Google Alerts and Reader are two applications that are are not used by educators and students nearly as much as they should be. Now that you are familiar with both of them how can you see yourself using them? How can you use Google Reader to organize the flow of information on the web? What are some ways that you can use Google Alerts? Do you think you will use either of these applications now that you know about them?
I think using google alerts would be good for keeping track of current events. For example when I found out from a cousin that a volcano in Alaska was erupting my class was really interested. I could have set up an alert about it and followed the events. The third grade reads about the iditarod they could get updates as the race is going on. I set up an alert for the school. The reader seems like a good way to get all the chats in one place. The less you have to look around and hunt for stuff the more time you have to read it and the more likely you are to keep up.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that both of these tools are not used nearly as much as they should be. Reader is the perfect way to get rid of the excuse that "I don't have time" for professional development, because this puts all the best blogs at the click of a button once you take the time to set it up. I used to use bloglines once upon a time, but I think that you can sometimes be overwhelmed with information, so I had to take a break from it all and just never returned. I hope to be back with a renewed spirit of professional development with Google Reader!
ReplyDeleteGoogle Alerts is a tool that I have often thought about sharing with my teachers, but just never have because I had never taken the time to use it and understand. I am diving in, however, because I can really see wonderful uses for this in social studies classrooms for current events or in a geography classroom. I can even see myself using Alerts to keep me posted on book publishing dates, etc. It would be a good way to stay organized in that when you think of something, go set up a Google Alert and then when the time comes and you've forgotten all about it, you will get an email from Google with the information! This is great for those of us who are very forgetful.
Tyler Kleager here again.
ReplyDeleteAs Mrs. M posted, alerts would be a great way to keep up with current events in your classroom.
The reader would allow me to see what alerts I have read, and not read, and have them all in one page, not having to jump all over from page to page.
I think I will probably use them more for my personal reading, than stuff for my class as we don't have a lot of stuff to cover in the SPED or PE departments.
As we talk about at the boot camp Google Reader appears to be a great way to consume an optimal amount of online information in an organized fashion.
ReplyDeleteI have signed up for a Google account and am in the process of really exploring it to make sure I am using it to its highest potential. I am hoping to find a way to sink alerts with outlook calendar that is used in our school. I am excited about all of the information that I learned through this class and the boot camp! Thank you Beth for all your hard work and help!
I think the RSS feeds are great tools for current events in the classroom. If you can get the students on board by using RSS feeds your class discussions of worldly affairs would be more fun. The readers would eliminate time spent on the web and concentrate more on the material or information give to them through the reader. In the process a great research tool for the student especially in research papers or abstracts. I can see myself using this tool more in my classes.
ReplyDeleteThis is one tool I can use right away in my classroom. I agree that it is a great tool for current events.I like that I can customize it for the classroom or for myself.
ReplyDeleteIt is another great way to connect our classroom to what is going on currently.
These are interesting tools. I am interested to see if I get alerts in a timely manner. (I have some set to the Olympics.) I can see some definite advantages to keeping track of events. The reader is a good way to organize Websites into one location. I like not having to go to several sites, but have them show in one spot. I think I will continue to use both of these tools. I am also eager to share these with a couple of specific teachers.
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