XML dialects ATOM & RSS

Rich Site Summary, Really Simple Syndication or RDF (Resource Description Framework) Site Summary

Content syndication has been around since 1997. RSS since 1999.

Documents enabled for syndication via XML are called feeds , news or news feeds

News aggregators: Google Reader, Bloglines

Start pages: MyYahoo, iGoogle

Social personalized start pages: Netvibes & Pageflakes

RSS Sources Blog posts and comments Wiki edits and discussions Podcasts and videocasts Microblogging updates Lifestream entries News and other regularly updated information Results of queries performed in repositories, search engines, directories, and databases Tags and favorites created by users (for instance in Delicious, Amazon, Flickr, Gmail, YouTube, Google Reader) Almost anything, by converting it previously with tools such as Page2rss or Feedity

Blog posts and comments

Wiki edits and discussions

Podcasts and videocasts

Microblogging updates

Lifestream entries

News and other regularly updated information

Results of queries performed in repositories, search engines, directories, and databases

Tags and favorites created by users (for instance in Delicious, Amazon, Flickr, Gmail, YouTube, Google Reader)

Almost anything, by converting it previously with tools such as Page2rss or Feedity

Aggregators / SPSPs Easy to manage Share with friends/groups Comments Favorites Stable platforms High learning curve Tools to create personalized start pages and share them with the Internet community or with a group of people. Not necessary to create a personal profile Not necessary to provide information about followers and friends. Collective editing Widgets Technical glitches Aggregators Social personalized start pages

Easy to manage

Share with friends/groups

Comments

Favorites

Stable platforms

High learning curve

Tools to create personalized start pages and share them with the Internet community or with a group of people.

Not necessary to create a personal profile

Not necessary to provide information about followers and friends.

Collective editing

Widgets

Technical glitches

News aggregator. Bloglines

News Aggregator. Google Reader

Accessing blog entry directly from Google Reader

http://www.pageflakes.com/eroman/27725257

Exercise 1: Setting up an account in Google Reader and add some subscriptions

Google Reader Basics Go to http:// reader.google.com If you have a Google account, login using the same username and password. Once you have it a Google Reader account, you can begin adding subscriptions to any RSS feed by clicking Add Subscription:

Go to http:// reader.google.com

If you have a Google account, login using the same username and password.

Once you have it a Google Reader account, you can begin adding subscriptions to any RSS feed by clicking Add Subscription:

Google Reader Basics Search a term to find feeds or enter the URL: You can also subscribe to feeds by clicking on the RSS icon that appears in the URL window in browsers like Firefox or Explorer: Just click on the RSS icon and the subscription window will appear.

Search a term to find feeds or enter the URL:

You can also subscribe to feeds by clicking on the RSS icon that appears in the URL window in browsers like Firefox or Explorer:

Just click on the RSS icon and the subscription window will appear.

Hands-on… (1) Subscribe to 10 feeds: Use the search option to locate 5 feeds that may interest you. Use the subscription tool to enter the URL of 2 sites that you want to subscribe to. Browse/search the web for 3 additional feeds.

Subscribe to 10 feeds:

Use the search option to locate 5 feeds that may interest you.

Use the subscription tool to enter the URL of 2 sites that you want to subscribe to.

Browse/search the web for 3 additional feeds.

Exercise 2: Organizing subscriptions in Google Reader

Feeds Management Using tags/folders to categorize feeds or posts. For profession-related feeds [based on Rimm-Kaufman (2007)] -always, -often, -seldom, and -usedto. _teacher, _friend, _researcher, _institution… Tech, lessonplans, materials, searches… SPAN461S09, SPAN476F09… Course-related tags. Select a few tags or make students make a list of tags to be used in a given course. Just click on the RSS icon and the subscription window will appear.

Using tags/folders to categorize feeds or posts.

For profession-related feeds [based on Rimm-Kaufman (2007)]

-always, -often, -seldom, and -usedto.

_teacher, _friend, _researcher, _institution…

Tech, lessonplans, materials, searches…

SPAN461S09, SPAN476F09…

Course-related tags. Select a few tags or make students make a list of tags to be used in a given course.

Just click on the RSS icon and the subscription window will appear.

Hands-on… (2) Manage your feeds: Choose the names you want to use for your folders. Select the first subscription on the left side of GR and click on Feeds Settings. Click on New Folder, at the end of the pull-down menu, and write the name you want to give to the folder. Do the same for each new Folder you want to create, or just drag the name of the subscription to one existing folder. Continue until you finish with your 10 feeds.

