When I was first looking for a web-based RSS aggregator, I tried both PageFlakes and Netvibes (which to me is somewhat similar). However, once my list of RSS feeds grew too long, I ceased to use them and never gave either another thought. I’ll be the first to admit that I can be very one dimensional in my thinking, meaning that I will sometimes look at a tool and see it as having one purpose. I need to work on thinking out of the box more and exploring PageFlakes allowed me to do just that.

I would have never thought about creating a PageFlake that could be used by others as a resource. It’s a great idea and seems as though it would be far easier to use as a themed resource page than building a web page containing a variety of resources. I found it to be very easy to create and customize my own PageFlake. Always a good sign when a site is fairly user friendly, which is something I look for when promoting its use.

For classroom learning, a teacher could conceivably create a page for each unit containing a “theme” of resources pertaining to those standards. I would be very interested to see how teachers use PakeFlakes with their students. I’m also wondering if students could generate their own PageFlake as an assignment and how that might look. The “anything” flake was completely new to me and considering how flexible it is, I would think that students could get very creative with what they might choose to embed for an assignment.

As a professional learning resource, I could definitely see incorporating PageFlakes into a course, such as providing an RSS feeds for specifically tagged bookmarks from Del.icio.us or Diigo, an RSS feed for specific blogs that might relate to the course, task lists, a calendar, and more.

Personally, I can see spending a lot of time going through some searches on PageFlakes to see what gems I might uncover. I”ll have to spend some more time there once this course has been completed.

Photo credit: Poinsetta Flakes by CaptPiper