Adding RSS Feeds as a Widget

Creating a Widget with an RSS feed could be a good way to share dynamic content on a course homepage. There are basically four steps:

1. Locate the feed
2. Convert the feed to a Javascript
3. Paste the javascript into a widget inside D2L
4. Add widget to a homepage
   

1.  Find a feed from an appropriate source (blog, Flickr, del.icio.us, rss calendar, etc). Copy the feed (right click on the link and choose Copy Link Location or something similar while on the page)

2.  Visit Feed2Js.org. Click on the Build tab. Paste your feed URL into the blog, make other selections on the page. Preview the feed and then build the Javascript. It will be presented in a textblock towards the top of the page. Copy that script.

3.  Log into your D2L installation. Go to Manage Homepages and create a new widget. In the Custom HTML tab, paste the javascript. Save the widget and add it to a page. The RSS is rendered in the widget and will change as the feed presents new info.

NOTE: Don't ever edit this in the D2L HTML editor. It will probably break the javascript.

Example from a feed using RSSCalendar.com:

After I figured this out, I also found more detailed instructions on the UW-Green Bay site:  http://www.uwgb.edu/learntech/D2L/RSSfeeds.htm