CMIS Evaluation Technology Focus

Imagine being able to select the information you want and have it delivered to your desktop … as soon as it is published on the web!

Add an online stopwatch timer, a To-Do list and a pet tree frog at the same time. You can even choose a theme to suit your mood.

RSS [Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary] combined with a Personalized Home Page will let you do all this … and it’s easier than you think:)

That’s the last of the technical jargon I’ll use in this post.

PLEASE NOTE: RSS feeds are not supported in Internet Explorer 6.

Sue Waters of The Edublogger has a simple guide to Making Your Life Easier Using RSS which will help readers using Internet Explorer 6 set up an RSS news reader.

Follow these 3 steps to create an iGoogle account with RSS feeds.

Click on the images to view more detailed versions.

Due to different computer configurations your computer screen may not look exactly like the images included here. Despite some minor differences the process should be the same.

Step 1: Create an iGoogle account:

• Go to Google and click on the Sign in link.

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• Click on Create an account now

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• Fill in the boxes and click on I accept. Create my account.

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• Check your email and click on the link in the new message from Google to confirm your account.

Congratulations - Step 1 done. (Easy wasn’t it!)

Step 2: Sign in and Add Stuff

• Go to Google and click on the Sign in link.

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• Enter the email address and password you just used to create your account to sign in.

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• Click on iGoogle (a new screen will appear)

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• You may have to click on iGoogle again (in a different spot this time)

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• Select the content you would like to appear on your personal iGoogle homepage by ticking or unticking the boxes. Click Save

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• Your page will look something like this - depending on which boxes you selected in the previous step. You can set iGoogle as your homepage and select a theme for your page.

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• Adding more tabs is easy. You can select different themes and gadgets for different tabs. Drag and drop the title bars to re-arrange the content.

Step 3: Add CMIS RSS feeds:

• Create a new tab called CMIS. Untick the ‘I’m feeling lucky’ box. Click OK.

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• Go to the CMIS Evaluation blog and click on ‘Subscribe by RSS’

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• Click on Subscribe

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• Click ‘Add to Google Homepage’

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• Congratulations! You have added the rss feed to your iGoogle homepage. Every time there is new information on the CMIS Evaluation blog your homepage will automatically update and show you the new content. You can even read the post without leaving your page by clicking on the +sign next to the post title.

• Now visit and add the feeds from the CMIS Fiction Focus, Primary Focus and Technology Focus blogs and you will always be up-to-date.

RSS is the glue that holds Web 2 together. Using rss you can have information delivered to you … or you could set up your own rss feed and keep your students informed.

Here is a clear introduction to rss and how it works.