Final Reflection on RSS Project

Overall I'm glad that I introduced this project this spring. I must admit that my students enthusiasm for using their blogs seems to have dwindled as of recently. I'm not sure if that is loss of enthusiasm for this specific project per se, or if its more the issue of it being the end of the year and students just running out of steam? The dates that they are required to create posts by are a bit spread out (where their initial few activities were close together) and I think that may be a part of the issue that they are just losing track of time and forgetting to go back to it. I do plan to do a similar project in the future with some alterations. I'm honestly not sure how and if I will incorporate the RSS portion into the blogging activity. I do really like the idea of students staying informed on current events...and in some cases students brought some great information to classroom discussion that they gained through reading articles for the RSS portion of the assignment...but for the most part it seemed students would pick whatever article was listed at the top of their feed on the due date and write their article reflection on that. I noticed I was getting a lot of students picking the same articles....one of the last ones run on the assignment due date. However as I mentioned before I was very pleased with the response to the blogs (admittedly more so in the beginning than in the end). I will most likely use them more in the future by having more activities submitted via their blogs 1)to help save on turning in hard copies of activities and 2)to keep them going back there more frequently to help keep using the blog in the forefront of their mind. After the assignment began I had some students asking if they could share their blogs with one another. I'm considering making this a required part of the activity, but am not sure. Some students used the blogs for some real candid and personal reflection that I'm not sure they would have done had they known that their peers, not just their teacher, would be reading it. Logistically I'm not sure how I would want to set that up either. But if I am to add more and more to the blogging activities it might be nice to have them receiving comments from someone other than just me. I think it has some real potential to help build class community. The nice thing about having piloted this assignment in the spring is that I have a longer time until the next semester to reflect and play around with ideas of how I would like to use this activity in the future!

Blogs have been great, RSS...not so much...

I realilzed that I shared my experience thus far this semester at our FPLC meeting last week, but I hadn't reflected on my blog in a while. Overall I'm pleased with the results I've been getting from this assignment. I didn't really get any resistance to the new technology (confusion from a few people, but that is to be expected). I'd say my rate of students not completing the assignment is pretty low and right on par with any other assignment I distribute. So I take that as a sign that the activity hasn't turned them off any more than other work, that is! The blogging portion of the assignment has been excellent...a lot of students have really taken to it and seem to enjoy the act of blogging, some have even shared that they've started personal blogs. Its been really fun to see how some of the students who are often quiet in class really open up and show their personality in blog posts. Its also been a unique and interesting way for me to connect with students on a one-on-one level. The classroom environment doesn't leave time for every student to express all of their personal opinions and experiences and its a chance for them to "get it all out". I even had a couple of students admit that blogging about topics made them feel more comfortable discussing it (for example some sensitive personal issues such as dealing with depression or eating disorders). For this assignment I was not requiring students to share their blogs or review anyone else's, but I've had students request to be able to do so, which I think is great initiative! Utilizing the RSS features that they embedded in their blogs hasn't been as much of a hit. While most of the students do pick at least one article off their feed to read and respond to, few are doing more than just picking the first article they see. So really its not a lot different than if I just asked them to Google for an article related to health on any given day. While some students have drawn my attention to some articles I did not run across myself, and a few have been able to add some interesting extra information to classroom discussion I don't think I've developed a fabulous assignment that everyone should be trying! But its a start....I'll be interested to get student feedback on the blogs, RSS, and overall activites at the end of the semester.

Lovin' it...

Most of my students are all set up and blogging and I am really enjoying it! Its a great way for them to express themselves (as I had hoped) and a lot of them are really letting their personalities shine through in their posts. I also enjoy the interaction that I get in leaving them comments...that personal one-on-one connection often gets so lost when you have so many classes and so many students, its a nice way to have that, even if it is virtual. I haven't had any students have problems setting up there blog...but I am finding that some students are struggling with getting the RSS feeds running in their blogs. I'm helping them troubleshoot and I'll see how it goes. But for the most part, so far, so good!!

And the project begins....

I introduced my blog/RSS assignment in my MWF classes today. It seemed to be well received...a few students seemed familiar or excited with the idea of setting up their own blog. I didn't get anyone that seemed utterly lost or confused. Of course they have a couple of days to get it set up and send me the link so that I can subscribe, so the confusion may come out while trying to get things set up. I've already got some students set up and going so I'm excited to see where this goes. I'm looking forward to seeing how effective this activity is...I think it will be interesting to evaluate the blog and RSS components together and separately.

RSS Assignment

I am getting very excited about introducing the RSS activity in class!! I'm still deciding on exactly how I will organize the assignment and what I will have students do for points. But I'm planning to have student set up a Google Reader account and sign up to receive news feeds specifically related to health issues. I brought it up to my class today (not in great detail) just the general concept that they will be tracking current events in health and it seemed to get a good response! Good start so we'll see how it goes!!!

New Year...New Blogger

So I was less than stellar at staying on top of blogging last semester! But it is a new year and I'm going to be a new blogger!!! Our FPLC has gotten a grant to study the use of incorporating RSS into our classes this spring so I will be certain to blog on the process of doing that. Overall, last semester as a part of the FPLC was a great experience for me! I feel a lot more comfortable with exploring new technologies and I'm really excited to do so!! I've also learned a lot of great things that have helped me personally (using RSS feeds to keep up with news is amazing)!!! Its been enjoyable getting back into the swing of things this semester. I've had lots of stimulating conversations that have me really amped up and ready to go!!! Stay tuned... :)

A blogging discussion

I had lunch today with Biray so we could pick out some readings for our FPLC group to read when we discuss blogs in a couple weeks. In light of my current experiment with blogging it was great to really talk over the use of blogs, how they are used, and where they fit in. We talked about a lot of other great insightful stuff as well!! I love starting out the week with good stimulated conversation! While I'm still not sure of the best place for blogs (or even if there is place for them) in my classes, I have to say I am love exploring the blogging world!! I'm excited to experiment more with posting and using blogging as a personal communication tool. I'm also going to start reading more blogs and seeing what I can learn about other ways they are being used particularly in the education and non-profit worlds!!