RSS+and+Feeds+for+Your+Reader

=RSS and Feeds for Your Reader= toc

Google Reader & Current Events [[image:google_reader_logo.png align="right" caption="Catch Some Feeds in Your Reader"]]
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** Introduction **
You are already a member of Google by having a Google gmail account. This allows you to "turn on" other Google features, like Google Reader, a "feed reader" or "aggregate" that catches news feeds, including blogs, syndicated podcasts and vodcasts, as well as hard news sites, like //The New York Times//.

How is this helpful in school?
You are often required to read current event articles and write a summary or reaction. By using your Google Reader, you are able to set up a customized news feed, pulling current event articles related to specific topics. Not only this, you can control which news sources you use. Finally, you do not have to visit each news source web site; instead, you subscribe to your customized "feed" in your Reader, which pulls in the news from a variety of sources or web sites.

RSS in Plain English
Video by Common Craft, Time 3:52

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Task 2: Turn on Google Reader
Access this Google Reader link. Sign into your google account with your gmail user name and password. This "turns on" the Google Reader feature of your account.

** Task 3: Set up A Customized News Feed for Rod's History **
Watch this video tutorial to set up your own current events news feed. Rod is encouraging you to explore current events via Google Reader. His current events assignment activity sheet is available for download below. He says he will offer you extra credit if you show him your current events news feed by printing out and attatching it to your assignment. Current events in Rod's class is due the 3rd Friday of every month.

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Task 4: Add More Feeds
**Watch this video tutorial on how to add a feed to your reader--**Video Tutorial
 * Add a Fun Feed to Your Reader:**

Dilbert Daily Comic @http://www.dilbert.com/rss/ Movie Reviews From Rotten Tomatoes @http://www.rottentomatoes.com/help_desk/syndication_rss.php Dictionary.com Word of the Day @http://dictionary.reference.com/help/linking/wordoftheday-expert.html Follow Your Favorite Sports Team @http://sports.yahoo.com/top/rss Weather @http://www.weather.com/weather/rss/subscription Quote of the day @http://feeds.feedburner.com/brainyquote/QUOTEBR
 * Check out this list of fun feeds. Add a few to your reader. Look for an XML icon or the RSS orange icon.**

News Feeds [[image:RSS_symblols.png align="right" caption="RSS Symbols"]]
Find some news feeds and add them to your reader. You can select a specific topic within a news source or get the whole news source at once. Again, organzie your feeds into folders.

New York Times NPR: National Public Radio Philadelphia Inquirer

**Task 5: Podcast Feeds in Your Reader**
A podcast is basically a syndicated sound file. The file can be played on your computer or on an MP3 player, like an IPOD. Google Reader allows you to listen to podcasts right in your reader or podcatcher or aggregate. You cannot add these files to an MP3 player from your Reader, but you can listen to them on your computer. Itunes is another example of a podcatcher. We will focus on podcasting next week. Meanwhile, take some time to grab a few podcast feeds and add them to your reader, to see how the technology works.

** Task: Add 3-4 podcast feeds in your reader. Take the time to listen to some clips of the ones you subscribe to. Then, click on the DISCUSSION tab above and post your thoughts about what you heard in your podcast today. Respond to the question listed there! **

Grammar Girl: Grammar girl talks about every day life and relates it to instances of grammar--she has made quite a name for herself, starting out with her own podcast for fun, and now making a living doing it!
 * Podcast Feeds to Try:**

NPR Podcast Directory: Browse this directory of really interesting podcasts from NPR

The Nature Podcast: If science is your thing, this is the podcast subscription for you

[|EatFeed]: If you love food, cooking, and recipes, this is an interesting podcast. Scroll down and explore which "channel" you want to subscribe to.

[|Reel Reviews]: A podcast all about movies worth watching

WMMR Radio, 93.3 Philadelphia: If you enjoy this radio station, check out their listing of podcasting feeds (scroll down on the page). By the way, most radio stations have their own podcast feed. Google your favorite radio station to find their feed!

Marvel Comics: Marvel offers a news series all about Marvel

[|Teen Podcasts]: Go to this podcast directory to browse (scroll down) the different teen podcasts out there--find one that appeals to you! Also, if there is another podcast topic that you want to search for, go for it. The left navigation lists podcasts by topics, which will then lead you to a whole bunch of interesting feeds.

ESPN Radio: Browse this homepage of all ESPN radio shows--who is your favorite sports news anchor?