Saturday 27 September 2014

Weekly Report & Reflection : Post #3



The RSS reader is definitely one of those things you don’t really realize how much you need until you actually get one. For those of you who are reading this thinking “what the heck is an RSS reader?” let me explain. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, and I am sure you are still sitting there thinking that means nothing to me. So try to think of it this way, it is like an active bookmark. When you find a site you like you normally bookmark it, but with RSS readers you can subscribe to it. This means instead of having to go back and check the site every day everything new from that site and others you subscribe to would be complied in one place! This idea is summed up perfect in 7 things you should now about RSS readers by describing them as “the pipe through which content flows from providers to consumers. What makes RSS important is that users decide exactly what content is allowed through that pipe.”

        I loved the idea of bringing information to me, and getting to decide what kind of information is being delivered as I usually spend countless hours searching different things. I set my reader up in week 2 so this is my second week with it and it has already cut my average search time in half! I chose to use Feedly as my RSS reader. I was able to sign up using my Google account making it even easier to set up. The next step was adding sites; I added the recommended ones from this week’s session as well as a few of my own. Adding my own sites took a little more effort as there is not too many that I frequent. However by searching topics on the Feedly website I was able to find many websites I had never thought of and was able to expand my personal learning profile. If you choose to give Feedly a try as your RSS reader and need additional help click here for a clear guide to setting up and using Feedly.

       The only downfall I found to Feedly is although it was rather easy to set up I was unable to access it again on my computer after that first day, I instead had to download the app on my phone to access it. I do however enjoy having the app on my phone and because I have my phone on me more often than a computer I believe I still get a lot of use out of my reader, but it would be nice to have both methods as an option.

         My reader has helped enhance every category of my personal learning environment (PLE). The PLE I created last week consisted 3 categories; Research, Organizing Content and Socializing & Collaborating. My RSS reader has given me a new way to research by bring the information to me and enhanced my social media experience by keeping it all it one place. However I believe the greatest benefit I have gained from my RSS reader is in the category of organizing content. I love how I can sort my sites and blogs into categories such as; news, fun, school, social etc. I have even made categories for journals that can help me with certain courses. To me this is so important because organization is so important to me. With so much going on in all my courses and life in general it is perfect to have something that not only brings information to me but also one that sorts it exactly in the way I want.


Carovillano, O. (CC) 2014
My Feedly Reader
    The RSS reader can be a little overwhelming because it brings you all new information from the sites you subscribe to not just the information you want. For this reason I think it is so important to stay updated with you reader. Using the “save” option if you don’t have time to read an interesting article, or the “discard” feature for ones you don’t want allows you to get the most out of your reader and avoids a mess of articles. With that being said sometimes the reader provides you with things you didn’t know you wanted. For example in one of the discovery activities this week we had an option of possible links to add to our reader, one of them being Brock News. I originally thought I probably wouldn’t keep this site on my reader for very long but it turned out to be very informative. I have gone to Brock for 4 years and honestly had no idea how much went on around the university. I guess I was just content in my little bubble, but I love how now I can stay updated on university relations, which is something I wish I had done earlier.

- Olivia 























My Experience with RRS Readers




Stopera, D. (CC) 2014
"50 Pictures That Will Take You Right Back to Your Childhood"
I think RSS readers are great for individuals like me who maybe do not use computers and the digital environment as often or to its full potential. This is because websites like Feedly offer an easy way to view and sort information of your interest with little effort. It allows you to update on news, humor and other topics of interest within minutes. I decided to share two very different links from my reader; the first one is The Journal of Applied Physiology. This journals has helped expand the research component of my personal learning environment by bringing up and coming research in this field right to me. One article I found particular interesting was a recent study looking at muscle nerve activity during cold stress and isometric activities. I chose to share a second link that may be of more interest to the general population ( and to prove I am not as big of a nerd as I may seem haha). I am sure most of you have already heard of the site buzzfeed but it is the second link I have chosen to share. This site is in no way a scholarly one, however it is very entertaining. One of my favourite things to do when I need a break from my homework is look at their totally relatable and funny posts such as;  50 Pictures That Will Take You Right Back to Your Childhood" or “36 Kids Who Take Better Selfies Than You" . I love how my reader can bring together scholarly works and more fun sites for when you need a something a little lighter to read. I definitely think this tool is something I will continue to use and am excited to add to my personal learning environment.
- Olivia