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PageFlakes as Current Events Pathfinders
In July, I began playing around with gadget/widget-based information portals as alternatives to textbooks.
I absolutely love iGoogle and plan to continue to work with our classes as students set up individual information portals, but sometimes a librarian just has to broadcast to the universe and there’s no time to enter the email of every potential user.
So I started to experiment with PageFlakes’ PageCasts. The variety of gadgets is not nearly up to iGoogle’s standards, but the ability to broadcast makes the trade-off worth it.
Turns out, after just two weeks of school, the idea is looking very sticky. Global Studies teachers were thrilled "This is our whole curriculum!" A new science teacher asked for one with a physics focus. A Spanish teacher asked for one focusing on news from Spanish-speaking countries. A French teacher made an appointment to have me help her set up her own.
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Our Social Studies department chair asked for one with a general currents event theme, heavy on national news, convinced that the Eagles’ opener is not the only story out there.
On each of our PageCasts, I added a bookmark widget to link students back to the Virtual Library and other relevant pathfinders and resources. I added the PageFlakes to our Pathfinder menu.
I will probably continue to refine, but take a look at our baby PageCasts:
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About Joyce Valenza
Joyce is an Assistant Professor of Teaching at Rutgers University School of Information and Communication, a technology writer, speaker, blogger and learner. Follow her on Twitter: @joycevalenza
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