Using RSS Feeds as a Resource

Our assignment this week was to pick one of 3 questions to answer. I chose the 2nd option, communication with parents. I feel that it is key for the parents to be involved in their child's educational experiences. Many parents want more ideas for activities and projects that can be done at home to enrich things that are learned at school. For this reason I chose three blogs with ideas and experiments that bridge school and home education.

The first blog I found was Bright Kids. This blog provides articles and links to ideas parents can use at home in educating their children. Some of the topics included are making nature journals, study tips, and indoor activities for parents to interact with their children.

The second link I came across was actually a resource for teachers to encourage parent involvement. This page, called Parent Involvement in Schools, actually provides tips and suggestions for ways teachers and schools can improve their parent participation. The site also links some websites for teachers to share with parents about activities such as reading at home.

The third page I found was directed toward middle school parents. This page contained posts that encouraged parents to think about how much time their child spends on tv and video games. They also encouraged parents to take responsibility and to encourage their children at home. This blog provided some real-life stories to make their point and help the parents make connections.

I think that I could definitely use RSS feeds in my future classroom as a quick way to access some important or useful information. Using feeds would be a good way to provide some resources for student projects or tips for parents. This method of research and compilation adds another layer to a student research project by providing technology, internet, and factual information. By putting together a list of feeds myself, I can be sure that I am only providing links to blogs with reliable or trustworthy information. I can also make sure that the blogs included are age and school appropriate.