What I Learned in MAC

Wk 4 Reading: Chapters 11 and 12

This video illustrates several practices outlined in The Art of Possibility.   Several of the practices are as follows:

Being a Contribution
Leading From Any Chair
The Way Things Are
Giving Way to Passion
Lighting a Spark
Being the Board
Creating Frameworks for Possibility: Robert Swan had a vision and was able to share the vision with others. He created the WE Story with his team. Each member of his team contributed; they were engaged.



How can we as educators remove those things which impede our progress as great educators?

Source:   Retreived from YouTube   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk-1ehkJLPA

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000) The art of possibility. New York: Penguin

Wk4 Reading: Being the Board

When all else fails, the Zanders recommend that we view the game of our life.  No matter what happens in our life, we have an opportunity to act or react to the situation, and we can take responsibility for that action.  When we open ourself to the possibility that we are for responsible for everything that happens in our life, then we soon discover new solutions to our problems.

Be the board--not the piece that is playing the game but the board where the whole game is being played.   Ask yourself how did this get on the board?    By being the board, we can change our                    thoughts and then our actions.

Source:  Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000) The art of possibility. New York: Penguin.

Google Image

Wk 4 Comment on Classmate's Blog

Week 4 Blog 2 – Scratch Tutorial

I just watched the video that was posted in FSO about Scratch. 

Prior to watching this video I had only had surface interactions with Scratch. In other words I had only heard about Scratch and its possibilities. A few of my students have used this program for one of their technology class projects. I am planning on talking to the teacher tomorrow about how I could use the program too. My overall impression is that of relief. I struggled with Flash animation and I really am thankful that there are other programs that will help me animate objects. 

At this point I feel like I am just scratching the surface of this program. I hope that some of you have been using the program and can help me visualize what I could use this program for. I did look at the science teacher convention that I am attending this winter and there is a session on Scratch. I will definitely be attending. 

If you are a newbie like I am with Scratch the following Web site has quite a bit of information that is already set up for students to use! 
http://computerkiddoswiki.pbworks.com/Scratch-Animals-on-the-move

Resources

“Videos of the Week (Vol. 13): Getting Started with Scratch” posted by cscie1 retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpZ23dx7hA&feature=player_embedded on October 18, 2009.

Wk4 Reading: The Way Things Are and Giving Away to Passion

The following speech given by Steve Jobs illustrates the points made in Chapter 7 and 8 of The Art of Possibility. He shares three stories that have impacted his life. One story is on connecting the dots throughout your life as well as following your intuition and curiosity. Basically he believes in the way things are. The second story he shares is about following your passion. Find what you love to do; don't settle; and remember that you'll know it when you find it. The third story is about death. He shared this quote "Live each day as if it were your last and one day you'll be right." This quote has enabled him to make choices in his life. Some of his closing comments were follow your heart, stay hungry, and stay foolish.

I hope you enjoy this video.





Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Wk 4 Reading: Sharing A Spark

As quoted in Chapter 9 in The Art of Possibility "The life force for humankind is, perhaps, nothing more or less than the passionate energy to connect, express, and communicate. Enrollment is that life force at work, lighting sparks from person to person, scattering light in all directions. Sometimes the sparks ignite a blaze, sometimes they pass quietly, magically, almost imperceptibly, from one to another to another.

I wanted to share this video with you in hopes that I might connect in some way with each of you.




Sources:
 YouTube  http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS322&q=The+Secret+YouTube&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=1xXdStL6Co26NaTzyekN&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQqwQwAA

Zander, R. & Zander, B. (2000) The art of possibility. New York: Penguin.

Wk 3 Wimba Session Copyright

Based on the Wimba session there are several limits to copyright.   A small bit can be used for teaching, news reporting, parody, and critical comments.  Three conditions to consider whether something is Fair Use is the nature of usage must be either teaching, news reporting, parody, or critical comments; amount used; and commercial impact.  Fair Use is not a right, it is a legally defensible position.  It is better to always ask permission.  Typically you are one email away from getting permission.  

