Thing #10

Thing #10 had me sign up for a free account with Google Reader and subscribe to five RSS feeds.  I subscribed to NCTM, CNN, TN.gov, PBS TeacherLine Blog, and Free Technology for Teachers.  One thing I like about RSS feeds is that I do not have to go to each site and see what is new. All I have to do is go to Google Reader and see what is new at each website.  I did not know what RSS was until I completed Thing #10.  I really think that I will use RSS for personal and classroom use.  I like the idea of not having to bookmark every site that I visit.  I definitely be using RSS feeds for personal and professional use. 

I think high school teachers can use RSS feeds to their advantage.  Teachers that have classroom blogs can make good use of RSS feeds. In the beginning of the school year, the teacher can ask the parents to subscribe to a reader, such as Google Reader. Then have the parents subscribe to his/her RSS feed on the classroom blog.  This way the parents of high school students can keep track of what is going on within the classroom.  The teacher can post homework, test reviews, calendars, and classroom news.  This is a good way to keep parents of older students in the loop.