How I am letting go of Google Reader

A goodbye to Google Reader

The thing I use on the internet most frequently (aside from Pinterest!) is Google Reader.  I have been using it since it "graduated" from the Google Labs in 2007, and while I have amassed quite a collection of now-defunct blogs along the way, it is the main way I get my local news, keep up with SLP blogs, webcomics, and keep up with quite a few other personal blogs along the way.I haven't loved all the changes along the way, but by far, the time it saved me or the amount of information I could gather outweighed all the disagreements we had along the way.

So, when Google announced this week that Reader will be vanishing come July 1, I was heartbroken.  And the outcry from my friends was loud and fierce.  How could Google say this service is declining in usage, when Twitter exploded as the news broke?  What would we do? How would I get my local news  update and follow it with laughing 'til it hurts with The Bloggess (mild language warning, but seriously awesome!)? Not to mention the 80 or so SLP blogs I try to keep up with?

I currently use Newsify on my iPad, but it is not Android compatible, doesn't have a web presence, and it doesn't seem to actually be a full-blown reader, so much as a fancier way to view the things you already subscribe to on Google Reader.  With Google Reader disappearing, I need a way to switch over the information stored on the Google Cloud to a different server without having to manually add each blog again.

From what I have read, the front runner in the replacement of gReader is Feedly.  Feedly is a bit like Newsify in that it is more of a magazine style reader.  But it is compatible with Google Reader, so switching over is seamless.  And, according to what I've read, they promise that by the time gReader shuts down, users will be able to automatically have their data from gReader switch over to the Feedly cloud servers.  It's also web, Android and iOs friendly, which was a criteria for me, since I use all three. Feedly is also free on all devices, which while not a criteria for me, was certainly a perk, especially as I was looking for what to head to next.
 

As you can see from my examples, the screen is more visually based than list-based.  Really good if you are good at keeping up with your subscriptions, but I haven't decided how it is if you are like me, and have a weekly goal to dip under 1000 unread items, because you pick and choose what to read, and "mark all read" the rest. With only 4-6 stories per screen (swipe up for more screens), it takes quite a bit of shuffling to get through some of my feeds, like news headlines, that might update with 20 new headlines a morning. I do appreciate that Feedly is VERY user friendly, and pretty intuitive, to boot. 

Aside from one for SLP blogs, I don't really use folders in gReader.  The blogs that don't update don't show up, so I've just let all the blogs hang out in one list, and I just go through the alphabetical list.  From first glance, I think Feedly encourages more specialization and organizing, which is a bit of a daunting task, but do-able. It is super easy with the web version (I haven't really looked into the how to do it on my iPad or Droid, because the click and drag was so easy on the web).  But I LOVE that each new folder is a different color.

I think it will take some getting used to, but so far, I am happy with Feedly's offerings.  They are also apparently a small 10 person team, who have been working their tails off since the announcement Wednesday, and I appreciate that.


If you are a die-hard Google devotee, there are a few petitions out there that are encouraging Google to reconsider.  KeepGoogleReader.com is encouraging the company to keep the Reader.  Barring that, they ask that the code be opened to the public so that other companies like Newsify and Flipboard that rely on the information stored on the Google Cloud to present the feeds in a different way don't go under with gReader.  Change.org has a petition to keep Google Reader, which throws back to when you could comment on articles and share them easily with a small group, a time which I remember fondly.

How real events can change your lesson plans.

Some days the kindergarten teacher comes to you at lunch about a student in your next group that is having trouble making friends at recess.  He is (for the first time all year!) branching out and trying to play with the other kids in his class. Unfortunately, he attempts to include himself through pushing into other kids and trying to throw snow at them.  In turn, when he is pushed back/has snow thrown in his direction per rules of the "game", he suddenly feels very threatened and returns inside sobbing.

So, what happened?  Well, it's layered.  First of all, throwing snow and pushing are two things against the recess rules, so that issue is dealt with by the teacher for all parties.  But the underlying issue for this upset student is that he tried to put himself out there, and ultimately felt rejected. 

Enter the SLP, since the fundamental problem was that there was a breakdown in communication at a few different levels.  My student didn't properly initiate the interaction, which led the other students to assume he understood and consented to the game rules.  Furthermore, when he didn't consent to the game rules, he didn't stand up for himself and tell them to cut it out, walk away from the situation, or figure out some other way to cope with his situation.  Instead, he became upset and frustrated, and it led to him feeling rejected and, for lack of a better term, harassed.  It was an excellent opportunity for an SLP or Social Worker to step in, and I happened to have a longer standing relationship with the student, and we have been working together on social stories and various other social language issues that have arisen recently.  He was also to be seen by me in about 18 minutes.

So I started with something basic: a sort for good ways to make friends, and not-good ways to make friends. The idea was simple: I needed to rule out if he understood that there are ways to initiate a friendship that are successful, and others that are not.  Because I wanted it to be a little jazzed up, but didn't have time for graphics, my trusty eggs were employed. 

I left out most of my pink ones, since it's a group of boys. In the end, neither wanted the pink one, so I ended up opening that one.

Into the eggs went my little slips. 

The students enjoyed picking an egg and deciding if it was a good egg (good idea) or bad egg (bad idea).  I wrote the sort up on the whiteboard to help visually differentiate the good ideas and bad ideas.

 


The good news is that my student seemed to understand (in theory at least) which ideas were good and which were not good.  It means my next step was talking with the teacher to make sure she gives him some ways to "get out" of playing with kids at recess if he doesn't feel comfortable with what's happening. Either through some script practice or working something out with the adults who are outside with him during recess.  At the same time, I will reinforce those ideas and help him practice the skills he needs to be successful.  And of course, fill the social worker in on what happened so she can offer suggestions for him as well.

If you could benefit from this quick mini-lesson for your students, you can grab it here for free.