How to Subscribe to a Website as a Channel in Google Reader, and Categorize / Organize it in a Folder

The following three minute screencast demonstrates how to "subscribe" to a website as a new "channel" of information using Google Reader, and then organize or categorize that "feed" in a folder. Google Reader is a free news aggregator which can be used to create customized, digital newspapers. It integrates well into phenomenal applications like FlipBoard for iPad, but can be used on any mobile device as well as laptop/desktop computer with a modern web browser.

 

 Google just updated its Android-based app for Google Reader this week. This screencast was recorded for free using Screenr, and cross-posted to YouTube from Screenr. This was created for students enrolled in "Technology 4 Teachers" at the University of Central Oklahoma in Spring 2011.

Technorati Tags: digital, google, news, tutorial, reader, aggregator, screencast, newspaper, feed, flipboard, screenr, organize, folder

Scratch Project Won't Open

Q: I can't seem to open projects from the Scratch website on my computer.

A: You may have to select the Scratch program as the one which should open the project.

Alternatively you can right click the download link for the project and save it to your desktop.



Then when you open Scratch, choose FILE - OPEN and navigate to the desktop and open the project from there.



If you just installed the application you may want to restart your computer too, and see if that helps.

Organize Google Reader Feeds in a Folder & Share a Bundle

For Quiz #2 in "Technology 4 Teachers" this term, you will need to:

1. Organize the ten feeds you subscribed to in week 4 in a folder
2. Share that folder as a bundle in Google Reader

Use the following screenshots to learn how to do both these things. Refer to our Google Reader Resource page if you need help subscribing to feeds - You'll need to subscribe to 10 feeds first before creating your bundle.

After you have copied your bundle link, you can submit it for Quiz 2 in WebCT.

Find the direct link to a KidBlog blog post

For our "checkpoint blog post quizzes" for class, and other assignments, you need to copy and paste the DIRECT URL or web link to the blog post you wrote for a specific class assignment. The following screenshot shows where you can click on our EduBlogs blog posts to get a particular blog posts' "permalink." Make sure you copy THAT link when you are viewing a post.

Find the direct link to a EduBlogs blog post

For our "checkpoint blog post quizzes" for class, and other assignments, you need to copy and paste the DIRECT URL or web link to the blog post you wrote for a specific class assignment. The following screenshot shows where you can click on our EduBlogs blog posts to get a particular blog posts' "permalink." Make sure you copy THAT link when you are viewing a post.

Web Browser Options

Q: What can I do if the webpage I'm visiting doesn't look right?

A: Sometimes different web browsers display content differently. View the links and resources on the "Web Browsers" resource page of our class wiki. Try downloading and using another web browser and see if that 'fixes' your problem with displayed webpage content.


photo © 2008 Randy Z | more info (via: Wylio)

Linking and Embedding Video on Blog Posts

This screencast demonstrates how to create a link and embed a video in a post on a Kidblog site. (Like we are using for our 11 am section this term.) Run time is 11.5 minutes.



This second screencast demonstrates how to create a link and embed a video in a post on a free EduBlogs site. (Like we are using for our 9 am section this year.) Run time is 8.5 minutes.



Both these screencasts were recorded and lightly edited using Screenflow software for Mac. (It is $99 software.)

Suggestions for how to find and use Creative Commons licensed images in blog posts

Q: How can we find and use Creative Commons licensed images in our blog posts for class?

A: I created a 4 minute screencast answering this question. The links I referenced are Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Online Search, Wylio.com, Compfight.com, and TalkWithMedia.com's Images page.

Guidelines for Video Reflections on our Class Blog

Q: Where are the guidelines we should follow when we write our blog posts, reflecting on different videos?

A: That webpage of guidelines is on wiki.wesfryer.com/t4t/resources/reflections. It's linked from our resources page on our class website, and from individual assignment pages too when the commenting guidelines are referenced.

photo © 2005 Jhayne | more info (via: Wylio)

Help Posting to Our EduBlogs Class Blog

Several students in my 9 am T4T class this semester have reported having problems posting to our EduBlogs class blog. Part of the reason for this, I think, is that some students have created INDIVIDUAL blogs on EduBlogs, and are posting there. It's fine to create and use your own blog on EduBlogs, but for our T4T class you need to post on our CLASS BLOG.

After logging into EduBlogs, 9 am T4T students can view our class blog "dashboard" by visiting http://t4tspring2011.edublogs.org/wp-admin/. THAT is where you want to post. This EduBlogs support page can help you in writing your posts.

photo © 2006 Sue Richards | more info (via: Wylio)