Manage your feeds:

Choose the names you want to use for your folders.

Select the first subscription on the left side of GR and click on Feeds Settings.

Click on New Folder, at the end of the pull-down menu, and write the name you want to give to the folder.

Do the same for each new Folder you want to create, or just drag the name of the subscription to one existing folder.

Continue until you finish with your 10 feeds.

More on Feeds Management To assign a subscription to more than one folder, just go to Manage Subscriptions and select the corresponding option from the pull-down menu Change Folders.

To assign a subscription to more than one folder, just go to Manage Subscriptions and select the corresponding option from the pull-down menu Change Folders.

Hands-on… (3) Adding subscriptions to more than one folder: Go to Manage Subscriptions. Select the subscription(s) you want to assign to new or exisiting folders. Click on Change Folders. Add new folder or select existing one. Practice with two of your subscriptions.

Adding subscriptions to more than one folder:

Go to Manage Subscriptions.

Select the subscription(s) you want to assign to new or exisiting folders.

Click on Change Folders.

Add new folder or select existing one.

Practice with two of your subscriptions.

Hands-on… (4) Adding tags to posts: Open one of your subscriptions. Select one item and go to the end of the item. Add as many (new or existing) tags as you want by clicking on the Add Tags icon.

Adding tags to posts:

Open one of your subscriptions.

Select one item and go to the end of the item.

Add as many (new or existing) tags as you want by clicking on the Add Tags icon.

Exercise 3: Sharing in Google Reader

Sharing and Finding Shared Info In GR, you can share: Subscriptions by making the public Individual items (share with groups or with public) You can also add notes to your shared items You can follow people and get their shared items: Students Scholars Friends

In GR, you can share:

Subscriptions by making the public

Individual items (share with groups or with public)

You can also add notes to your shared items

You can follow people and get their shared items:

Students

Scholars

Friends

Hands-on… (5) Looking for shared information: Click on Browse for Stuff Click on Search Tab Look for your workshops colleagues and add them to your contacts. Look for a subscription that may be of your interest by using the keyword search.

Looking for shared information:

Click on Browse for Stuff

Click on Search Tab

Look for your workshops colleagues and add them to your contacts.

Look for a subscription that may be of your interest by using the keyword search.

Exercise 4: Organizing information in Pageflakes

Pageflakes as SPSP Diversity of tools or flakes. Importing RSS feeds from OPML archive. Group creation. Pagecasts.

Diversity of tools or flakes.

Importing RSS feeds from OPML archive.

Group creation.

Pagecasts.

Pageflakes as SPSP Flakes (selection) in Pageflakes

Adding and importing RSS feeds with Pageflakes

Course pagecast template. Pageflakes

Hands-on… (6) Create a Pageflakes account and build your first Pagecast. Use at least five different flakes, including a couple of RSS subscriptions and comment boxes. Indicate what use you could give this Pagecast in your current job.

Create a Pageflakes account and build your first Pagecast.

Use at least five different flakes, including a couple of RSS subscriptions and comment boxes.

Indicate what use you could give this Pagecast in your current job.

Exercise 5: Sharing information in Pageflakes

Sharing option in Pageflakes (group pagecast) Sharing option in Pageflakes (public pagecast)

Hands-on… (7) Share the pagecast you just created with your workshop colleagues. Create another pagecast and practice with different levels of sharing and collaborative editing. What uses could you give Pageflakes in your current job?

Share the pagecast you just created with your workshop colleagues.

Create another pagecast and practice with different levels of sharing and collaborative editing.

What uses could you give Pageflakes in your current job?

Exercise 6: Challenges and actions

Learning Challenge I: Working with content while still struggling with the language Students are still struggling with learning the language but need to cover a lot of content with which they may be not very familiar. Actions Do not rely on data memorization Provide opportunities to apply language skills to real communicative practices Design activities in which learners learn from each other Assign projects that produce useful, publishable deliverables. RSS-based Project Each student is in charge of studying a particular comunidad autónoma , is required to post a blog entry with the answers, can check other students’ projects (even the teacher has one) and provide feedback in a centralized, Pageflakes-based web site.

Students are still struggling with learning the language but need to cover a lot of content with which they may be not very familiar.

Actions

Do not rely on data memorization

Provide opportunities to apply language skills to real communicative practices

Design activities in which learners learn from each other

Assign projects that produce useful, publishable deliverables.

