Post on 22-Jun-2020
Maureen Curran Google Reader: Tool Analysis, Demo and Classroom Use
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PART 1: Tool Analysis
What is the tool?
Google Reader is web-based software developed by Google that checks for updates
published on a website, specifically Atom and RSS feeds. This type of tool is known as a
“feed aggregator” or “feed reader”. The software pulls updates from multiple site
subscriptions together into a summary page for the user.
Where can you get it?
Google Reader is one of many tools available from Google labs at:
http://www.google.com/reader
This is web-based software, meaning it does not require a download and is easily
accessible from any internet browser. It may also be available on your mobile device if
that has a compatible browser.
How much does it cost?
Google Reader is free for Google account users. If you do not have a Google account,
you can create an account for free at:
http://www.google.com/accounts
You will need to supply Google with your current email address and agree to their Terms
of Service and Privacy Policy in order to create the account.
Note: Google requires all users to 13 years of age or older, so this tool would not be
appropriate for student use in an elementary school setting.
What does the tool do? What is the tool used for?
In the most basic sense, Google Reader organizes
website updates for sites that offer Atom or RSS
feeds, typically web logs or “blogs”, into a single
in-box like location for the user, eliminating the
need to hop from site to site looking for updates
from favorite web pages. The user must
subscribe to the blogs he or she wishes to follow,
either by using the search functions available, or
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by manually entering the exact URL of the feed they wish to follow.
RSS and Atom are two standard forms of XML coding used to syndicate
content. Available content feeds are usually indicated on the website by
an icon similar to the one pictured on the right. Along with site feeds,
many weblogs offer separate comment feeds, allowing the user to track
comments to individual posts.
In addition to user identified sites, Google Reader offers over 400 existing “feed
bundles”, or listings of sites grouped by a common interest, in popular categories such
as news, sports, entertainment, technology and a variety of hobbies. There’s even a
feed bundle available for EdTech!
When used in conjunction with the user profile, Google reader can be a collaborative
tool. Users can share favorite items and see the trends of those they follow. They can
comment on shared posts and share their own notes, as well. They can even create
folders to organize and prioritize their own feeds and bundles to share their favorite
sites with others.
When reading in expanded view the
user has tools available for ranking and
sharing. Users can star, like, share,
notate, email and edit tags for
individual posts. Over time, Google
reader will make recommendations for
new feeds based on user history and
site ranking. There is even an option to
“sort by magic” under Folder Settings, in
which Google Reader uses your reading
and rank history as a prioritizing guide
for the existing feed sort.
Google Reader is a powerful tool for organizing, reading, sharing and collaborating on
current news readily available online. The user makes more efficient use of available
time by seeing all of the desired information in one place, rather than browsing from
site to site.
How does the tool support learning?
Some schools are now using blogs as a means of reading, writing and collaboration
among students and teachers alike. Classroom 2.0 teachers are even using weblogs as a
means of teaching entire classes. Whether the students are following teachers or other
students or locating reliable sources of information to track online, Google Reader has
all the capabilities needed. It is free, easy to set up and learn.
Students and parents who have access to teacher maintained blogs are able to track and
follow up with assignments whether they are in the classroom or not. They are able to
Maureen Curran Google Reader: Tool Analysis, Demo and Classroom Use
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communicate and collaborate by writing their own posts and commenting on others.
Using Google Reader, then can easily track the sites and comments of teachers,
classmates and various news organizations or other types of sites specifically related to
classroom projects.
Google Reader saves time normally spent surfing, allowing the student to take in,
analyze and respond to more information, ultimately expanding their knowledge base.
How does the tool relate to learning theories?
In my opinion, Google Reader’s relationship to learning theories is somewhat indirect.
The tool itself is not the key, rather the structured content it produces.
Professor George E. Hein stated in his Constructivist Learning Theory paper that “each
learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning---as he or she learns” (p.1) and
that “there is no knowledge independent of the meaning attributed to experience by
the learner” (p.1). Google Reader is a feed (information) aggregator. When a student
uses this type of tool, they are searching through and responding to data from a variety
of sources, including mentors and peers. This type of collaboration and interaction
helps them to form their own opinions and knowledge about any given subject. Over
time, students should learn to filter the meaningful subject matter. They are learning
what is important to them.
