Google Reader

As we have already discussed previously on this Blog, Google has a wealth of resources for educators. Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader) is a tool that can help you, both professionally and personally. Reader is available to you FREE with your Google Account (Gmail). It allows you to "subscribe" and follow content on a variety of webpages at one time. For example, when I log into Google Reader each morning, I am able to quickly skim headlines from a variety of newspapers (Daily Reflector, News and Observer, etc.) and other news websites (CNN, ESPN, or whatever else interests me).

There are also sites that Reader can collect content. For example, it can load Twitter postings (I follow NCPAPA and NCASA through Reader) and even your Facebook postings. Reader can be easily set up by logging in and following a simple tutorial.

One other aspect of Reader is the ability to "share" information with others. I have set up my Google Reader account where I publicly post education related articles that I find for others (my staff or colleagues) to view. Here's my shared address in case you want to check it out: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/kevtsmith01

Here's also a "Getting Started Guide" in case you need specific instructions on how to get started with Google Reader: http://www.google.com/support/reader/bin/answer.py?answer=113517