Where is the blog I wanted to read???

Where is the blog I wanted to read???

Everyone seems to have a blog now.  There are blogs for gardening, home décor, teaching, gaming,...
You name it and someone somewhere is blogging about it.  So, what do you do when you find several great blogs that you want to keep up with?  How in the world to I remember where they all are?  In the past, I would keep up with which blogs I wanted to read on a piece of paper or on a silly excel spreadsheet on my computer.  Thankfully, I have now been introduced to Blog Readers!!!  These handy sites keep up with everything I want to read in one place.  There are several popular ones out there such as Bloglovin', Feedly, Bloglines, NewsBlur, Digg Reader, and Newsvibe.

I tried out Feedly and Bloglovin' and decided to go with Bloglovin'. Feedly was not as user friendly or as easy to maneuver through.  It was extremely easy to maneuver through and to add the blogs I wanted to read.  I really like that when I log into "my feed"  it has the newest blogs displayed on my screen.  I can click either the name of the blog or the name of the blog article and pull up what I want to read.  I have the option to save the article.  Regardless of which blog the article came from, I am able to combine any that I want to save into collections such as "Decoration Ideas."  Another option available it "Share."  This allows me to share the post to email (mine or someone else's), Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.  Once you read the article, it lightens or fades out.  You have the option to "Mark as unread."  This will bring it back on to the feed.  The next time you log on to the feed (if it has been read) the article will not appear in the feed.  I love it!  I don't need to see the article anymore.  I already read it.  This helps declutter my blog feeds. The left side of the page is a menu.  Bloglovin has an app.  It is advertised here.  Under that button, there is a menu for all unread posts, activity, and saved posted.  The blogs you are following are listed with the number of articles unread by you.   One down side is the ads.  Like most social media, you do have to deal with sponsor ads and featured posts. 

To quickly set up my Bloglovin' blog reader, I added people/blogs that I am currently reading or following on Twitter. 

• The Daring Librarian (by Gwyneth Jones)
• I have enjoyed reading several of her posts.  Obviously, this blog is library/school related.  Her latest blog has inspired me to continue trying out new technology and ideas in the classroom.  She is humorous and I do not feel like I am reading a textbook or stereo instructions.  I highly recommend following her blog.  
• https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/daring-librarian-2938595         
• Watch.Connect.Read
• This blog is about "exploring children's literature through book trailers."  I used this blog to keep up with new children's literature. There are so many new books out there!  These book trailers help me with my library list of "to buy."  Once I have enough for a decent size order, I can place it knowing about each book and not randomly buy books. 
• http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/
• Teacher Tech
• I have been keeping an eye on Alice Keeler and her tweets.  She always seems to have new and exciting ideas in technology.  I often feel that I am inadequate to have the title "media specialist," so I am following and reading up on the latest and greatest technology for teachers and schools. 
• http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/
• Nerdy Book Club
• This blog is just what it's name implys...an online book club.  There are articles on books, what you can do with the book (school wise), how the book affected their lives, and personal connections they have to the books they read.  I am always looking for THAT book or series that I can be emotionally attached to.  I look forward to reading more of their recommendations (and actually reading some of the books once I am done with my graduate classes and first year of being a librarian)!
• http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/
• The Unquiet Librarian
• This blog is more educational ideas for the library.  There is none of the humor that you find in the Daring Librarian, just straight to the point ideas and facts. It is also directed more for older students focusing on research and strategies. 
• https://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com

On another note, I have been an avid Facebook junkie for several years now.  Over the last few months, I have opened some new social media doors.  I started a twitter account...taking it slow just reading and retweeting for now.  Since I am now looking a Blog Readers, I have started investigating the land of Tumblr. I admit I am still learning my way around it, but so far so good.  I haven't started a blog as of yet...that will be coming soon. https://www.tumblr.com/blog/dannachurch

I am looking forward to finding more intriguing blogs.  If you know of any, please share!