Supporting Research Summary
The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation of Possibilities
Authors Peter Duffy and Dr. Axel Bruns focus on the educational opportunities made
available by the inclusion in the classroom of collaborative social tools such as blogs,
wikis and RSS feeds. All three tools allow students to work together in information
gathering, content creation, and peer assessment. They promote personal and group
reflection, going beyond the traditional learning practices of gathering and reiterating
information. These technologies are strongly based on social networking and as a result
the learners, student and teacher alike, are socially constructing knowledge.
Web 2.0 in the ELT Classroom: An Introduction
Author Jerry Talandis Jr. points out that the internet is going through a major upgrade
and the emerging technologies are categorized under the heading Web 2.0, a social
constructivist model of learning. People no longer take in mass quantities of
information to reiterate for tests and matriculation. Instead, they collaborate as part of
social learning communities, using tools like wikis, blogs, and syndication to construct
knowledge. He points out that having the capability to find new information is almost
more important than what is currently known. Much of his article points out means of
implementing Web 2.0 technologies in English learning classrooms, but is applicable
across the broader spectrum of teaching and learning, in general.
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Why do you think the tool is appropriate for classroom use?
Google Reader can be used by older students to amass large amounts of information
from a variety of sources. It can be used in conjunction with classroom blog projects, or
students can use it as a means of sharing information with one another for a project on
a broader subject.
Google Reader also proves to be a useful tool for teachers as it allows them to read,
respond to and guide the writings of their students from a central location.
References
Hein, G.E. (1991). Constructivist Learning Theory. Institute for Inquiry. Retrieved
February 9, 2011, from
http://www.edtechpolicy.org/AAASGW/Session2/const_inquiry_paper.pdf.
Duffy, P. & Bruns, A. The Use of Blogs, Wikis and RSS in Education: A Conversation of
Possibilities. In Proceedings Online Learning and Teaching Conference 2006,
pages pp.31-38, Brisbane. Retrieved February 9, 2011, from
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/5398/1/5398.pdf.
Talandis Jr., J. (2008). Web 2.0 in the ELT Classroom: An Introduction. In K. Bradford
Watts, T. Muller, & M.Swanson (Eds.), JALT 2007 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo:
JALT. Retrieved February 9, 2011, from
http://jalt-publications.org/archive/proceedings/2007/E040.pdf.
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PART 2: Demonstration
What you need
Internet access and a valid email address, registered with Google Accounts. If you are
not registered with Google Accounts, please visit the link below before proceeding with
this tutorial and follow the on-screen instructions to register your email address. You
must be 13 years or older to register.
https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount
If you do not have an email address, you can visit any of the sites below to sign up for
free email:
http://www.yahool.com
http://www.hotmail.com
http://www.aol.com
Signing In to Google Reader
Click on the link below to go to the
Google Account Sign In page:
http://www.google.com/reader
• Type the email address you
used to register your Google
account into email textbox.
• Type the password you
created into the
appropriate box
• Click the “Sign In” button.
*Note – If you want to stay signed in, check the “Stay signed in” checkbox before you
sign in. I do not recommend this if you are using a public computer.
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The Welcome Page
Now that you’ve signed in, you should see a screen similar to this one:
Don’t worry if you can’t see everything in this graphic. We’ll take a closer look at the
sidebar (left column of links) and content area (right body of text) next.
*Note – Google offers several different free services to registered account holders. Many
of these are accessible from the small link bar that runs across the top of the page. Feel
free to explore these on your own.
Overview: The Sidebar
The Sidebar is fairly self-explanatory:
Expand or collapse this section.
Manually enter a feed URL.
Return to the Home page.
Display all new items in the content area.
Review your favorite posts.
Display your shared items.
Display notes you’ve written.
View your usage trends.
Browse new material.
