Thing #8: RSS

I have just started using RSS with my Google Reader and found it very easy to use, especially after watching the clip RSS in Plain English. Adding blogs and news sources was a breeze. Copy - Paste is all I need to remember. Almost immediately I had access to the updated list of postings, and reading them all at the same place saved me a lot of time! I also created a Shared Items Page for everyone to enjoy the most interesting and relevant postings I receive. I also liked the “adding notes” feature. That way I can share and give my opinion at the same time.
Using the RSS feed in the library, I could give teachers and students access to articles and blog postings that they may find interesting and/or useful. Teachers could use their shared reading page to post articles and websites for their students to use in an assignment. Since one gets to select which articles are shared, students will only see the ones they need. Teachers can also add notes to help guide students even more.
The librarian, principal, grade level chairs, or department heads can also create blogs for the rest of the staff. All blogs can feed to one Reader page, which can be shared so that the whole staff can read the postings on the same page. This would require a monitor to make sure all postings are being shared, but RSS feeds can easily become a new way of communicating.

Thing #7: Google

After playing with Google, I can see that it is more than a search engine. I created an iGoogle page and was able to add a link to the news, games, YouTube, Teacher Tube, and there are so many other gadgets to choose from. In the games section, I found some neat games that my students will really enjoy. I found their favorite Sudoku and Hangman.

After creating my account, I was able to upload and create documents and spreadsheets. This feature really got my attention because I can create forms and send them to teachers to fill out and have students fill them out as well. I created a sample form for students and teachers to request materials for a project. Please, check out the form by clicking here.

Thing #6: Mashups

All mashups from Big Huge Labs were very impressive. They are sure to get students' attention immediately. The two that I enjoyed the most and can see myself using in the future are the trading card and the magazine cover. They both provide a unique way for users to give more creativity to their pictures. With the trading card, students can include vocabulary words, create personal profile cards, or create a card for someone else. With the magazine cover, users can add details to a picture by writing small phrases or sentences, or even questions. I can see how these tools would come in handy when teaching.

Thing #5: Flickr

I found this picture at Flickr. It was uploaded by username Basykes.
Flickr is a great source to find pictures that are copyright-friendly, which also means classroom friendly. Teachers and students can use Flickr to find pictures they need for classroom projects without having to worry about copyright infringements. They will only need to remember to give credit to the picture's creator. Although many pictures do not include the creator's actual name, I would assume that using the creator's username will be sufficient.
One aspect about Flickr that really impressed me is the organization. Most pictures are tagged so that users can find them easily. Pictures are also clearly marked as to the conditions under which they can be used (personal, educational, or commercial uses). Finding the picture above was no challenge. I searched for "reading," and this was one of the first hits. Most pictures are just as easy to find, and there are lots of pictures to choose from. Teachers and students will have no problem using this site.