I started using Feedly about a year ago, at the suggestion of the brilliant Katia Hildebrandt. I immediately saw the value in using it; however, as I struggled to find time to read and share articles over the summer and throughout my internship, my use of Feedly dwindled.
Evaluating My Feedly
Since the start of this new semester, I have been getting back into the swing of tweeting and sharing content daily, and am now inspired to get back into using Feedly as a tool for this. This week, I took some time to evaluate my Feedly page. Here is what it looked like when I started:
As you can see, I had previously followed quite a few blogs on feminism and race, a couple on mental health, and one ed tech blog. I decided to expand some of the categories I already had, to add to my ed tech category, and to start a new category for inclusive ed. Additionally, I decided to delete some of the blogs that I usually skip past on my reader. I think getting rid of blogs you aren’t reading is an important part of keeping a Feedly page so you don’t get bogged down by content that isn’t useful to you.
How I Found Blogs to Follow
I used the Explore option to search for topics, such as “ed tech.” After clicking on a site, I also found it useful to check out the Related Feeds that Feedly suggests. I also checked out The 50 Best Blogs for Future Teachers and Teach 100 – Top Educational Blogs, as suggested by Katia and Alec. After searching “inclusive education” in Explore and not finding anything, I googled “inclusive education blogs” and found this article – Top Ten Blogs About Inclusive Education, which was really helpful. I added several blogs from that article (using the Google Chrome Feedly extension), including Eliminating the Box, a blog by an inclusion facilitator in Alberta. On her page, she includes a list of blogs she follows as a widget on the right-hand side, so I also looked at some of those blogs. As you can see, one thing leads to another which leads to another, which is why exploring Feedly facilitated some of my procrastination this week.
(Side note: Click here for a hilarious post about why procrastinators procrastinate.)
What I Look For in a Blog
When I’m deciding whether or not to follow a blog, I ask myself a few questions.
- Do I like the way this blog looks?
- Is it useful content that will help me grow as a person and/or teacher?
- How related is this to my current context (ie. where I live)?
- Who writes this blog? What is their background in the field?
- Will I actually click on these articles or will I scroll past them every day?
Then I make a judgment call (usually after excessive overthinking has taken place). The good thing about Feedly is you can always delete content after if you decide it isn’t useful!
Everyday Feminism
One digital media site that I find extremely useful is Everyday Feminism. Their mission is “to help people dismantle everyday violence, discrimination, and marginalization through applied intersectional feminism and to create a world where self-determination and loving communities are social norms through compassionate activism.” Here is a screenshot of how it looks on my Feedly:
They post articles on topics such as privilege, trans&GNC, LGBTQIA, race, class, religion, and more. I love that their articles are engaging, clear, and easy to read. This site is helpful because it allows me (as a white, middle class, cis-gender, heterosexual, able-bodied woman) to read stories/perspectives from people who experience oppression in a variety of areas. Reading these articles helps me understand the privilege I hold and allows me to learn about issues that others (and many of my future students) face every single day.
My Updated Feedly
Here is a screenshot of what my Feedly looks like now:
I will definitely continue to update my Feedly reader by adding/deleting content as I see fit. I look forward to using it as a tool for learning and sharing!
What is your favourite blog that you follow? How did you come across it and what makes it so awesome?