Switch to comment view.
Modify your sharing settings.
Explore recommended items.
Display all of your subscriptions.
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When you make a selection from the sidebar menu, the content is displayed in the main
content area to the direct right of the sidebar. We’ll explore these further through a
series of steps in the next section.
Subscriptions
Let’s get started by subscribing to a blog. You’ll need to know the URL for
the blog’s RSS feed in order to subscribe. The feed URL can often be found
by clicking on the RSS logo (shown right) on the site.
For this exercise, we will subscribe to an educational blog about blogging!
Click the “Add a subscription” in the
sidebar and enter the following feed
URL:
http://edublogs.org/feed/
Now click the “Add” button.
Edublogs Weekly is now listed in your subscriptions. New items are now listed in your
content area. You can scroll through the posts or use the toolbar at the top to sort the
items based on age or feed. You can continue adding feed URLs for your favorite sites in
this manner or by entering a search term instead of a feed URL into the text box.
Google Reader will search for blogs using your specific terms and return the results right
in Google Reader. Try entering the search term “Math” and see what happens. Google
returns a list of available feeds about math:
You now have the option of exploring the individual sites by clicking on their titles or
subscribing to the site feeds by clicking the “+Subscribe” button. When you’re finished,
you can continue looking for more sites by clicking “Return to feed discovery”.
*Note – “Return to feed discovery” and “Browse for stuff” take you to the same location.
Try browsing featured bundles for subjects that are important to you or searching for
your friends. The more feeds you follow, the more recommendations Google Reader will
generate for you.
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Collaboration
• Click on “People you follow”
in the sidebar to expand that
section, if it is not already
expanded.
• Click on “Sharing settings” to
open them up in the main
content area.
• Click on “You are following 0
people” to open up the
people search window.
• Enter “mcurran@kent.edu”
into the text box. “Search
People” should change to
read “Follow”. If it has not,
make sure there is no comma
at the end of the email
address. If there is, delete it.
Click the “Follow” button.
“Molly” (that’s me) should now be displayed under “People you follow” in the sidebar. I
have shared a post from my own blog here. Scroll to the bottom of that shared post and
click the “Add Comment” link. Type a short comment letting me know you were there
and click the “Post Comment” button.
Now I’ve shared something and you’ve responded! We’re communicating with each
other!
*Note – Try sharing a post from one of the blogs you found through exploring on your
own. Take it a step further by “sharing with a note” or emailing a news item to a friend.
Try finding your friends or colleagues using the same method you used to add me!
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Tips and Tricks
Once you start subscribing to multiple feeds, you’ll want to keep them organized in
some manner. This will help you to quickly weed out those you want to read from those
you don’t. One way to do this is by using folders to organize your feeds.
As you can see in the picture on the left, I have
organized my feeds into several different
categories, including some professional,
coursework, news and personal blogs. Each
folder can be expanded by clicking the “+” sign
to its immediate left. The number in
parentheses is the number of new items I have
not read yet. Some feeds generate a very large
volume of new items. To quickly determine
which items I want to read, I will often start by
selecting a folder, which displays all new items in
that folder in the main content area. Then, in
the upper right hand corner of the main content
area, I click the “List” link.
Now I can see more of my items at once:
I can jump to items I want to read right now. I can “star” intriguing titles to read later. I
can tell Google Reader that I am done with these items by clicking “Mark all as read”.
Try creating your own folders by clicking on
“Manage Subscriptions” at the very bottom
of the sidebar to open up the Subscription
Settings window. Begin by checking the box
next to one of the feeds you want to place
in a folder. Then click the “Change
folders…” button to expand a drop down
list. Click “New Folder in the list and enter a
name for your category in the text box.
Click “OK” to place the subscription you selected into the folder you just created.
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*Note – Organize all your feeds! Just go down your subscription list and choose a
category for everything you read!
Show What You Know!
1. Sign into Google Reader at: http://www.google.com/reader.
2. Subscribe to my blog. The feed URL is:
http://techinlearning.wordpress.com/feed/.
