RSS feeds?

Little did I know that when I started following several blogs I had already added them to Google Reader. I like the idea of keeping everything in one place. It is also easy to add a new RSS feed to Google Reader. Since this is new to me I am not sure exactly how I am going to use it. I would like to find a way to get teachers and students involved in using Google Reader or its equivalent. I am open to ideas on how teachers can use this in class. I need to "experience" Google Reader and RSS feeds first. From what I can tell this will be another site to log into each day and check. I always wonder if the district will let us access this from school. This will have to be added to my daily to do list.

Idea: Can students do this as a fact gathering instrument for research? Will they be able to access it at all from school? Can teachers do this instead of creating a Word document of websites for research?

I am not sure how valuable this will be for my students. I can see value in it for the staff. I am going to have to work on a brochure or something for the staff - inservice perhaps? I just don't know.