It's a good idea to show good faith by providing credit to the owners of the material being used.

Wk 3 Reading: Chapter 4, 5, 6

Chapter 4:  Over the years, I've observed how people handle various situations in their lives.  People who succeed do not have fewer problems than people who fail.  It is how they perceive issues and how they react to situations that makes a difference.  The purpose of this chapter was to help us look at how we can contribute in order to make a difference in the lives of others even if it's only one person.  How will I be a contribution today?

Chapter 5:  We're all leaders.  How can we make a difference in the people will influence each day?  How do we listen to those who help us make our dreams become reality?

Chapter 6:  Rule #6--Don't take yourself so seriously.  Life is a journey--enjoy and learn along the way.  Live, laugh, and love!!

Video Retrieved October 19, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z-ajcsewpY

Wk 3 Reading Chapter 3: Obama Receives an A

In the Art of Possibility, Ben Zander quoted "The practice of giving the A invents and recognizes a universal desire in people to contribute to others, no matter how many barriers there are to its expression" (p. 39).

Recently President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The committee said that it honored Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. President Obama said he viewed the decision less as a recognition of his own accomplishments and more as a "call to action."

One of the statements in the book that resonated with me was "When you give an A, you find yourself speaking to people not from a place of measuring how they stack up against your standards, but from a place of respect that gives them room to realize themselves. This A is not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into"(p.26).

Zanders, R & Zander, B. (2000) The art of possibility. New York: Penguin Books.

Image retrieved from Google Images.

WK3 Reading Chapter 1 & 2:

As educators how can we awaken the possibility in others? In the Art of Possibility, Rosamund and Ben Zander provide several questions for us to ask ourselves:

Chapter 1: How can we think outside the box we live in? What assumptions are we making that we're not aware that we are making? What might we invent that would give us other choices?

Chapter 2: We live in a world of measurements. The Zanders recommend that when we look at how different things appear we can see them as possibilities. How are your thoughts and actions a reflection of the measurement world?




Video Retrieved October 18, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrGAJ7hVh10

Wk 3: Comment to Classmate

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009

Assessment Guidelines

While reading the text, "The Art of Possibility", I decided to search for some assessment guidelines that schools are offering. One such article that I found is from Buffalo State University. I thought that these guideline would be an interesting reflection based upon our recent reading assignment.

Buffalo State Assessment Guidelines

Wk2 Reading: Ways Media Has Changed Education

The internet and new media have made an impact on education. For years teachers have been able to post their syllabi and class notes on the internet and provide students with an opportunity to use discussion boards to interact. However, there is so much more that teachers can do to engage their students.

Full Sail University offers an Educational Media and Technology program where teachers learn how to use the internet and new media to engage their students and to move them to digital workspaces. Teachers in the program learn how to integrate technology into the curriculum. For example, teachers create blogs on which comments are required as part of the weekly assignments. Teachers in this program are considered to be active learners rather than passive learners; they have access to world-class teachers; there are no geographical limitations; teachers share ideas with people from all over the world; online tools are readily accessible including books and free software; research is readily available; and best of all teachers can receive their education from the comfort of their own home.

I've stated just a few of the ways that media has changed education. Please share your thoughts on how you think media has changed education.

Image Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://blogs.worldbank.org/files/governance/image/blog%20board.jpg

Wk2 Reading: We're Not Just Consumers

The internet and new media have changed our culture and education.  This YouTube explains some of the social skills and cultural competencies needed for us to engage in a participatory culture.

As educators, what are we doing to make a difference in our classrooms?

Wk 2 Reading: Politics and the New Media

The 2008 Presidential Campaign rewrote the rules on how to reach voters, organize supporters, raise money, mange the news media, and track public opinion.  Their platforms included blogs, YouTube videos, text messages, and internet ads.  The candidates realized that they needed to engage people in a dialogue.  However, in order for the dialogue to be effective, they had to target the right audience and communicate the right message at the right time.  These goals have not changed over time even though the tools they used to communicate had changed. 