3. Search for a feed using keywords and subscribe to one of the results.
4. Browse the featured feed bundles and subscribe to one of your choice.
5. Follow me on Google Reader. My email address is mcurran@kent.edu.
6. Comment on something I’ve shared.
7. Add your feeds to a common folder. Select the folder under Subscriptions in the
sidebar. Click “Folder Settings…” in the main content area and then select
“Create Bundle”. Check the box labeled “Add to my shared items” and then click
the “Save” button.
8. Using the email address you used to access your Google account, send me an
email stating you have completed these tasks. Please include your full name and
tell me what MY Google Account profile picture is.
Note – For further help using Google Reader, please visit Google Reader Support at
http://www.google.com/support/reader/?hl=en. Please include notes about any
difficulties you experienced with this tutorial in your email so that they can be addressed.
Peer Review: Task Assessment Results
Student 1, Sarah Houser, received 7 of 8 available
points for the task. She completed everything, but did
not leave a comment on the blog post I shared through
my Google Reader account.
Sarah shared the feed bundle displayed on the left and
sent me the email shown below.
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I also used the following rubric to assess Sarah, which I sent to her through Vista Mail:
Student 2, Kristin Seibert, received only 4 of 8 possible
points. Kristin did not share the feed bundle she created.
She may have had some issues with creating the folder, so
that portion of this document was revised for clarification.
Supporting documentation, on the right, shows that she
did follow my Google account.
Kristin also located and commented on my shared item:
Google Reader Demo Task Assessment
Criteria
Points
Available
Points
Earned
Account set up & registration
• Student was able to register a current or new email address and
successfully sign into Google Reader
(1) (1)
Adding new feed subscriptions
• Student successfully created a feed bundle including at least the
following 3 feeds:
o http://techinlearning.wordpress.com/feed/
o A feed of their choice, found by keyword search
o One of Google Reader’s pre-packaged feed bundles
(3) (3)
Sharing & Collaboration
• Student successfully followed the instructor on Google Reader.
Their name and email address appear in the instructor’s “Following
Me” list and the student was able to correctly identify instructor
profile picture at the end of the task.
• Student commented on an item the instructor shared
• Student successfully shared the feed bundle they created
• Student emailed the instructor as directed
(4) (3)
Total Points (8) (7)
Comments: Sarah – thanks for taking the time to complete this assignment. The only piece
missing was the comment on the item I shared. Everything else looked great! I added your feed
bundle to my subscription list, as well. Thanks again for helping me out with this.
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Kristin was assessed as follows via Vista Mail:
Google Reader Demo Task Assessment
Criteria
Points
Available
Points
Earned
Account set up & registration
• Student was able to register a current or new email address and
successfully sign into Google Reader
(1) (1)
Adding new feed subscriptions
• Student successfully created a feed bundle including at least the
following 3 feeds:
o http://techinlearning.wordpress.com/feed/
o A feed of their choice, found by keyword search
o One of Google Reader’s pre-packaged feed bundles
(3) (0)
Sharing & Collaboration
• Student successfully followed the instructor on Google Reader.
Their name and email address appear in the instructor’s “Following
Me” list and the student was able to correctly identify instructor
profile picture at the end of the task.
• Student commented on an item the instructor shared
• Student successfully shared the feed bundle they created
• Student emailed the instructor as directed
(4) (3)
Total Points (8) (4)
Comments: Kristin – Thank you for taking the time to try out my Google Reader assignment. I
was able to see everything but your feed bundle. I know another student had difficulty creating
a folder, so I’ll be providing some additional clarification in the final project. Again – thank you
for your assistance.
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PART 3: Classroom Use
An Introduction to Classroom Use
Before we look at Google Reader, we need to understand what RSS is. Depending on
the source, RSS can be an acronym for both Rich Site Summary and Really Simple
Syndication. Either explanation refers to the same idea: the syndication of web content
via XML. News sites, blogs, event venues and all kinds of websites offer RSS feeds that
allow users to access regular updates or new headlines via feed subscriptions.
