BP1 Google Reader

So everybody has something to say, but it is also our job to listen.  I am putting together a few RSS feeds that I find interesting and/or valuable to an educator or to anyone who is in the field so that we can continue to listen to what those have to say around us. 

Image retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com on Aug. 4, 2010.

The first Rss feed that I would like to share is the New York Times Education section.  I know, I know you are probably rolling your eyes at this point and the thinking who has the time for the Times, however, it is a great resource for all that is going on locally, nationally and globally in the field of education.  Although it in my opinion has an air of sophistication that does not always come off as inviting or user-friendly, it is certainly a large reputable source for information.  We are all hopefully compelled to stay up to date on topics that will directly influence our lives and our careers and this is definitely a good starting place.  If only for a quick perusal of the headlines, this is a great place to stay up to date with what is happening. http://www.nytimes.com/pages/education/index.html?partner=rss

Image retrieved from http://www.npr.org/ on Aug. 4, 2010. 

As I urge all of you to do, I am an avid listener of NPR.  I don’t know if it is that I talk all day and share my information about such set dictated topics, I find it so refreshing to listen to ever changing, challenging and interesting topics that NPR shares.  NPR provides me with endless topics of conversation and I truly attribute my sense of together-ness to the station.  I feel like no matter how thinly I have spread myself here I get a true sense of what is going on politically, religiously, scientifically, musically, in the sports world, in the celebrity world, and on and on and on.  As teachers, we need to be able to share more than the textbooks with our kids, and how could we possibly tap into them or encourage them to connect with the world around them if we ourselves are not doing the same.  For me the prime time news shows on TV are far too negative and nowhere near intellectual enough for me to waste my time on.  I know this is starting to sound like a commercial, but NPR has enough variety to spark my interest and enough depth to hold it. http://www.npr.org/

Image retrieved from http://www.techlearning.com/ on Aug 4, 2010.

Another feed that I found is for Tech and Learning. http://www.techlearning.com/ This site provides continual up-to-date information on what is out there in terms of educational technology.  There are blogs, resources, tips, advice, etc.  It is an excellent way to keep up with what people are saying about the implications of incorporating technology in the educational world, and ways to do it effectively.

Image retrieved from
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/ on Aug 4, 2010.

I also found this blog http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/ .  Vicki, the blog author has been blogging since 1995 and speaks about a variety of topics.  She seems very tech savvy or tech aware and from what I can read is a forward thinking, open and educated individual.  As I was thinking about which feeds would be meaningful to not only myself but also to share I really felt that variety was key.  Nobody wants to bombard themselves with information from similar sources or about the same exact topic.  I feel that listening to my colleagues who have more experience in the field but have what appears to be at least the same amount of drive and passion if not more for their career, is not only important in terms of teaching me but also inspiring.  So, the three links above are on a more grand scale, but this one brings it all back home again.

Image retrieved from
http://www.freetech$teachers.com/ on Aug 4, 2010.

Here is another one that brings it home. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/  Richard Byrne has been blogging and supporting the learning world with suggestions, opinions, how-to’s, etc. since 2007.  I don’t know why it is important to me to share with you how long these people have been blogging, except perhaps because I feel like the whole professional and educated world has been doing it for so long, and I feel guilty that it has taken me so long to get on the bandwagon.  Anyhow, this is really a great place to hear on a very approachable and accessible level, what is working, why it’s working, how to get it, and so on.  He has archived hundreds of blogs and so when you have time, and I am sure that wont be any time soon, there are countless of pages of information worth diving into.

Well there you have it, a few feeds that I am following and that perhaps you may find interesting.  I am finding myself completely overwhelmed at the moment with the indescribable amounts of information out there, and with a few of the new tools that I am working with, I hope to be able to breath soon and begin digging through a small portion of it.