Making the Internet Work for You

For the RSS assignment, I decided to find resources for parents who are looking for study tools their children can use. The first resource I found was a study skills blog with links to various tools like a speed reading checker, an online spelling bee for young learners, and some mental focusing techniques. This is an easy to navigate tool that is geared toward elementary schoolers, and it is an excellent resource to give parents to use with their children. The second resource I discovered is called Study Prof. This is a study resource for junior high and high school students that includes posts about estimating percents in your head, practicing vocabulary, and writing papers. The majority of this site is devoted to enhancing literacy skills to use in school and on tests. The third resource I found is called ESL Tutor and was created by a teacher who specializes in teaching ESL students. The blog features several links including conversation topics for ESL classrooms, idioms, and accent reduction and pronunciation tips. While this blog is aimed at ESL students, several of the resources can be altered for native English speakers.

In my future classroom, I would probably use RSS feeds to keep track of student work and to assist parents in finding various resources. If I teach in an upper elementary classroom, I would have each student create their own blogs where they would complete several assignments. The main assignments I would like the students to post on their blogs are podcasts where they find creative ways of broadcasting information on topics covered in class. For younger students, each child could take a turn broadcasting the weather report each day. When using RSS feeds for parents, I would give them access to their child's blogs to keep them updated on what they are doing in class. I would also provide study tools, book recommendations, behavioral management techniques, and other resources parents may ask me about. While I might use RSS feeds for professional development, most of the websites I have found in the past with excellent resources do not contain RSS feeds. However, if I do come across one that I like that uses RSS, I would definitely add it to my Google Reader.