The slides from a short training session I did to prepare faculty assistants to help faculty start using RSS readers. the rest of my training materials are available online at http://www.library.kentlaw.edu/projects/Emily/RSS-Training/index.htm

1. RSS:
What it is,
How to find it
How to use it

2. RSS in Plain English: A CommonCraft Video
find more great videos on technology at www.commoncraft.com/show

3. RSS quot;Definitionquot;:
Really Simple Syndication
or
Rich Site Summary
or
RDF Site Summary
still want more?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

4. RSS: Computers Talking to Computers
1. Find a link on a website (usually this button: )
some sites even have index pages for all their links:
http://www.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/index.html
2. The link has a quot;subscribequot; option & some messy code:
http://www.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/nyt/SundayBookReview.xml
3. Feed readers use those links to track each update separately:

5. What do you need to get started?
1. Choose a feed reader
See handout for comparison chart
2. Set up an account
See handouts for step-by-step process
We'll each set up a new account to practice with
3. Find feeds & organize them
Librarians will help faculty with this
We'll practice on our own accounts

6. Handout #1: Choosing A Feed Reader
What do your faculty want?
A one-stop place to read updates
organize by topic
organize by urgency (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
customize views for faster browsing
An easy way to share information
e-mail to friends and/or colleagues
update quot;widgetquot; on a course page
More flexible options for reading & sharing
e-mail, web, mobile, etc.

7. Handouts - Setting up Accounts
Quick Review:
Bloglines:
You can change the username anytime
Validate setup, new e-mail address or passwords
Google Reader:
E-mail address you set up with is the username.
Validate setup, new e-mail address or password
NewsGatorOnline:
Username is permanent
No validation for changing e-mail or password
Remember: to validate you'll need access to their e-mail