 Being a skilled storyteller is still a key factor in the success of a politician.  The challenge politicians have now is to decide which communication tool to use to reach their constituents.  Does this sound familiar to those of you who are teachers?

 

Image Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rma/lowres/rman5230l.jpg

Wk 2 Reading: The First Knight

One of my favorite movies is First Knight. First Knight is a romantic adventure film based on Arthurian legend.  It stars Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere, Sean Connery as King Arthur.  After watching this film, I began reading the legends of King Arthur and watching every Sean Connery and Richard Gere movie that was produced.  

Image Retrieved October 10, 2009 from http://www.movieprop.com/tvandmovie/reviews/firstknight.jpg

Wk 2 Response to Classmate

EDM613 WK02 – PODCASTING: resources for teaching digital photography

Podcasting has become a great way to learn about almost anything you would want to. I have just learned a new term this past week. This term is called time shifting. The way I interoperate this term is that you can shift learning to meet your schedule, not your learning to someone’s schedule.

As a media teacher, I love to teach classes on digital photography. Consequently, I am always looking for any resources to supplement my teaching materials. The following are some of my sources for podcasting:

01. http://www.lightroomkillertips.com
This site has great lessons in the form of podcasts. This site by Matt Kloskowski is a great learning portal resource for learning Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

02. http://www.mulita.com/blog/
This podcasting site is hosted by George Jardine. The site’s host, George Jardine, was the pro-photography evangelist for Adobe Systems. In this site, he podcasts about Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. My favorite podcast was an interview with Pete Turner, the father of modern color photography.

03. http://www.apple.com/itunes/
I know, this is a slam-dunk list for podcasts. The reason I chose to include this link is because I don’t think people really understand the breadth & depth of the Apple iTunes store. In the 1960’s Arlo Guthrie had a song called Alice’s Restaurant. It was at this restaurant that you could get anything you want. If Arlo sang this song today, it would be about the Apple iTunes store.

04. http://odeo.com/episodes/24123110-Photography-Basics
Everyone wants to take great photographs. In this series of podcasts, photography beginners can use podcasts to improve their photography.

05. http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/hubbles_universe/
Let’s go intergalactic with our photography. What better way to see back into the future than to see what the Hubble Space Telescope sees.

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Podcasts

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 1:00 pm and is filed under edm613_wk02, education, podcasting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1. Diane Wright Says:
   October 10, 2009 at 1:58 pm | Reply

   Response to Classmate–Graham

   Graham, this is an excellent resource for teaching photography using podcasts. Do you have a favorite textbook for teaching photography? What camera do you recommend for beginners?

   
   

Wk 2 Reading: The Struggle Between Fans and Media

There appears to be no boundaries between folk culture and commercial culture.  The commercial culture will take the stories, images, and sounds that often begin a part of the folk culture and will share it with the public.  Technology has allowed people to share what they have created.  As Jenkins (2006) stated the Web provides an infrastructure for sharing.  Once you have a reliable system of distribution, folk culture production begins to flourish again overnight (p.140).

A good example of how technology helps change our culture is how the Japanese companies worked with fan clubs to distribute anime.  "Interested in exposing their members to the full range of content available in Japan, the fan clubs often took risks that no commercial distributor would have confronted, testing the market for new genres, producers, and series with commercial companies (p. 163).  The Japanese media companies worked with the fan clubs to expand the market.

On the other hand, in the United States Lucas and Lucas Arts wanted to control what fans produced and circulated.  Some of the ways that Lucas has tried to promote Star Wars without losing control are stated below:

     1.  Offered fans free Web space but under the condition that the creation became the studios'           intellectual property.

     2.  Set up AtomFilms.com as the official host for Star Wars fan films.  Films must parody the           existing Star Wars universe or be a documentary of the Star Wars fan experience.

There will continue to be a struggle between fans and corporate media.  They both need each other but how will they find a way to compromise?

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture. New York:  New York University Press.

