L E T ’ S G E T A C T I VAT E D !

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Really Simple Syndication

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F I N E D
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ent
S t a y  c u r r
RSS
Really Simple Syndication is
how regularly updated websites —
such as blog entries, news
headlines, audio, and video — create
‘feeds’ to push notice out to readers

FEED ME! when new content is available.

These Web feeds benefit content
ed!
Stay connect
creators by letting them syndicate
content automatically. The feeds
Learn to use RSS and a personalized home page benefit readers who want to
subscribe to timely updates from
to harness information that will hook students favored websites or to aggregate
feeds from many sites into one
and get them more engaged in content! place.

Do you get magazines in the mail?

iG o o gle a s h o me p a g e Or do you check the newsstand
everyday waiting to see if there’s a

i Google lets you create a

personalized homepage that
contains a Google search box
at the top, and your choice of any
Store bookmarks for quick access
to your favorite sites from any
computer;
new issue? Same concept applies
with RSS - instead of checking
websites each day for new content,
Design your own gadget. you can subscribe with RSS and be
number of gadgets below. Gadgets
notified automatically of changes!
come in lots of different forms and

AGGREGATOR
provide access to activities and
information from all across the web, Very useful as a personalized home
without ever having to leave your page, an iGoogle page is also a great
RSS feeds can be read using
iGoogle page. way to organize relevant, current software called an RSS reader, feed
content for students.
Here are some things you can do with reader, or aggregator. These tools
gadgets: We will work through the mechanics can be web-based, desktop-based,
of setting up a personalized home or mobile-device-based. Some
View latest Gmail messages;
page, search for useful content and examples are Bloglines, Google
Read headlines from Google News share ideas for using a personalized Reader, iGoogle, Netvibes,
and other top news sources; home page across the curriculum. Pageflakes.
Check out weather forecasts,
stock quotes, and movie showtimes;

August 2009 Michelle Krill, [email protected]

 iGoogle Basics

G
ETTING STARTED Gadgets are organized into categories Feeds ~ Any blog that publishes a feed
on the left, or you can search on the can be added to the iGoogle page. The
Prior to getting started, it’s
right. feed looks like any other iGoogle
necessary to sign in with a
gadget and lets you get automatic
Google Account so you can save your 1. Click Add stuff in the top-right
updates from the site.
iGoogle page across computers. (If you corner of iGoogle.
don't sign in, your iGoogle page is saved To add a blog's feed to your homepage,
2. Once you find a gadget you'd like to
just on your computer.) follow these steps:
add, click Add it now button.
The first time you use iGoogle, you'll 1. Go to the iGoogle directory by
3. Click the Back to iGoogle home
see the setup wizard, which will let you clicking Add stuff on the upper right
link at the upper left side of the page
create a personalized homepage in corner of your iGoogle page.
to see your personalized page.
under 30 seconds. Choose some
2. Click Add feed or gadget on the
interests and a theme, and click See You can arrange gadgets by dragging
left.
your page, and you'll have an iGoogle and dropping them on the page (or
page. between tabs). 3. Enter the address of the blog and
click Add. If there's a feed associated
If necessary, edit your gadgets'

A with the site, it'll be detected

settings by clicking the down-
DDING & REMOVING automatically.
arrow in the title bar and choosing
CONTENT
Edit settings. 4. Click Back to iGoogle home on the
iGoogle content can come in two upper left corner of the page to see
forms: gadgets & feeds. your updated iGoogle page.

1. Locate a site to
wish you bar and paste it on
want to subscribe. to the
iGoogle page.
2. Look for the RSS
icon or 5. Return to iGoogle
the Add to Google - Click
button. Add Stuff and then
Gadgets.
3. Click the icon or
add to 6. The Add feed or
Google button. gadget box
is on the lower left
side.
4. It may be necess
ary to copy 7.iGoogle - Paste the
the 'feed' url from the URL in
address the box and click Ad
d.

Re cipe for su c c e s s
August 2009 Michelle Krill, [email protected]