Get Organized!: Last Chance Before Google Reader Goes Down

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Last Chance Before Google Reader Goes Down

If you are a Google Reader user, you have less than a week to take action. After that, everything you have saved in that service and all of your subscriptions disappear. On March 13th, Google announced a July 1 shutdown of Google Reader. Over the next several weeks, over 1 million people signed a petition asking for Google to save this tool. Alas, on July 1, Google Reader will be no more.

Why all the fuss? What is Google Reader anyway? In short, Google Reader has allowed its users to identify the blogs they like. It gathers all of the new content from each of those blogs and delivers it to one place. It’s much like designing your own electronic newspaper with stories from your sources you get to choose. Regardless of your field, people are producing great content on blogs aimed at your niche, and it’s all free for the taking. Letting Google Reader do the work of putting it all together has made staying current much easier.

Tools such as Feedly allow all the great content to go one place. That deal is too good not to take! The good news is that less than a week is plenty of time to take action. In fact, all you need is about 10 minutes. In March, I wrote an article in this newspaper about “Feedly.” Between then and now, Feedly remains the best and easiest alternative to Google Reader.

Go to Feedly.com and create an account. You will be prompted to allow Feedly access to Google Reader and bring in all of your subscriptions. Within a couple of minutes, you will be reading your blog subscriptions from Feedly. When July 1 arrives and Google Reader goes down, your subscriptions are safe in Feedly.

On your mobile devices, download the Feedly app. One of the features sure to become a favorite is Feedly's appearance. You see beautiful images together with the title and snippet of each article. You skim articles by simply sliding through them with a thumb. Sliding upwards advances to the next article or page. Sliding downwards allows you to move backwards. Tapping on an article opens it.

Best of all, staying on top of your field becomes something you can do from anywhere. You can read one article or the entire feed during any given session. Therefore, it becomes a perfect option for filling spare minutes.

Below is a YouTube video which explains using Feedly.

Not a Google Reader user?
For many, the reason they have not used Google Reader is that they did not know it existed or what it could do. The talk about its shutdown has sparked an interest for them, and may for you as well. Go ahead and take the plunge.

Go to http://Feedly.com and create an account, Click on the "add websites" button in the left-hand column. There, you will be given suggestions of sites to add. You can use the search window to enter the title or url of a blog you like. You could subscribe to my blog by entering the url "http://FrankBuck.blogspot.com" in the search window.

If you would like some suggestions, here are some of my Feedly subscriptions:

If that list is more than you want, here are my top dozen favorites, in no particular order:

Eduleadership Justin Baeder writes on principal productivity with a heavy emphasis on use of technology (Especially Apple).
Free Technology for Teachers Daily review of free sites, services, and apps for teachers.
Gmail Blog Update on what's new in Gmail.
Lifehacker Multiple daily posts on tips for making life easier.
Michael Hyatt Michael Hyatt blogs about leadership and offers weekly podcasts. Particularly good blog for aspiring writers and speakers.
Phone Scoop The latest information on what's new with smartphones.
Raymond L. Young Great example of a school principal blog. The audience is parents and community.
Seth's Blog Thought leader in the business world, Posts are always short yet thoughtful.
Stepcase Lifehack Tips on technology and other topics designed to make life easier.
Techcrunch Latest news in technology.
The Daily Motivator As the title suggests, a daily message designed to motivate.
The Official Google Blog Latest news from Google.

Go to your phone and tablet to download the Feedly app. Log in using your username and password. The subscriptions you added on your computer will be present on your mobile device as well.

Tools such as Feedly allow all the great content to go one place. That deal is too good not to take!

What are your favorite blogs? Others may want to add them to their subscriptions.

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Comments from Workshops

This morning when I returned to the office I did my first ever drag and drop to my calendar on Outlook - wahoo! The tickler file will come next week!

One of the most informative sessions I have been to in 5 years.

I saw your presentation at the ASCD conference in New Orleans and was blown away. Please send me your monthly email essays

Practical down to earth user-friendly content. Excellent!

One of my professional goals is to be more organized and to manage time more effectively. This hit the target.

Thank you. These are tools I can and will use! WHEW!

Practical, down-to-earth user-friendly content. Excellent!

Dr. Buck did a great job. I learned LOTS of things about Outlook that I did not know.

Where have you been all my life? This is a great idea! Thank you so very much.

FANTASTIC! One of the best I’ve been to! I could have stayed longer.

I was in your organization session yesterday. It was excellent. Came back to work today and set up my tickler file! I also moved all my messy (and vague) to-do lists into my iCal program and synced it to my Blackberry. Progress!!! Thanks for a very clear and applicable session. I'm excited to keep making the ideas come to life for me!!

Awesome ideas to get my life on track. Thank you so much!

You changed my life!

Great workshop. Fabulously well informed and entertaining presenter who shared his knowledge in a readily understandable format. Helpful handout. Thank you – well worth the trip from Ottawa.

I really loved the presentation!! Dr. Buck very thorough and entertaining. Great, practical ideas and the Faculty Club was a great setting! Well done!!

Great presenter. Was very informative, practical info to apply right away.

I loved this seminar!! Very, very well presented. Clear, logical, Dr. Buck was enthusiastic and witty. Very practical information that I will put to use immediately.

As a new administrator, I found this workshop to be extremely helpful. I got affirmation on some of the things I was already doing and many great new ideas! Thank you. Would definitely recommend to others. Frank Buck provided many ideas that will make my job as an administrator 10 times easier.

This might very well be some of the most useful, timely and necessary professional learning I've done in years. Thank you!

Excellent presentation.
Dr. Frank Buck is friendly, interesting, and knowledgeable. Well done! This seminar was amazing.

I will put it unequivocally: yours is the first workshop for professional development I have been to that has had a daily effect on lowering my stress levels and being more aware of the things I need to do on a daily basis. I cannot thank you enough. Everyday is now easier knowing I know where my day is going and not worrying over where everything is. The simplicity is almost embarrassing – how come I never thought to do this 10 years ago? My answer to that is that we sometimes don’t realize that a slightly more open mind can reap benefits we didn’t imagine possible. Thank you again. I waited about 6 months to let you know, but this only proves that I’m walking proof your techniques work long term.