Star Wars image Retrieved October 10, 2009 from http://www.bayoustatesportscards.com/Chucks/694px-star_wars_logosvg.png

Wk 1 Reading: Pokemon is an Example of Transmedia Storytelling

Transmedia storytelling is defined by Henry Jenkins as stories that unfold across multiple media platforms, with each medium making distinctive contributions to our understanding of the world, a more integrated approach to franchise development than models based on urtext and ancillary products (p. 334).  

For years I've watched my 9 year old grandson collect Pokemon characters, trading cards, apparel, books, watch Pokemon cartoons, and play the game on his Nintendo.  He and his cousin share what they learn with each other to be able to move to various levels.  He reads manuals and searches the internet for clues on how to play the game.  They are learning and sharing information to reach a destination.  

Yet when they go to school they are not allowed to work together to solve problems, to explore ways to gather information, to have fun learning.  How can we as educators start integrating transmedia storytelling in our classrooms?

Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture. New York:  New York University Press.

Google Image Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://images.google.com/images?hl=EN&source=hp&q=pokemon&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10

Wk 1 Reading: How Can We Apply the American Idol Marketing Concept to Education?

     As I read Chapter 2 in Convergence Culture, I kept asking myself how could I apply the marketing concepts used in American Idol to get students and parents excited about education.

    We live in an environment where what gets measured is what counts the most--test scores, for example.  How can we get our stakeholders to share information, to discuss their passion for education, to post messages on the internet about the benefit of what we do every day?

    How can we as educators move more toward branding with "lovemarks" than brand loyalty?

The definition of lovemarks:  Term coined by Kevin Robers, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, to refer to companies that have induced such a strong emotional investment from consumers that they command "loyalty beyond all reason."  The definition of brand loyalty:  Brand loyalty is the holy grail of affective economics because of what economists call the 80/20 rule:  for most consumer products, 80 percent of purchases are made by 20 percent of their consumer base. (p. 72)

   How can we as educators bring our stakeholders together to make a difference in the lives of our students who are our future?

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture. New York:  New York University Press.

Image by Diane Wright

Wk 1 Reading: What Does Old Media Mean by Convergence?

Henry Jenkins outlines in his book Convergence Culture that convergence is an old concept taking on new meaning.  Convergence refers to a process.  It happens when we take media into our own hands; when mobile and film companies work together to decide when a new film will be released; when entertainment, memories, and relationships all flow across media channels.  

The convergence culture represents a shift in the ways we think about our relations to media, that we are making that shift first through our relations with popular culture, but that the skills we acquire through play may have implications for how we learn, work, participate in the political process, and connect with other people around the world. (p. 23)

We are already living in a convergence culture.  As Pierre Levy quoted:  None of us can know everything; each of us knows something; and we can put the pieces together if we pool our resources and combine our skills. (p.4).

Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence culture. New York: New York University Press.

Technology Image Retrieved from Google Images October 3, 2009.

Wk 1 Reading Chapter 1--Why Spoil Survivor?

  

Jenkins (2006) refers to "Survivor Spoiling" as knowledge communities forming around mutual interests; members working together to find new knowledge where information is communal and adversarial.  He describes survivor spoiling as collective intelligence in practice.  He offered this perspective:  Only certain things are known by all--the things the community needs to sustain its existence and fulfll its goals.  Everything else is known by individuals who are on call to share what they know when the occasion arises. (p.28)

Spoiling and gaming have similar characteristics.  

     1.   target audience

     2.  characters

     3.  setting

     4.  plot

     5.  goal

Since I am one who doesn't like to know how the movie or book will end, I appreciate that "Spoilers" identify in the blog that they plan to share what will happen next in the series.  Please click on the link below to see an example of a Survivor episode.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture. New York: New York University Press.

Episode Three Reward Challenge Retreived October 3, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6_CTghaie8 

Wk 1 Show Me What You Know

Wk One Comment

Improving Literacy Through Technology

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm

The above link takes you to a site that discusses how integration of technology can be used to improve and enhance literacy among our students. I currently teach middle and high school intensive reading. This is not an easy audience to motivate. Many of my students are capable of reading, but they don't enjoy reading. This lack of interest leads to the fact that they don't practice enough and sometimes lose ground without having the literacy exposure. I have been recently introduced podcasting to improve reading fluency. I had my students read books aloud multiple times, using appropriate phrasing and intonation to help increase fluency. They thought is was just for fun and didn't recognize that they were learning, until I told them the purpose behind the podcasts. I was amazed by the excitement of the students the first day I brought in my Mac. They were fighting over who would get to read first and then argued when they finished, that they wanted to read again. I have never seen my students that excited about reading! 

