Introduction to Blogging and RSS

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Introduction toBlogging and RSS
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Learning Outcomes Answers to

• What is a blog?
• How do you set up a blog?
• How can blogs be used in teaching and learning?
• How can blogs be used for professional
  development?
• What is an RSS feed?
• Why are RSS feeds useful?

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What is a Blog

• An online diary
• A linear web page
• A way of communicating with colleagues
• A source of news and gossip
• A place to let off steam
• A type of Social Networking
• Is blogging the new journalism?

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What does a blog look like

• A web page with the latest entry at the top
• Sometimes displays
• a calendar
• A blogroll
• Readers comments
• Bookmarks
• Widgets

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Setting up a Blog

• Online Services
• Edublog
• Bloglines
• Blogger
• Software
• Pivot
• B2Evolution
• Wordpress

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Pupil Blogs

• Projects
• School trips
• Keeping parents in touch

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How teachers use blogs

• Local area support groups
• Discussion areas
• Keeping management in touch

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Keeping track

• Use an Aggregator
• Look out for this icon
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

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RSS? Aggregator?

• An RSS feed is an XML file which stores details
  of any changes made to a web page
• An aggregator scans the RSS feeds you have
  selected and displays the results so you can
  choose which pages to read

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Aggregators

• Bloglines
• Google Reader
• online so can be read anywhere
• Sage
• Extension to your browser

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Creating an RSS feed

• Automatically using
• blogging software
• podcasting software
• Manually for a web site

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A simple RSS Feed
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Podcast

• A podcast is an mp3 file (audio) which can be
  downloaded and listened to on a computer or mp3
  player
• A podcast can be an entry in a blog