Feed subscriptions are managed with feed aggregators. Google Reader is an RSS feed
aggregator, sometimes referred to as a feed reader. It is a web-based application that
pulls RSS feeds, specified (subscribed to) by the user, into a central portal that allows
the user to get up-to-date information from a variety of web-sites in one location. It
reduces browsing time by organizing updates into a list that the user can access simply
by logging into his or her Google account.
Google Reader is not just an aggregator. It also provides additional capabilities and
functions that, when put to use by individual users or groups of users, contribute to the
creation of a collaborative and communicative environment. A user can organize feeds
into folders, mark (“star”) important feeds, share specific items with fellow Google
Reader users, email specific items to friends or colleagues, create commentary on items
and share notes with other users. Google also allows the user to create feed bundles, or
groups of specific updates, to share with other users. The user determines the level of
interaction simply by deciding which of the available tools to utilize, and who, if anyone,
to share with.
In the classroom, as is often the case in professional life, students are often asked to,
either individually or collaboratively, produce new materials or reflect on existing
materials and suggest improvements. They learn through reviewing, reflecting and
revising, regardless of the subject matter. Teacher roles fluctuate between providing
information, guiding the learning process, reviewing student work and providing
constructive feedback. All of these things can be accomplished in a central location
using Google Reader.
Teachers subscribing to news feeds using an RSS aggregator can provide up-to-date
headlines for Social Studies or Current Events projects. Students who blog as part of a
writing course can give and receive feedback from fellow classmates and the instructor
through Google Reader. Teachers can guide the learning process or lead group projects
in any subject by providing feed bundles to students, who in turn can use the sharing
functionality of Google Reader to collaborate with one another, moving the project and
learning process forward. Outside of the classroom, students and parents alike can use
Google Reader to get up-to-date news from the school administration or teacher
websites.
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Known Barriers to Classroom Use
Unfortunately, when planning for ongoing projects that require technology uses outside
of regular school hours, teachers and administrators have the difficult task of assessing
the home and public resources available to their student body. Is it fair to require a
student to participate in an online collaboration as part of a homework assignment if
they do not have access to a home computer or home internet access? If the student
does not have access to these technologies at home, is there somewhere nearby, such
as a library or community center, that offers free access? Can additional access be
granted to use school resources outside of regular class time? All of these things must
be considered before requiring student participation.
Google Accounts has also set a minimum age restriction. Students must be 13 years of
age or older to register for a Google account. This means that lessons requiring the use
of Google Reader would not be appropriate for use in younger classrooms. This
software is better suited for older students. Teachers can always use Google Reader as
a means of gathering information to share with students at any grade level.
Standards, Learning and Accessibility
Google Reader is more of a means than an end. It can’t be used in the classroom to
create a finished product by itself. It can show the process, growth or progress of a
product through the list of feeds, notes, blog entries and interchanges shared between
students and peers. What it does is allow people to collect, annotate and share
information with others. It is a research and communication tool, not a production tool.
However, the information gained through its use can be used to produce reflective
writings or other products.
Since Google Reader is a technology tool, it can be used with a wide variety of subject
matter. It is restricted in scope only by the creativity of the user and, as such, can be
used in different ways to meet established curriculum standards.
With specific regards to the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)
established by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Google
Reader can be used in conjunction with lesson plans for many subjects to meet at least 3
standards:
1. Communication and Collaboration
2. Research and Information Fluency
3. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
Consider a lesson in which a teacher asks students to write an argument for or against a
debatable topic. Following a pre-research brainstorming session, the students are
broken into groups to further investigate certain aspects of the debate at hand. They
then log into Google Reader, where the teacher has shared a bundle of on-topic
resources for the students to research. Students can sift through the information
provided by the teacher and also use the search function to find additional related
feeds, which they can share with the other groups. After completing their research,
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students use the information they gathered to draft an argument supporting their
stance and publish it to a blog. Peers can then use Google Reader to read and react to
each other’s blog posts.
