Feed Readers are helpful in combining all of a users' different blogs, articles, authors, and other media found across the internet in one place. Instead of having to visit dozens of websites each day to keep up with the constant stream of new information and blog posts, feed readers offer users a one-stop place that organizes all of that information together. Here are four different feed readers that I looked at for the purpose of this post. Much of the information gleaned for this post comes The 10 Best Free RSS Reader Apps.
Feedly
Feedly comes highly recommended from a number of people, and at first glance, it is easy to see why. The user-interface of the site is very simple and easy to navigate. It is not clouded with adds or other irrelevant information that gets in the way of the true purpose of a feed reader. Signing up for a free account was simplified due to the fact that it allowed syncing with a Google Account. Not all users will want to register for an account through their Google email, but it was a helpful step for me. Feedly offers a variety of languages for users, and it offers searches by topic, website, or RSS feed to help locate sources faster. There are also related terms that were closely connected to what I was searching for. The "Today" and "Read Later" options were nice for users not wishing to consume all content in one sitting. Probably the most interesting feature for Feedly was Leo, an AI assistant that helps clean up and organize your feed. With over 100 feeds to add with the free account, there is no question why Feedly is regarded as highly as it is.
NewsBlur
NewsBlur was the second feed reader that I decided to take a look at. Immediately I noticed that the user interface and design of the site was a bit more crowded than the others I checked out. It was not overly difficult to navigate, but for someone who is inexperienced with feed readers in general, this might create some issues. The one functionality feature that I found truly helpful on NewsBlur was that it allowed a breakdown of different categories in order to sort the blogs and other websites that a user chooses to follow. In the sample page the site posts for users interested in trying the site, they have listed out categories including 'blogs', 'cooking', and 'writers'. Using only the free version of NewsBlur does make things slightly more difficult to search, and it only allows 64 feeds able to be followed, significantly less than other feed readers I looked into.
The Old Reader
The next feed reader I decided to look into was The Old Reader. In terms of user interface and site layout, I prefer the minimalistic approach that The Old Reader utilized. The site was easy to navigate, and it took no time at all to understand where all of the features for the site were. One of the main selling points for this feed reader was the ability and ease of which users can share their various posts with friends. Someone working closely with others, or anyone looking for more recommendations about the sites they follow, would benefit from many of the features of The Old Reader. Upon reaching the website, I did notice there were ads on the free version, as well as no full-text search functionality, which did slow down the process of finding blogs and other websites to follow.
Bloglovin'
If a user was looking to utilize a feed reader as another social media platform, I believe Bloglovin' would be their first choice. It is described as similar to Pinterest, with an image-heavy design and the added ability to 'love' others posts. This site immediately felt like something I would not use for myself, but could see many others benefitting from. Similar to The Old Reader, Bloglovin' felt like the feed reader for someone interested more in sharing their content than someone simply trying to compile all of their various content into one streamlined location. In addition to being able to sort by topic, Bloglovin' offers up some popular blogs and subjects for its users to follow.
My Choice
In terms of what I would be looking for in a feed reader - ease of access, ability to compile all of my various blogs and articles into one location, and simple navigation - Feedly offers all of that plus some. The other sites all had things they brought to the table, but none of them, in my opinion, offer up as much as Feedly does. I would not use this tool often to share information with others, although Feedly offers ways to do this, and I disliked the feed readers with more of a social media feel than others. For these reasons, I have chosen to utilize Feedly as my feed reader now and in the future.
Blogs to Follow
After identifying the feed reader I wanted to utilize moving forward, I needed some additional blogs to add to my feed. Here is a list of five exciting blogs I found to add to those I already followed.
Nerdy Book Club
I heard about Nerdy Book Club from Donnalyn Miller, the Book Whisperer, after she visited my district a few years ago to discuss reading strategies for our classrooms. After listening to her passion and energy surrounding children's and young adult literature, I knew that Miller was someone in education circles that I needed to follow. Nerdy Book Club brings together several different collaborators to bring their viewers relevant and important information about books, and is a perfect blog for any librarian or aspiring librarian to follow. They offer up book reviews, author spotlights, discussions centered around books and literature, as well as an insightful podcast. Nerdy Book Club is a must-follow for those entering the librarian world, or for anyone with a passion about books.
Teach Me Teacher
Teach Me Teacher began as a book by Jacob Chastain, an educator that I have worked closely with in the past. After branching out into the podcasting world, Chastain continues to motivate and inspire teachers around the country with his passion and energy for the teaching world. While not quite a technical 'blog', Teach Me Teacher offers up plenty of conversations around pedagogy, books, and everything education. Chastain's personal story, as well as how he allows it to impact his teaching, is truly an inspiration.
School Library Journal
School Library Journal was an organization that I had heard of before, but I never took the chance to really check out what they had to offer until now. While scrolling through library blogs on Tumblr, I came across their page, and was immediately impressed with the types of posts and other blogs they linked to. Their blog posts links to book reviews, relevant articles, and inspirational quotes all related to the library. Tumblr does not always have the most professional blogs to follow, but School Library Journal is one of the exceptions.
Librarians on Display
Sometimes I get so caught up with professional blogs to follow that I forget that not all blogs are meant to repost scholarly articles and in-depth discussions into the issues plaguing libraries today. Sometimes blogs are supposed to just be fun, and that's exactly what Librarians on Display is for me. The blog posts pictures and descriptions of book displays, both from libraries and from classrooms. As someone who does not consider myself much of a 'creative' these posts are really helpful to gain ideas about potential displays I could include in my own library.
Teach Like a Pirate
Teach Like a Pirate was a book I received from a mentor when I first began teaching some years ago. I thought it sounded a bit strange, but after reading the book, I realized that what author Dave Burgess was trying to do was simply change the way educators thought about teaching. Since the release of his book, Burgess has created a blog to share many of his ideas about teaching, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking that has come to define him in education circles. While not particularly geared towards the library, Burgess' ideas about education can help anyone transform their teaching practices.
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Hi Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI also fell in love with Donalyn Miller when she came to my district. She as such a passion for literature! Colby Sharp is also part of the Nerdy Book Club, another amazing educator with a passion for literature.