RSS


 * RSS** is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. RSS is an XML-based format for content distribution. The purpose of RSS is web based content delivery. Users can use RSS readers and aggregators to collect their favorite feeds into one location. That location is usually called a “Reader. Content viewed on an RSS Reader is call an RSS feed. The user can then check all his/her content feeds in one location. RSS is a free and easy way to distribute content.

There are several good aggregator services. Bloglines and Google Reader are the most popular. One of the advantages to the reader is that they are web based and so the user can access the same information on any computer with Internet access. If a teacher is using blogs with his students, then the advantages of using RSS will be huge. Instead of checking out all his students’ blogs every day, they can be collected to his Reader. The teacher will then only have to go to one site and read all the updates.

Educators can use RSS feeds to keep up-to-date with news items, favorite blogs, journal articles, book reviews or updated items from any area of interest, keep current in educational trends, track student blog posts or changes to a class wiki site, and share news or media items with students, colleagues and parents. (For more information and ideas, see Will Richardson's [|RSS Quickstart for Educator's Guide]).
 * How can RSS help educators?**


 * RSS in Plain English**

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A couple more **RSS explanations** that may be helpful:
 * [|It Really is Really Simple: RSS for Educators]: - Blog post by Mark Wagner
 * [|The ABC's of RSS] - Article by Will Richardson
 * [|Blogging Basics] - Explanation of blogs and RSS by Technorati