Sunday, August 27, 2017

Blogs and Blog Readers

Blogs and Blog Readers

Which to Use?

It is important to stay informed about the newest latest and greatest technology. Many websites and blogs provide information on helpful resources and help to keep you up-to-date in the technology world. However, how do you keep up with all those blogs and sites all the time? It is easy. Really Simple Syndication (RSS)! Feed readers are available to help store all these blogs in one location. A few of those feed readers are Feedly, Panda, and Feedbin.

I chose to use Feedly because it is clean and user friendly. I have never used a feed reader and Feedly allows me to easily add blogs and websites in a very organized layout. The fact that I can add blogs quickly and in an orderly fashion helps me save time when searching for a blog I am interested in. You can also add blogs and sites on Feedly while on the go!



I was not a fan of Panda because the interface was overbearing and not as user-friendly as Feedly. I feel this feed reader gave too many options. From someone who is new to feed readers, it confused me and was difficult for me to navigate.


This site is not free which is a strong deterrent for me. While you are able to save searches, I feel this feed reader is also too congested looking and allows for too many options. I do not feel it is as organized as Feedly.




Blogs:
The Absolutely True Adventures of a School Librarian:
Nikki D. Robertson is the author of this blog. She is a veteran educator who is passionate about digital learning. Her blog focuses on an array of posts with tips and tricks ranging from ways to use various digital technology such as QR Codes and social media, to book reviews and blogs on Maker-spaces. I really enjoy this blog because the blog posts are relatable and the information can be immediately implemented in the library.

Awful Library Books
This blog informs librarians of books that should be weeded from their library. I enjoy this blog because I believe it will helps me keep my library up-to-date. I think it is helpful that the blog posts provide book cover pictures of the book as well.

The Children’s Book Review
Book reviews are the heart of this blog. The blog reviews books from infancy to young adult. The interface is very pleasing and easy to navigate. It is very helpful that the review posts are organized by subject, ages, and various other categories.

Reading Rants
This is a book review blog for teens. Reading Rants is very well organized with sections on a sidebar with reviews grouped into categories, links to other blogs, and much more. It also provides many other links for the user to view and read. This organization is what makes me excited about using this blog.

The Unquiet Librarian
The author of this blog is Buffy Hamilton. She was once a librarian who decided to go back to the classroom. Her posts are geared more towards educators as opposed to students. Hamilton provides helpful ideas for educators to use when conducting writers workshop and other writing activities. I like that there are photos of what she, or others, are doing in the classroom, and actual files that can be accessed. 

Tubmlr:
Here is my Tumblr link. Hope you enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. You've picked some good blogs to follow! I too picked the Unquiet Librarian and Nikki Robertson! Great minds think alike! Hope you were able to use these blogs to your benefit! -Corie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hoping to add these blogs to my feed reader. I still haven't been able to add blogs. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. Any suggestions? Love the Awful Librarian blog. They have a great sense of humor when weeding books.

    ReplyDelete

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