RSS Day

Did you know that today, May 1st is not only the May Day holiday, but is also RSS day?

No worries.

I didn't either until I picked it up from Lisa Thumann on Twitter.

But it is a good point. RSS is one of the major ways that 2.0 has changed the web. Information now is able to come to us instead of us having to sort through and check out dozens of different sites each day. When I first discovered RSS, I was simply amazed at the labour I was saving.

It is estimated that only 5.4% of internet users use this technology.

Amazing. I can't imagine going back to living without it.

Each of the kids in my classroom has an RSS account. In past years we've used Bloglines, but this year I moved over to iGoogle and I've been happy there. The interface is more interesting for kids and the ability to put together a page on an issue which we can share as a class has been great. When we study something, one of the first things we usually do is to find feeds we are interested in. I add a few required sources of information that I want the kids to work with and then we are off with our own automatically updated, free, and current textbook. But it is even one better then a textbook as we can write on our blogs or leave comments directly for the authors of these blogs, interacting with the people who actually are creating the information. No textbook I've ever seen allows for that type of model.

RSS is one of the cornerstones of the new web and it is one of those small easy things to do that always changes the way that people see the web.

Tags: LisaThumann, RSS day

Comments

[Ann Oro]

Happy RSS Day. Thanks to Twitter I saw your link to this post. I guess I can believe the 5.4% number, but I can't imagine going back either. iGoogle is something I want to start using with my students next year. I just have to work out some logistics. This year was our first foray into working collaboratively outside the school building. I only see it increasing each year and RSS is the way to make it more manageable. I was happy to read about the success you felt with the iGoogle product. As our students explore RSS, they will be able to share the benefits with others.

[Lisa Thumann]

I'm thinking Hallmark might not have a card for this one yet, but at least Lee LeFever from Common Craft has created a video to help us convince all the non RSS users why it's so necessary to use the tool. If you're reading this and you still don't see what the fuss is all about visit http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

[Mike]

I've given several demonstrations and workshops on RSS to various groups of faculty in our district and inevitably they ooh and ahh - sincere oohs and ahhs - throughout. But a week later when I ask how they're making out with RSS, usually nothing. One or two start using it the rest complain, "if I only had the time..."

RSS SAVES time, silly people. You invest time up front to organize it and then you reap the savings afterward.

I, too, am dismayed at the 5.4% figure. I wish I had known about RSS Day before hand. Sigh...