I’ve self-imposed a deadline for today to blog about RSS feeds. In September, I started using Google Reader to subscribe to the blogs I wanted to read. I was hoping to subscribe to at least 15 blogs by now, but I’ve surpassed my goal and am currently subscribing to 24 blogs. I thought that I would max out at 30 - that more than 30 would be overwhelming – but I think 30 could actually be a comfortable number to manage.
At the beginning of my inquiry into RSS feeds, I wondered how a reader, like Google Reader, could save me time. It’s free. It’s convenient. But, does it save me time? If I wanted to read all of those blogs on a regular basis, then, yes, it would save me time. But, I’ve never read a blog on a regular basis. I only read blogs when I’ve come across them looking for information. After a month of subscriptions, I’m wondering if I’ve been focused on the wrong aspect of using a reader. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so focused on saving time. Yes, my time is important, and I have very little to spare, but I’m finding that I’m gaining more from reading my feeds than the gift of time. I’m being exposed to a wealth of knowledge and information that I might never have thought to google! Because of this, my next goal is to read my feeds through Google Reader on a more regular basis. McLeod (2011) recommends, “Commit to checking your reader once a week, and soon you, too, will discover the power of having the web come to you” (p. 8). The good news is that I’m already checking my reader once a week. The not-so-good-news is that I am skimming and scanning my reader at break-necking speed to catch up on the latest news and report back to my classmates. If I check my reader more frequently, I envision catching up to be a more leisurely activity. With that said, for the next 3 weeks, I am going to try and read my feeds every day (save weekends). By doing this, I hope to get into the habit of checking my Reader. In turn, I hope to stay informed, digest smaller bits of information at once, and, hopefully, save time in the long run. Three weeks from now, I will let you know how successful or unsuccessful this turned out to be.
Although I’ve already surpassed my original goal of subscribing to 15 blogs, I am now wondering if I should be subscribing to a few more. In two articles I recently read, both authors encouraged subscribing to diverse viewpoints. For example, McLeod (2011), advises, “As you begin loading it [RSS feeder] up, be sure to include some streams from sources that think or believe differently than you do in order to avoid immersing yourself in an echo chamber” (p. 8). I really hadn’t thought of doing that. I am currently subscribing to blogs that I think would help me carry out best practices within the context of a school library. Which blogs would counter those viewpoints? This is something I will have to consider further. As teacher time is being cut in many school libraries across B.C., someone must not value them as much as I do. Perhaps I should consult Abram (2011) who writes, “I believe it is impossible to be fair or to argue for my own position (on libraries in particular) without understanding other points of view. And, radical though it may sound, sometimes these folks say something I agree with! So I have reviewed my RSS feeds, Web alerts, e-newsletters, and apps and ensured that I am receiving a more balanced point of view” (p. 31). My second goal will be to find and subscribe to 2-5 blogs that might broaden my horizons and provide me with a more balanced view of school libraries.
To read more by Abram, visit his blog.
To read more by McLeod, visit his blog.
References
McLeod, S. (2011). The most important tool you probably don't know. School Administrator, 68(8), 8. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 2443814431).
Abram, S. (2011). A philosophy for staying current. Information Outlook, 15(5), 30-31. Retrieved October 19, 2011, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 2427792261).
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