RSS-based Project

Each student is in charge of studying a particular comunidad autónoma , is required to post a blog entry with the answers, can check other students’ projects (even the teacher has one) and provide feedback in a centralized, Pageflakes-based web site.

Subscription to Wikispaces edits

Accessing student blogs from centralized Pageflakes site http://www.pageflakes.com/eroman/26088536

Hands-on… (8) Develop one RSS activity for your class addressing challenges you observe in content courses.

Develop one RSS activity for your class addressing challenges you observe in content courses.

Learning Challenge II: Addressing ALL students’ needs Students represent a wide range of linguistic and academic backgrounds. Action Provide opportunities for self-paced learning. Monitor individualized learning. Students and teachers negotiate curriculum (Schwarzer & Petrón, 2005) and project topics. Use alternative methods of assessment (Schwarzer & Petrón, 2005). RSS-based projects Students choose 4 or 5 feeds they are going to follow throughout the course and publish comments on their aggregators. Students create a community of practice by sharing resources according to their goals for the course.

Students represent a wide range of linguistic and academic backgrounds.

Action

Provide opportunities for self-paced learning.

Monitor individualized learning.

Students and teachers negotiate curriculum (Schwarzer & Petrón, 2005) and project topics.

Use alternative methods of assessment (Schwarzer & Petrón, 2005).

RSS-based projects

Students choose 4 or 5 feeds they are going to follow throughout the course and publish comments on their aggregators.

Students create a community of practice by sharing resources according to their goals for the course.

Hands-on… (9) Develop one RSS activity in which you address the specific needs and likes of your students.

Develop one RSS activity in which you address the specific needs and likes of your students.

Learning Challenge III: Writing in a foreign language Students need more opportunities to write in the TL. Action Assign written exercises for real audiences. Use “student-vernacular” environments for written exercises. Provide opportunities to learn and use new vocabulary. Introduce reading materials that are meaningful to students. RSS-based projects Students build their own public pagecasts using a social personalized page service (e.g., as a semester-long individual project). Students integrate into their pagecasts a simple blog widget to publish comments. Students pagecasts include widgets of popular social Web services. Students are given a set of feeds to subscribe to according to their interests, language knowledge and specific cultural background. Students are asked to comment on peers’ blogs. Students develop a list of relevant terms and use them as tags to create feeds.

Students need more opportunities to write in the TL.

Action

Assign written exercises for real audiences.

Use “student-vernacular” environments for written exercises.

Provide opportunities to learn and use new vocabulary.

Introduce reading materials that are meaningful to students.

RSS-based projects

Students build their own public pagecasts using a social personalized page service (e.g., as a semester-long individual project).

Students integrate into their pagecasts a simple blog widget to publish comments.

Students pagecasts include widgets of popular social Web services.

Students are given a set of feeds to subscribe to according to their interests, language knowledge and specific cultural background.

Students are asked to comment on peers’ blogs.

Students develop a list of relevant terms and use them as tags to create feeds.

Hands-on… (10) Develop one RSS activity in which you give students more opportunities to write.

Develop one RSS activity in which you give students more opportunities to write.

Learning Challenge IV: Creating new learning materials Commercial teaching materials for certain languages and courses (such as for heritage speakers) are scarce and very limited in scope Action Use authentic materials. Take advantage of community resources. Integrate different types of literacy. RSS-based projects Students subscribe to and comment on authentic Web-based materials. Students are required to go beyond the traditional text and use as sources of information all types of media (both in their individual and final group projects).

Commercial teaching materials for certain languages and courses (such as for heritage speakers) are scarce and very limited in scope

Action

Use authentic materials.

Take advantage of community resources.

Integrate different types of literacy.

RSS-based projects

Students subscribe to and comment on authentic Web-based materials.

Students are required to go beyond the traditional text and use as sources of information all types of media (both in their individual and final group projects).

Hands-on… (11) Develop one RSS activity in which your students work and produce authentic materials.

Develop one RSS activity in which your students work and produce authentic materials.

Learning Challenge V: Addressing affective needs Students who feel comfortable in a class and know their strengths have more opportunities to continue learning the TL. Action Provide opportunities for students to feel confident about their language skills. Provide opportunities for students to track their progress throughout the course (learning portfolios). Expose students to real examples of language use by other speakers. RSS-based projects By subscribing to and following their peers’ blogs, students realize they are part of a big community that can use their language skills for real written communication. By keeping a digital narrative that includes most of their online course work, students can easily go back to their first contributions and reflect on their progress.