In exploring the above website, I found that there is so much more to literacy than what I first understood. The meaning has changed over time and I believe it will continue to broaden and will be transformed throughout the 21st century with all the newly available tools and resources. I am very excited to see where this transformation takes my students and where it takes me as both a learner and an educator.

Blog Entry Title: Improving Literacy Through Technology

Blogger Name: Jolene Tucker--Tucker's Tidbits

URL retrieved on September 28, 2009 from http://jojoteach1109.blogspot.com/

Angel in Second Life

As I have progressed through this course, I've added topics I've learned to my blog.  I hope they have been helpful to you.  This week I found an interesting Second Life Island--Angle Learning.  Of all the sites I visited, this one was my favorite.  It is designed for learners who are new to Second Life.  It is easy to practice in this environment.  I have the opportunity to visit Angel next week so I'll keep you posted on what I learn.  For more information, please click on the following links:

Angel video:  http://www.angellearning.com/products/secondlife/downloads/slangel.mov

Second Life:  http://www.angellearning.com/products/secondlife/

If you have any favorite Second Life sites, please let us know.

Thanks,

Diane

GoogleForms

Most of you are probably familiar with GoogleDocs.  Part of GoogleDocs is an application called GoogleForms.  This is an easy way to create tests using several formats such as text, multiple choice, checkboxes, choose from a list, or scale.  The advantage of using this tool to create tests is that students can access it from anywhere.

For detailed instructions click on the following link:

http://edtechsec.blogspot.com/2009/04/googleforms-beginning.html

EdTechSec.  Retrieved April 29, 2009, from http://edtechsec.blogspot.com/2009/04/googleforms-beginning.html

Please share other ideas you may have for using GoogleForms.

Diane

Wikis in the Classroom

Now that you've had an opportunity to read about Wikis, I thought you might want to see how other educators have implemented Wikis in the classroom.  Please click on the link below:

http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/Wikis+in+the+Classroom

Once you've reviewed the website, please let us know how you have implemented Wikis in your classroom.  What has worked for you and your students?

Wikis in Education.  Retrieved April 26, 2009, from http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/Wikis+in+the+Classroom

There are numerous videos and powerpoint presentation on this site explaining how to use Wikis in the classroom.  Wikis are helpful in coordinating information.  As a teacher just getting started with integrating technology in the classroom, Wikis are easy to understand and use.  

http://wikivideolibrary.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Wikis (Videos and Powerpoints). Retrieved April 26, 2009, from http://widivideolibrary.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Diane

This blog will introduce you to Wikis.  

What is a Wiki? A wiki is a website where anyone can edit anything anytime.

Why a Wiki?  It's easy, it's free, and it has educational benefits.

Do you want to see a Wiki in action? Go to http://stonierpage.wikispaces.com

For detailed information on how to get started with Wikis in your classroom, click on this link.

Go to http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Change Issues in Curriculum and Instruction/Wikis in the Classroom

Wikis are a great place to start if you are ready to integrate technology in your classroom.  They give you an opportunity to collaborate with your students as well as other educators.  This could become your first step to becoming a digital learner!

Stonier Page. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from http://stonierpage.wikispaces.com

Change Issues in Curriculum and Instruction/Wikis in the Classroom. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Change Issues in Curriculum and Instruction/Wikis in the Classroom

Inspirational Video for You

I wanted to share something with you to say thank you for all you do every day to make a difference in our world.  Every day we have an opportunity to change someone's life.  Gandhi's quote "Be the change you want to see in the world" is a quote that each of us can embrace as we work with our students and each other every day.