The lesson has met the first standard by requiring the students to use a digital
environment to communicate and work collaboratively while contributing to the
learning of their classmates through the sharing of research. The second standard is
met by requiring the students to use a digital tool to locate, organize, evaluate,
synthesize and report on information found online. The last standard is met by the
nature of the project. Students are required to plan and conduct research in a manner
that allows them to develop a sound solution to the proposed problem.
To be effectively used in the classroom, Google Reader requires the sharing or exchange
of information, either from teacher to student or among teacher and students. In short,
it requires communication. Egbert states that “Learning takes place when the
communication is based on true social interaction” (p.67). That means that the
communication has to flow both ways and that the communicators must share a
common goal, i.e. solving a problem that they don’t already know the answer to.
A second type of student learning supported by Google Reader is collaboration. This is
similar to communication, but goes a little bit further. Egbert states that in addition to
the back and forth flow of information, collaboration requires students to “plan and
accomplish something specific together” (p.68). In the example above, the students
must decide on an argument then gather and analyze information to support it.
In addition to supporting multiple standards and types of learning, Google Reader does
not require any specific modifications to differentiate instruction. It is simply a means of
delivering information. If teachers need to accommodate students at different skill
levels, or from different backgrounds, they can supply feed bundles specifically suited to
separate learning tiers, if needed. The modification is done by the teacher, not by the
application.
Google Reader is an easy to use web application that allows teachers and students to
research, elaborate and share on a variety of topics. It clearly supports multiple
technology standards and varied types of learning and can be used easily in conjunction
with lesson plans on almost any subject matter.
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Lesson Analysis and Adaptation Worksheet
Social Studies / How should we deal with global health issues?
Lesson Plan : “Outbreak” located at https://docs.google.com/View?id=ddv49vkt_4gv4sxtcf
Grades 10 - 12
The Lesson… Indicators Comments Proposed Adaptations
Works
towards
appropriate
goals.
* Content and technology
standards are mentioned.
* Standards are for the
correct grade level and
content area.
* Objectives are aligned
with standards
* Tasks focus clearly on
obtaining the objectives.
ITSE NETS #4 Critical Thinking,
Problem Solving, and Decision
Making : Student groups will
plan and conduct research into
6 sub-categories under Swine
Flu case study and use the
information to prepare for
outbreaks, posting results,
feedback and peer reviews via
Google Sites. One group will
use Google Reader to follow
news about flu trends.
Include NETS #2
Communication and
Collaboration, #3
Research and
Information Fluency.
Instead of having
students post to one
Google site, have each
group journal via blog
and follow their peers
in Google Reader.
Students can share
resources via feed
bundle or share
feature.
Requires the
use of higher-
order thinking
skills and
“new”
literacies.
* Students are asked to do
more than memorize or
understand (e.g.,
summarize, synthesize,
predict, etc.)
* Media, visual,
communicative,
technological,
mathematical, and/or
other nontraditional
literacies are addressed.
Students must synthesize
information and decide on a
course of action regarding flu
outbreak preparedness for
their immediate locality.
Students use various Google
Apps to store and present
information, plan and produce
solutions communications.
Once solutions are
revised and finalized,
have students design a
presentation about
preparing for the flu.
The presentation could
be recorded to video
and shared via closed
circuit TV with the
entire school.
Integrates the
learning goals.
* Communication
* Production
* Critical thinking
* Creativity
* Content
* Problem solving
* Inquiry/research
The plan encompasses all of
these learning goals.
None suggested
Includes a
variety of
resources.
* Students have choices of
materials at different
levels.
* Materials are available in
a variety of modes (e.g.,
graphics, sound, text,
video) and media (e.g.,
books, films, photos,
computer).
Lesson includes text, audio,
visual or video. Historical
sources may come from
personal accounts, library
books, news casts or online.
None suggested
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The Lesson Indicators Comments Proposed Adaptations
Engages all
students
actively in
authentic
tasks.
* Students have roles/tasks
to perform throughout the
lesson.
* Connections are made
between the task and real
life.
* Students must actively
search for answers to
essential questions.
