Comments on: Aggregator as Textbook http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/ Learning with the Read/Write Web Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:36:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lee Wilson http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-29598 Lee Wilson Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:12:26 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-29598 This is a great start - but it seems to me that one of the critical skills we need to be teaching is how to let go of information flows. I'm an avid RSS user, but I have had to train myself away from the "clean your plate" club of information management. In other words - I have to be willing to simply delete large chunks of feeds anytime the reader gets too full. The trick is to trust that the good ideas will surface again, and again. You won't miss them eventually. Otherwise you just go insane managing the input and you never actually do anything with it - which is kind of the whole point to begin with. Informed action. This is a great start – but it seems to me that one of the critical skills we need to be teaching is how to let go of information flows. I’m an avid RSS user, but I have had to train myself away from the “clean your plate” club of information management. In other words – I have to be willing to simply delete large chunks of feeds anytime the reader gets too full. The trick is to trust that the good ideas will surface again, and again. You won’t miss them eventually.

Otherwise you just go insane managing the input and you never actually do anything with it – which is kind of the whole point to begin with. Informed action.

]]> By: Sherry Crofut http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-29418 Sherry Crofut Sun, 12 Aug 2007 01:46:33 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-29418 I have wondered how many to put in my Google Reader. I have only been using it for a few months (okay, I am slow), but find I have already changed some of those I read. I try to add others that I find interesting, but also find that if I miss even a day, I am swamped. I am impressed by the brilliance of some of you, but I struggle to work on lesson plans, read blogs, learn new Web 2.0 tools, and spend time with my family. I feel like I am working harder than ever. Yet I also believe this is what I have to do if I am going to be useful to my students. I have wondered how many to put in my Google Reader. I have only been using it for a few months (okay, I am slow), but find I have already changed some of those I read. I try to add others that I find interesting, but also find that if I miss even a day, I am swamped. I am impressed by the brilliance of some of you, but I struggle to work on lesson plans, read blogs, learn new Web 2.0 tools, and spend time with my family. I feel like I am working harder than ever. Yet I also believe this is what I have to do if I am going to be useful to my students.

]]> By: Damian Bariexca http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-29204 Damian Bariexca Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:22:18 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-29204 Two relevant links - 1. Most folks here are talking about having students receive info via RSS, but what about using Twitter to reverse the information flow from student to others (students and teachers)? Offer your thoughts/suggestions here: http://apaceofchange.edublogs.org/2007/08/08/promoting-twitteracy-in-the-classroom/ 2. The Unofficial Google blog talks about "curing information overload" in Google Reader today: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/08/cure-information-overload-using-google.html Two relevant links –

1. Most folks here are talking about having students receive info via RSS, but what about using Twitter to reverse the information flow from student to others (students and teachers)? Offer your thoughts/suggestions here:
http://apaceofchange.edublogs.org/2007/08/08/promoting-twitteracy-in-the-classroom/

2. The Unofficial Google blog talks about “curing information overload” in Google Reader today:
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/08/cure-information-overload-using-google.html

]]> By: Iain Cook-Bonney http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-29120 Iain Cook-Bonney Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:19:31 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-29120 Oh wow, yes, I struggle with these same questions! Who do you listen too? How long do you listen to them for? RSS has indeed become my textbook, and more and more I am finding that my blog has become my 'margin' where I jot down my notes and thoughts. I bow to Artichoke and his post. http://artichoke.typepad.com/artichoke/2007/08/pardon-the-egg-.html Oh wow, yes, I struggle with these same questions! Who do you listen too? How long do you listen to them for?

RSS has indeed become my textbook, and more and more I am finding that my blog has become my ‘margin’ where I jot down my notes and thoughts. I bow to Artichoke and his post.
http://artichoke.typepad.com/artichoke/2007/08/pardon-the-egg-.html

]]> By: Rick Weinberg http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-29023 Rick Weinberg Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:06:43 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-29023 I am curious about what Andre Malan said. He said something about students not using RSS that much. I agree with that. I wonder why and I guess I must respectfully disagree a bit with you Will. Yes the technology of RSS feeds can be a bit disruptive but organizing, editing and discerning the important information about feeds and what you get from feeds takes a lot of cognitive work. Many people just don’t want to put this kind of work into things. I’m sometimes the same way. I have noticed, in my short career as a blogger, that if I have an article linked to my blog and discuss that article in great detail and ask others to contribute, I will get very little response. But if I post something short and I don’t ask people to analyze and keep my post on the lower end of Bloom’s Taxonomy, I get a greater comment response I am curious about what Andre Malan said. He said something about students not using RSS that much. I agree with that. I wonder why and I guess I must respectfully disagree a bit with you Will. Yes the technology of RSS feeds can be a bit disruptive but organizing, editing and discerning the important information about feeds and what you get from feeds takes a lot of cognitive work. Many people just don’t want to put this kind of work into things. I’m sometimes the same way. I have noticed, in my short career as a blogger, that if I have an article linked to my blog and discuss that article in great detail and ask others to contribute, I will get very little response. But if I post something short and I don’t ask people to analyze and keep my post on the lower end of Bloom’s Taxonomy, I get a greater comment response