Please click on the link below to listen to the YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQVPR71QdHA&feature=related

An inspirational film that touches your soul. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQVPR71QdHA&feature=related

Netvibes

Netvibes is a free service that allows you to organize your digital content.  I have found it to be very useful for organizing information that I will use for professional development courses for our teachers as well as my own personal learning.  Having my Twitter, Facebook, email accounts, bookmarks, and RSS feeds all in one location has been a real time saver for me. 

The following link has an excellent explanation on how to get started with Netvibes.   Included at this site are screenshots showing Netvibes set-up pages, directions to Netvibes help page, video tutorial on setting up an RSS feeder using Netvibes,  and tutorials explaining how to use Netvibes in an educational setting.

http://softwareforlearning.tki.org.nz/Products/Netvibes

How do you think Netvibes can be used to support your professional development?

Software for Learning. Retrieved on April 21, 2009,  from http://softwareforlearning.tki.org.nz/Produts/Netvibes

Diane 

Handbook for Emerging Technologies

Good morning, I just found a great tool from Amanda's blog.  Thanks, Amanda!

The tool is a "Handbook for Emerging Technologies for Learning" written by George Siemens and Peter Tittenberger.  The link to the handbook is below:

http://umanitoba.ca/learning_technologies/cetl/HETL.pdf

This is an excellent resource for helping teachers plan how to incorporate technology into the classroom.

I'd like to hear your feedback on the recommendations they have suggested in the handbook.   

Diane

Twitter

Twitter is one of the easiest tools I've used to stay connected to people who have similar interests.  During surfing the web, I found Sue Waters site that seemed to explain how to use Twitter in a simple manner.  Go to http://suewaters.wikispaces.com/twitter

 She recommended two posts to learn more about using twitter:

1. Are You Twittering? Here’s How I Use Twitter explains how to set up twitter
2. Using Your Twitter Network For Help & Providing Their Recommendations  

I also recommend viewing the YouTubes I've posted to help you.

Waters, Sue (2009). PLN Yourself. Retrieved April 18, 2009, from http://suewaters.wikispaces.com/twitter

Diane Wright

  

Instructional Technology vs. Traditional Class

Why should we consider integrating technology in our classrooms?   I read an article today that indicates that college students score higher in classes that incorporate instructional technology vs. traditional classes.  The article can be found at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324125154.htm

Not only did the students score higher in the instructional technology classes, but the instructor stated that he had expanded his instructional capacities and provided a better learning environment for the students.  

Do you think integrating technology in your classroom makes a difference for you and your students?

University of Houston (2008, March 25). College Students Score Higher In Classes That Incorporate Instructional Technology Than In Traditional Classes. ScienceDaily. Retreived April 8, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324125154.htm

Diane Wright

How to Use RSS Feeds

One tool teachers can use to help manage the wealth of information available today is the RSS.  I've included a definition of RSS as well as provided some instructional videos from YouTube on RSS.

RSS

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from Rss)

For other meanings of RSS, see RSS (disambiguation).

For RSS feeds from Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Syndication.

RSS

The RSS logo
Filename extension	.rss, .xml
Internet media type	application/rss+xml (Registration Being Prepared)[1]
Type of format	Web syndication
Extended from	XML

RSS (an abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication) is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.^[2] An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed",^[3] or "channel") includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. RSS feeds can be read using softwarecalled an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based. A standardized XML file format allows the information to be published once and viewed by many different programs. The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's URI (often referred to informally as a "URL" (uniform resource locater), although technically the two terms are not exactly synonymous) into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The RSS reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new work, downloads any updates that it finds, and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.

RSS formats are specified using XML, a generic specification for the creation of data formats. Although RSS formats have evolved since March 1999,^[4] the RSS icon ("") first gained widespread use between 2005 and 2006.^[5]

Wikipedia. (2009). Definition. Retrieved April 7, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

RSS in Plain English, How to Use RSS Feeds, RSS-Feeds, Readers, and How to Use RSS (Videos). (2009). Retrieved April 7, 2009, from www.youtube.com