Students who feel comfortable in a class and know their strengths have more opportunities to continue learning the TL.

Action

Provide opportunities for students to feel confident about their language skills.

Provide opportunities for students to track their progress throughout the course (learning portfolios).

Expose students to real examples of language use by other speakers.

RSS-based projects

By subscribing to and following their peers’ blogs, students realize they are part of a big community that can use their language skills for real written communication.

By keeping a digital narrative that includes most of their online course work, students can easily go back to their first contributions and reflect on their progress.

Hands-on… (12) Develop one RSS activity in which you motivate students to become autonomous learners.

Develop one RSS activity in which you motivate students to become autonomous learners.

Final Remarks RSS has great potential as “channelizer” of information, and significance for learning processes in which content syndication enhances accessing, filtering, and repackaging data of all sorts. As the information produced and consumed by students and teachers in any learning environment is diverse in format, size, nature, and periodicity, to mention only a few variables, so are the possible educational applications of RSS in collaborative or individual assignments and projects, peer assessment, learning portfolios, service learning, and professional development, among many other uses. In a world in which the volume of data exceeds the capacity of users to sort and receive it , learners and teachers alike will benefit from a sound use of RSS.

RSS has great potential as “channelizer” of information, and significance for learning processes in which content syndication enhances accessing, filtering, and repackaging data of all sorts.

As the information produced and consumed by students and teachers in any learning environment is diverse in format, size, nature, and periodicity, to mention only a few variables, so are the possible educational applications of RSS in collaborative or individual assignments and projects, peer assessment, learning portfolios, service learning, and professional development, among many other uses.

In a world in which the volume of data exceeds the capacity of users to sort and receive it , learners and teachers alike will benefit from a sound use of RSS.

Final Remarks By asking students to access diverse feed-generating sources, organize and select information, FL students will be exposed to FL and communicate with native speakers in ways probably never explored by them before. Although there are increasingly more social web services that rely on oral communication, the current web is still text-based. Communication via blogs, wikis and chats requires the written language, and by asking FL students to be producers of information, we are encouraging them to use FL in new environments, with which they are already familiar in English. RSS-based students projects and portfolios will enhance not only students’ knowledge about the subject matter but also that of the teacher’s. Students and teachers (and hopefully the community) will form a learning community from which all participants will benefit.

By asking students to access diverse feed-generating sources, organize and select information, FL students will be exposed to FL and communicate with native speakers in ways probably never explored by them before.

Although there are increasingly more social web services that rely on oral communication, the current web is still text-based. Communication via blogs, wikis and chats requires the written language, and by asking FL students to be producers of information, we are encouraging them to use FL in new environments, with which they are already familiar in English.

RSS-based students projects and portfolios will enhance not only students’ knowledge about the subject matter but also that of the teacher’s. Students and teachers (and hopefully the community) will form a learning community from which all participants will benefit.

References, Sources and Bibliography Chinnery, G. M. (2008). Biting the hand that feeds me: The case for e-language learning and teaching. CALICO Journal, 25 , 471-482. https ://calico.org/page.php?id=5 Commoncraft. (2007). RSS in Plain English. http://dotsub.com/view/69aa48a4-a95f-4bc8-a511-bb0a1ee95e12 or http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english Downes, S. (2002). An introduction to RSS for educational designers . http://www.downes.ca/files/RSS_Educ.htm . Kirpatrick. M. (2009). How to backup and search all your friends’ tweets in Google Reader. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_backup_and_search_all_your_friends_tweets_i.php O’Neil, M. (2009). Is Google Reader the Next FriendFeed? http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/is-google-reader-the-next-friendfeed/

Chinnery, G. M. (2008). Biting the hand that feeds me: The case for e-language learning and teaching. CALICO Journal, 25 , 471-482. https ://calico.org/page.php?id=5

Commoncraft. (2007). RSS in Plain English. http://dotsub.com/view/69aa48a4-a95f-4bc8-a511-bb0a1ee95e12 or http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

Downes, S. (2002). An introduction to RSS for educational designers . http://www.downes.ca/files/RSS_Educ.htm .