]]> By: Chuck Robertson http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28997 Chuck Robertson Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:17:21 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28997 "Aggregator as Textbook" On the higher ed front, this could work when the aggregation is collaborative. I've been doing social bookmarking as a collaborative process with success ever since I stole the idea a few years ago. It could be similar to wiki development... it might even be best served as a wiki ideas for implementing this? “Aggregator as Textbook”

On the higher ed front, this could work when the aggregation is collaborative.

I’ve been doing social bookmarking as a collaborative process with success ever since I stole the idea a few years ago.

It could be similar to wiki development… it might even be best served as a wiki

ideas for implementing this?

]]> By: Cathy Nelson http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28953 Cathy Nelson Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:18:27 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28953 Will- I have presented to teachers and administrators about the power of using RSS feeds. I always love to show them my aggregator with its 170+ feeds. A question I'm always asked is how do I find the time to read it all. I confess it's an addiction, but I tell them it's really beefed up my ability to read and skim. Consuming information via feeds doesn't have to be a two-hour daily session where I read and intellectually mull over the ideas. I'd rather read over all, check the ones I want to go back and digest more of, and see if I can spot trends--sort of analyze the popular topic trends in my aggregator. It's what got me to use Twitter and Skype, two programs I thought initially were useless and time wasters, but now rely on a lot more than I want too. I see no problem with having many feeds, and i tell folks it has really racheted up my learning. I also tell folks it's the equivalant to reading a magazine and/or a newspaper daily. Will- I have presented to teachers and administrators about the power of using RSS feeds. I always love to show them my aggregator with its 170+ feeds. A question I’m always asked is how do I find the time to read it all. I confess it’s an addiction, but I tell them it’s really beefed up my ability to read and skim. Consuming information via feeds doesn’t have to be a two-hour daily session where I read and intellectually mull over the ideas. I’d rather read over all, check the ones I want to go back and digest more of, and see if I can spot trends–sort of analyze the popular topic trends in my aggregator. It’s what got me to use Twitter and Skype, two programs I thought initially were useless and time wasters, but now rely on a lot more than I want too. I see no problem with having many feeds, and i tell folks it has really racheted up my learning. I also tell folks it’s the equivalant to reading a magazine and/or a newspaper daily.

]]> By: Roger Distill http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28943 Roger Distill Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:57:52 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28943 Sorry, Will, this is quite banal by comparison with the above! You've been tagged : First, the Rules: 1) Post these rules before you give your facts. 2) List 8 random facts about yourself. 3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them. 4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged. Sorry, Will, this is quite banal by comparison with the above!

You’ve been tagged :

First, the Rules:
1) Post these rules before you give your facts.
2) List 8 random facts about yourself.
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them.
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged.

]]> By: CIT Blog http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28939 CIT Blog Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:30:15 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28939 <strong>Edublogging: an annotated bibliography...</strong> Sharon Stoerger, a PhD student at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University has come up with an annotated bibliography about educational blogging (via Educause): Blogs, by their very nature, support the development of reflective... Edublogging: an annotated bibliography…

Sharon Stoerger, a PhD student at the School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University has come up with an annotated bibliography about educational blogging (via Educause): Blogs, by their very nature, support the development of reflective…

]]> By: RSS Response http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28929 RSS Response Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:42:13 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28929 Firstly, for those new to aggregators and feeds - welcome aboard! you are still ahead of 99% of online users. Stand by tho, it's about to go through the roof. I won't bore you with statistics but the numbers are staggering and reasonably so to. Is there a better medium for content delivery? I doubt it - maybe a courier! Talk about 100% delivery, spam-free and gives the subscriber complete control over the delivery. Still, there are so many uses for RSS that we haven't even thought of yet. Now is the time - the Bullrush is coming.... I'm offering a free trial this week for our new online feed creation service if you'd like to start creating feeds using an easy wizard write to me on here and i'll get you started. Regards, Richard Herbert www.rssresponse.com Firstly, for those new to aggregators and feeds – welcome aboard! you are still ahead of 99% of online users. Stand by tho, it’s about to go through the roof. I won’t bore you with statistics but the numbers are staggering and reasonably so to. Is there a better medium for content delivery? I doubt it – maybe a courier! Talk about 100% delivery, spam-free and gives the subscriber complete control over the delivery. Still, there are so many uses for RSS that we haven’t even thought of yet. Now is the time – the Bullrush is coming….

I’m offering a free trial this week for our new online feed creation service if you’d like to start creating feeds using an easy wizard write to me on here and i’ll get you started.

