Blogger Beckie: SWOT analysis of Google Reader

SWOT Analysis

Free
No downloads necessary
Easily interfaces with iGoogle and Google Groups
Organize RSS feeds by folders and tabs
Available in a mobile version
Share with friends and your Google Groups
Ability to add notes to items in your feed
It is really easy to use, subscribe to feeds, organize and access
Can be accessed from any computer with Internet access
Constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content so you won't miss any updates
Shows you all your favorite sites in one place
You can create your own tags
Just provides text and images, getting rid of the sites style and formatting (making it hard to read at times)
Keyboard shortcuts are available
Google Gears allows you to access Google Reader when Internet access is not available
Keeps track of what has already been read
Star format helps you find your favorite articles faster
New feature allows for creating a custom feed to pages on the web that don't have their own feed.

Requires an account and email address
May lead to media overload-Reader can become inundated with articles you may never have time to read!
Not always reliable in obtaining updates from every feed you select
Formatting is messed up at times, making it hard to read
If you don't visit google reader daily and delete stories your reader will overflow with thousands of articles
Google reader can't identify repeated stories

Add Reader feed to your blog or website
Access favorite feeds from your mobile phone
Add Google Reader (RSS feeds) right to your iGoogle home page
Allows teachers to follow student blogs right from the reader
Students can keep up-to-date on current events and news they care about
Students can collect, annotate, and share research for collaborative projects
Students can read items that are shared by their teacher to help with current assignments
Students can view feeds from home or from places other than the classroom (great for when students are absent!)

Some of the "theme" templates for the reader page may be inappropriate for the classroom.
Students may obtain or receive feeds that are inappropriate or too complex for them to understand

Create a Google Reader feed for classes and projects
Create a Google Reader feed for lesson plan ideas
Definitely a great tool for students to use while compiling research for a project
Students can receive instant news from various resources such as experts in a particular content, news agencies, and other important and relevant organizations when new information is posted
Teachers can add student blogs to their Reader and receive notification every time the blogs are updated.
Students can read up on a specific feed or topic and share it with the class (Jigsaw style of learning)
Teachers can subscribe to other elementary school blogs to follow what students around the world are creating on the web - and then share the best posts with their own students, complete with annotations that relate the international posts to content being learned in class.
Add your Reader feed to your Blog, website or iGoogle homepage.
Check out your Reader Trends and hone in on what sites and topics are catching your interest.
Highlight sections of a website and share it with students or colleagues.
Add “Note in Reader” to your browser tool bar to grab a snippet of any website (even one you’re not subscribed to) and save in Reader.
Use a service like RSSMix.com to create a class feed that consolidates all of the students’ individual shared item feeds.
Read your feeds on the go. With Google Reader on your phone you can access your favorite feeds from your mobile device.

Available online: http://teachweb2.wikispaces.com/Google+Reader