Well, I have to admit I've avoided Google Reader in the past; its visual organization just didn't work with my brain. Instead I began to follow blogs on iGoogle. The manner in which the tabbed pages are set up, with grids, images and boxes for each blog, made it much easier to scan multiple blogs' headlines and see the latest topics. However, I was surprised and pleased to see that when I opened Google Reader this week it had already listed the blogs of ETC classmates I'm following. Easy! No need to go back and add each blog to the right tab of iGoogle. There are some real advantages to Google Reader, due more to the manner in which Google connects all the pieces so effortlessly between Blogger blogs and its apps. I'll continue to use Reader for some purposes now that I've seen its advantages, including its clean interface with all other things Google. For better or worse, once Google knows you, it takes care of you. Still, my daily perusing of blog headlines will remain in iGoogle; it just rocks. At least for my brain's more visual organizational system!
dy/dan
I began following Dan Meyer's blog a few weeks ago, after watching a video of his TED talk on math education. I appreciated his clear-eyed view of teaching children what makes the most mathematical sense and, more importantly, how to guide them to make the most sense for themselves. He dissects illogical math problems posed to poor unsuspecting students, offering instead a 180-degree turn in perspective in how better to present the same concept. One of my favorite critiques of his begins with "I like this one for its sheer density of wrongness." (2010) Dan is hilarious precisely because there is just so much truly bad math out there, and he's smart enough to nail it all to his wall. His interests in design, motion graphics and curriculum design mirror mine, and his posts are always compelling and inspiring.
SpeEdChange
Ira Socol is an instructor of assistive technologies at Michigan State University, a writer and an extremely dyslectic human being. He documented his experiences, as a child with learning differences in a hostile environment, in his book The Drool Room. I urge everyone to read it; he not only offers a perspective from the dark side of special education, but goes on to tell of his adult life afterward, and how his experiences in the "drool room" informed his personal and work life. So, when I found that he wrote a blog I was, of course, immediately subscribed! Mr. Socol actually has many blogs, including one that he keeps just to post short fiction stories. Remarkable for a man who remains challenged when he attempts to read and write in more traditional ways, and instead uses audio books and voice-recognition software. SpeEdChange addresses current issues in public education and public policy that affect our abilities as a society to offer an enriching, useful and inspiring educational experience to all students, with a mindful approach to using assistive technologies. The posts are diverse and always impassioned. I'm a much more educated teacher thanks to Ira!
WIRED:GeekDad
Wired Magazine hosts a whole family of blogs. GeekDad is one of them. I'm not a dad and I don't have children (ok, I AM a geek...); however, there aren't too many blogs that write about many different technology aspects of a child's daily life from the point of view of a parent/caretaker. I love this blog, as a teacher and as an aunt! Often the posts introduce topics that are just great conversations to have with children, from humanoid robots to GeekDad guitar lessons to new picture books (most recent? A Pirates' Guide to First Grade). Others are meant for the adults, such as commentary on ampkit apps for an iPhone and making an internet connection safe for families. I'm much more well-informed in the eyes of my 5th graders, thanks to this blog. Posts and ads both tip heavily toward gaming, Legos, and graphic novels and comics. Geek heaven. Aunt heaven. Teacher heaven!
Lifehacker
Lifehacker speaks more to my profession as a Full Sail student! There are continual posts throughout the day that often reflect latest tech news but they often offer a more informed opinion and perspective. Today's feed alone included the news that Google's URL shortener now has its own website and Facebook is going to offer high-res photo sharing, and reviewed a distraction-free word processor called Focuswriter that offers users opportunities to set goals, add tabs, and other organizational features. Lifehacker is organized in a very visual manner that appeals to my sensibilities and includes, next to the main post on a sidebar, related posts that often have you reading more. It shares hundreds of tips, tricks and tutorials that make digital life easier.
Photojojo
What a wonderful resource for all kinds of easy, intriguing media projects that can be modified for the classroom! My AR topic is digital storytelling, and Photojojo has a great archive of high-tech and low-tech ideas that will fit perfectly with my AR pursuits. It's a newsletter more than a blog but does offer an RSS feed. Photojojo is techy enough to teach you some legal hacking of media equipment to give you some new effects and also is committed to the art of photography enough that it maintains a high standard of projects and tutorials. The two most recent? Turning your SLR into a pinhole camera, and using old books of photos to curate your own photography exhibition. Cool. And useful!
