Alright, I lied. My frustration level still has not settled down. Darn Bloglines. I hate to be controlled by technology. One of my first thoughts at seeing all the various ways to access blogs and newsfeeds was "Whoa ... some people have WAY too much time on their hands." I know this is supposed to be a time-saver, but one could certainly disappear into the world of newsfeeds, even limiting oneself to those of specific interest.
I liked the simple mechanics of Topix and Google Blog Search. I found Syndic8.com overwhelming ... along the lines of "too much information" and Blog Pulse downright weird. It felt a bit "peeping tomish." I know there's a good reason for having these - especially to create a virual community of idea sharing, but I'm concerned about how one establishes authority for something like this. Just something to think about. (The old question of "How do you know s/he's not an ax murder?" only in cyberland.)
The school library blogs were pretty neat as were the award winners and that's where I got an idea. How neat would it be to set up a blog with an expert and have students communicate questions or observations with that person or team during their study of a particular topic. Can you just imagine learning about elections and being able to blog with a member of an candidate's election team? What about working with an astronaut when studying the solar system or an expert at the San Diego Zoo for animal research. One could even include a live expert component as part of a WebQuest.
As for my favorite library related RSS feeds ... I love my School Library Journal feeds. I have one for reviews and one for Web 2.0.
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1 comment:
Bookwoman,
I love the idea of setting up a blog to allow communication between students and an expert. The beauty of it is that you are not confined by physical boundaries. Your expert could be anywhere. It could also be used in conjunction with a school visit by a speaker as a sneak peak, a gathering of preliminary information so the students have enough background information to enjoy the visit, or for the speaker to get information to tailor the experience. You've set the wheels in my head spinning with wonderful possibilities. Thanks.
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