Kirpatrick. M. (2009). How to backup and search all your friends’ tweets in Google Reader. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_backup_and_search_all_your_friends_tweets_i.php

O’Neil, M. (2009). Is Google Reader the Next FriendFeed? http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/is-google-reader-the-next-friendfeed/

References, Sources and Bibliography Richardson, W. (2006): Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful Web tools for classrooms . Thousand Oaks, CA, Corwin Press. [RSS chapter also available at http://weblogg-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/RSSFAQ4.pdf . Rimm-Kaufman, A. (2007). Tagging Scheme for Organizing Feeds in Google Reader. http://www.rimmkaufman.com/rkgblog/2007/05/13/google-reader-tags/ Román, E. (2008). Manual del Módulo “Tendencias Actuales del e-learning 2.0. Madrid: UNED. http:// www.ciberuniversidad.com/elearning / Rom án-Mendoza, E. (2009). “RSS and Social Personalized Start Pages: Optimizing E-language Learning through Content Syndication, in Anderson, L & Lord, G . The Next Generation: Social Networking and Online Collaboration in Foreign Language. CALICO Monograph Series. RSSCloud.org. (2009). OPML for Twitter subscription lists. http://rsscloud.org/twitterSubscriptionlists.html

Richardson, W. (2006): Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful Web tools for classrooms . Thousand Oaks, CA, Corwin Press. [RSS chapter also available at http://weblogg-ed.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/RSSFAQ4.pdf .

Rimm-Kaufman, A. (2007). Tagging Scheme for Organizing Feeds in Google Reader. http://www.rimmkaufman.com/rkgblog/2007/05/13/google-reader-tags/

Román, E. (2008). Manual del Módulo “Tendencias Actuales del e-learning 2.0. Madrid: UNED. http:// www.ciberuniversidad.com/elearning /

Rom án-Mendoza, E. (2009). “RSS and Social Personalized Start Pages: Optimizing E-language Learning through Content Syndication, in Anderson, L & Lord, G . The Next Generation: Social Networking and Online Collaboration in Foreign Language. CALICO Monograph Series.

RSSCloud.org. (2009). OPML for Twitter subscription lists. http://rsscloud.org/twitterSubscriptionlists.html

Cited Tools and Services (I) Blogger. http:// blogger.com Delicious. http:// delicious.com Edmodo. http:// edmodo.com Facebook. http:// www.facebook.com Feedity. http:// feedity.com Flickr. http:// www.flickr.com Friendfeed. http:// friendfeed.com / Google Reader. http:// www.google.com / reader iGoogle. http:// www.google.com / ig MySpace. http:// www.myspace.com / MyYahoo. http:// my.yahoo.com / Netvibes. http:// netvibes.com Ning. http:// www.ning.com /

Blogger. http:// blogger.com

Delicious. http:// delicious.com

Edmodo. http:// edmodo.com

Facebook. http:// www.facebook.com

Feedity. http:// feedity.com

Flickr. http:// www.flickr.com

Friendfeed. http:// friendfeed.com /

Google Reader. http:// www.google.com / reader

iGoogle. http:// www.google.com / ig

MySpace. http:// www.myspace.com /

MyYahoo. http:// my.yahoo.com /

Netvibes. http:// netvibes.com

Ning. http:// www.ning.com /

Cited Tools and Services (II) Odeo. http:// odeo.com / Pageflakes. http:// pageflakes.com Page2rss. http:// page2rss . com PBWiki. http:// pbwiki.com / Podomatic. http:// podomatic.com / Scribd. http:// scribd.com / Slideshare. http:// www.slideshare.net / SurveyGizmo. http:// surveygizmo.com / Twitter. http:// twitter.com Twitter Search. http:// search.twitter.com Wikipedia. http: //wikipedia.org Wikispaces. http:// www.wikispaces.com / Wordle. http://wordle.net Wordpress. http:// wordpress.org YouTube. http:// www.youtube.com /

Odeo. http:// odeo.com /

Pageflakes. http:// pageflakes.com

Page2rss. http:// page2rss . com

PBWiki. http:// pbwiki.com /

Podomatic. http:// podomatic.com /

Scribd. http:// scribd.com /

Slideshare. http:// www.slideshare.net /

SurveyGizmo. http:// surveygizmo.com /

Twitter. http:// twitter.com

Twitter Search. http:// search.twitter.com

Wikipedia. http: //wikipedia.org

Wikispaces. http:// www.wikispaces.com /

Wordle. http://wordle.net

Wordpress. http:// wordpress.org

YouTube. http:// www.youtube.com /