Regards, Richard Herbert
http://www.rssresponse.com

]]> By: Jane Nicholls http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28919 Jane Nicholls Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:19:39 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28919 This post has piqued my interest. I have been worrying over my obsession with reading blogs. I have to clear the RSS feeds in the morning and at night. I'm currently sitting on 110 feeds and find it hard to let any go. I do skim read, but truly, if you take a step back and think about it, I am not getting or giving any quality like that. I want to engage in conversation, I want to wrestle with ideas, I want to be challenged and provide challenge. Infowhelm is a big part of 21st Century learning, we need to model how to cope with this and teach our students how to do the same. Problem is, I haven't figured out the answer yet :) This post has piqued my interest. I have been worrying over my obsession with reading blogs. I have to clear the RSS feeds in the morning and at night. I’m currently sitting on 110 feeds and find it hard to let any go. I do skim read, but truly, if you take a step back and think about it, I am not getting or giving any quality like that. I want to engage in conversation, I want to wrestle with ideas, I want to be challenged and provide challenge.

Infowhelm is a big part of 21st Century learning, we need to model how to cope with this and teach our students how to do the same.

Problem is, I haven’t figured out the answer yet :)

]]> By: Notes from a Teacher: Mark on Media » Monday squibs (education edition) http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28916 Notes from a Teacher: Mark on Media » Monday squibs (education edition) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:07:44 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28916 [...] Aggregator as Textbook. Will Richardson talks about the concept of bringing together the wealth of information on the ‘net and what that means for individual learning. His post is a great, practical look at using RSS. [...] [...] Aggregator as Textbook. Will Richardson talks about the concept of bringing together the wealth of information on the ‘net and what that means for individual learning. His post is a great, practical look at using RSS. [...]

]]> By: Dave Solon http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28894 Dave Solon Tue, 07 Aug 2007 01:19:32 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28894 <i>How many individual pieces of information can I realistically make sense of?</i> This is what I've been battling with. I admit, I resisted RSS for a long time, but now it's the only way I can try to 'keep up,' (if you really can call it that!) It has made me much more productive and by using RSS I don't miss or forget to check my favorites. It also helps me skim the topics and only read what appeals to me at the moment. Many folks are talking about very similar topics at the same time - so I can choose one blog to be my 'goto' for that topic and skip the rest. I do feel like an outsider though... a bit like a Grue in the pitch black lurking a bit. I guess that just means I have to comment a bit more! How many individual pieces of information can I realistically make sense of?

This is what I’ve been battling with. I admit, I resisted RSS for a long time, but now it’s the only way I can try to ‘keep up,’ (if you really can call it that!)

It has made me much more productive and by using RSS I don’t miss or forget to check my favorites. It also helps me skim the topics and only read what appeals to me at the moment. Many folks are talking about very similar topics at the same time – so I can choose one blog to be my ‘goto’ for that topic and skip the rest.

I do feel like an outsider though… a bit like a Grue in the pitch black lurking a bit. I guess that just means I have to comment a bit more!

]]> By: Tim http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28882 Tim Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:07:37 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28882 For me, the RSS feeds are more important than email and most days the aggregator is opened and skimmed before any messages get answered. As to how many feeds to keep, I've found it's too easy to become "married" to just a few feeds, which I think eventually limits your reach. I have a core of people I read first, but then I try to follow one or two unfamiliar links recommended by those folks every day. That's probably why I'm up to 160 feeds in my aggregator, many more than the links in my blogroll (the core). I will admit that I don't necessarily read every post every day. As Ewan said, it helps to be a speed reader - or at least be able to quickly scan for interesting or intriguing titles. For me, the RSS feeds are more important than email and most days the aggregator is opened and skimmed before any messages get answered.

As to how many feeds to keep, I’ve found it’s too easy to become “married” to just a few feeds, which I think eventually limits your reach. I have a core of people I read first, but then I try to follow one or two unfamiliar links recommended by those folks every day.

That’s probably why I’m up to 160 feeds in my aggregator, many more than the links in my blogroll (the core). I will admit that I don’t necessarily read every post every day. As Ewan said, it helps to be a speed reader – or at least be able to quickly scan for interesting or intriguing titles.

]]> By: Chris Marchetti http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/comment-page-1/#comment-28874 Chris Marchetti Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:24:34 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/aggregator-as-textbook/#comment-28874 I just thought of an issue that schools might have with this idea, and was wondering what we could do about it. In my district textbook adoption is a tedious and long process. So if RSS is going to be my textbook, and it is going to be changing faster than even I can keep up, how is the district going to approve it? Lemme know what you think. I just thought of an issue that schools might have with this idea, and was wondering what we could do about it. In my district textbook adoption is a tedious and long process. So if RSS is going to be my textbook, and it is going to be changing faster than even I can keep up, how is the district going to approve it? Lemme know what you think.

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