Indicators are met. Students
are broken into specialized
groups with specific goals to
achieve. Students are
exploring the real life issue of
personal health and safety and
coming up with viable
solutions.
Each group could be
further divided into
assigned roles (i.e.
researcher, writer,
interviewer,
cameraman etc) and
students can rotate
roles within their group
each week.
Uses
technology
effectively,
efficiently,
and as a
learning tool.
* The technology makes
the task more authentic.
* The technology makes
the task easier to
accomplish.
* The technology helps
students complete the task
faster than without it.
* The technology is
secondary to the content
and goals.
Use of Google Apps, including
sites, maps, reader, docs, etc,
speeds communication and
collaboration. Researching,
evaluating, revising and
producing a viable solution to
the flu outbreak is the focus of
this lesson. Technology is a
tool, not the main point.
None suggested
Addresses the
needs of a
variety of
students,
including ELLs
and students
with physical
and other
challenges.
* All students can access
task instructions.
* All students can access
task materials and
resources.
* Students have different
ways to accomplish the
same objectives.
Task instructions are made
available to students during
initial exposure topic. Plan
does not specify time frame for
research and collaboration. It
is not clear whether it is taking
place during class time or as
homework assignments or
both.
Students are provided
adequate weekly access
to school library and
technology center.
Local news casts should
be admissible as
sources in lieu of
internet news for
students who do not
have home access.
Includes
appropriate
assessments.
* Assessment is aligned to
the standards and
objectives.
* Assessments are fair for
all students and not based
on one ability (e.g.,
writing).
* Assessments allow
students to show what
they know/can do rather
than what they cannot.
Assessment is not clearly
stated. Through process of
collaboration, students are to
refine finalized collection of flu
data as support for follow up
projects, i.e. community
communications about flu
preparedness.
Self-Assessments: have
each group submit
answers to general
questions regarding the
research,
communication and
collaboration process.
Have group peers
assess each other in
regards to contribution
and performance.
What did they do well?
What did they feel they
could have been done
better? How would
they change their
process going forward
on new projects, given
their experiences with
this one?
Maureen Curran Google Reader: Tool Analysis, Demo and Classroom Use
18 | P a g e
To begin the lesson, the instructor should be familiar with the main topic, and have sub-
categories in mind, as well. During the initial brainstorming process, the instructor shall
guide the students towards some of the pre-determined sub-categories, if possible.
Once all of the research divisions have been finalized, the instructor shall break the
students into groups, placing stronger students with weaker ones, providing mentoring.
The teacher will take turns working with individual groups to ensure that all students
have a full understanding of the assigned tasks and are afforded the opportunity to
participate in different group roles throughout the project. Once all students have a full
understanding of where they are headed, the teacher can fall back from participatory
work, stepping in to guide students towards solutions as needed.
In the event of technological crisis, such as an internet outage or software problem, the
students can spend the time usually appropriated to the project a few different ways.
This would be a good opportunity for the groups to share where they are at in their own
research verbally. It would also be a great opportunity to seek out sources of
information that do not rely on technology, such as personal historical accounts of flu
seasons past or good old fashioned newspaper articles. Students can always take notes
with pencil and paper and upload to Google documents or research blogs during a later
class.
Google Reader is a great tool for classroom use. It’s free, easy to use, and provides
many ways of consuming and creating information in a collaborative environment. It
can be used by teachers with virtually any subject matter and is well suited for use on
classroom projects by older students as it creates an online environment conducive to
communication and student-centered learning.
References
Egbert, Joy L. (2009). Supporting Learning with Technology : Essentials of Classroom
Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education Ltd.
What is RSS? - A Word Definition From the Webopedia Computer Dictionary. (n.d.).
Webopedia: Online Computer Dictionary for Computer and Internet Terms and
Definitions. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RSS.html
The ISTE NETS and Performance Indicators for Students (NETS*S). (n.d.). www.iste.org.
Retrieved April 13, 2011, from
www.iste.org/Libraries/PDFs/NETS_for_Student_2007_EN.sflb.ashx