Google+Reader+Lesson+Plan

Google Reader Lesson Plan
 **Lesson Context:** The library is introducing a class instructing students how to use Google Reader for academic and personal research. This Google tool helps students keep on top of current research and trends in chosen topics of study. It is also an integral tool to be familiar with when involved with group projects because students can easily share information with classmates. The library plans to incorporate the Google Reader lesson into the required freshman information literacy, but also as a participatory option for interested students.  **Standards:** ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education   **Student Profile:**  The University’s student population encompasses undergraduate and graduate students with a wide range of technical knowledge and special needs. This lesson will be taught as an basic introductory course open to all students, making no assumptions of students’ previous knowledge.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Essential Question:** <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can students use free online tools to conduct relevant research? How does using such tools teach them to better understand media literacy?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Goal:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The goal of the lesson is to expose our students to a technological tool that gives them new ways to maneuver information. We want the students to understand the purpose of Google Reader and how it works.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Objectives:** <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> As a results of this lesson students will be able to:  <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">identify RSS feeds and how they work
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">subscribe to feeds
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">share feeds with members of groups or friends
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">use Google Reader to conduct research for an academic assignment

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Action Plan:**
 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Environment/materials: The class will be conducted in a computer lab containing enough computers for individual student or group work. The only materials needed are an Internet connection and a username and password for Google Reader. Inform students they should create a username and password for Google Tools before the class begins.
 * 2) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Special Needs: Time will be set aside during class for students to experiment with Google Reader, allowing for more one-on-one interaction for those who may need it.
 * 3) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Outline of Lesson: Duration 1 hour

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Introduction: 5 minutes
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Begin the lesson with an example of a problem Google Reader solves that students can relate to.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An example may be a professor who requires students to follow a blog relevant to the class’s unit of study: It’s annoying to have to keep typing in the URL address to see new posts. Wouldn’t it be great if a tool existed that sent to new blog posts right to you?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defining and identifying a RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed: 10 minutes
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An RSS feed is a way for website or information updates to be sent to the user from the information source
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">need to use a aggregator or reader to check the sites you subscribe to for new posts
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a feed reader or aggregator collects new information from your subscribed sites and displays it in a human readable format (Murley, 130)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Examples of readers:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloglines
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google Reader
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Yahoo
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to identity RSS:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RSS bar, XML, Feed, Subscribe, Syndicate, Atom, and the orange square are all icons that identify and RSS feed.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Images of the different ways to identify RSS feed icons can be located here: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__http://www.rssboard.org/rss-icon-collection__]
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What types of information has RSS feeds that users can link to?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">almost any type of site in which information is updated
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">blogs, newspapers, magazines, electronic databases, government websites

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google Reader: 15 minutes (use the projector to walk students through the below instructions)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ways students can subscribe to RSS feeds:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Click on the Add a Subscription box on the right side of the page. In the search box that pops up, type in a search term relevant to your class assignment. The reader will search for blogs associated with the search term and create a results list from which a user can choose the blogs that seem interesting and relevant to the assignment.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another way to subscribe to a feed is to copy a URL address of a feed into the Add a Subscription box and click Add.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once the feed is added, you will automatically receive updates.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is recommended to create folders to organize the feeds you follow. It is easy to get overwhelmed with all the new information coming in. To create a folder, click a subscription you want in a new folder. Click on the Feed Settings button in the post section at the left of the page. Chose the new folder option and create a name to help keep your information organized.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to read to posts:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To read the information that is coming in from a specific feed, click on the desired subscription on the left side of the page. The new posts pop up on the right. Just scroll down and you will see all the new posts that the feeds delivered to you.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A number placed in parenthesis can be found next to a subscription. It is the amount of new posts that are unread. The number will decrease when the posts are read or scrolled through.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Users can mark posts as their favorites with stars and tag posts by using the icons found at the bottom of each individual post.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to share posts:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A post can be quickly emailed by using the email icon at the bottom of the individual post.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another way to share is to follow people. To do so go to the People You Follow. Click on the number of people you follow and add your classmate’s email address. When you share posts, it goes directly to them and vice versa.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Individual Work: 20 minutes
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After teaching students about RSS feeds and how to use Google Reader, allow them time to explore and play around with the tool so they become comfortable with it. Float around and see what different students are searching for and be available for questions. This is a great time to give one-on-one help to those students who may need a little extra instruction. This is also a chance to asses whether students understood the lesson.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conclusion/Discussion: 10 minutes
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wrap up the lesson by reiterating what an RSS feed is and how Google Reader can be used to ease the work of the students.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students can participate by discussing what interesting feeds they found or what troubles they had.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Final questions.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recommend articles and sites for further reading and research

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assessment
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assessment is best carried out within the “free time” given to students because the librarian can float around to see if students understood the covered material and are able to subscribe to a RSS feed.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The end discussion can also be used for assessment by hearing students share their successes and problems while using Google Reader.

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> **Recommended Articles and Sites for Further Reading:** <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Helling, B. (2008). RSS feeds. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Indiana Libraries,// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 27(1), 46-54. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Murley, D. (2009). The power of RSS feeds. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Law Library Journal// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 101(1), 127-135. RSS in Plain English. Retrieved on December 5, 2010 from <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|__http://www.youtube.com/watch?]  <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[|v=0klgLsSxGsU__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.