[MACEP] searching with Google--appropriately

[Eric Harrison]

I just did a search for "bunnies" with Safe Search on and it returned
"rabbit" results for text, image, and video  (at least for the couple of
pages of search returns that I spot-checked).

We're using squidGuard to enforce "Safe Search", but the results should
be the same if you manually set your search preferences to Safe Search.

I'd be happy to share my squidGuard configs if anyone wants 'em. We have
also been testing DansGuardian (http://dansguardian.org/?page=whatisdg),
I'd be happy to share that as well.

-Eric


Lynn Lary wrote:
> Yes to both-I had it on Safe Search as did the school. We use Squidguard.
> 
> Lynn
> 
> At 3:32 PM -0800 2/7/07, Collver, Gregory wrote:
>> I am curious about two things that were not mentioned:
>>
>> 1. Did you use Goggle's Safe Search option?
>> 2. What filtering software is being used and are you certain that it is
>> configured correctly?
>>
>> Greg Collver
>> IT Manager / Programmer
>> Three Rivers School District
>> PO Box 160, Murphy OR 97533
>> 541-862-3111
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: macep-bounces at macep.net [mailto:macep-bounces at macep.net] On Behalf
>> Of Lynn Lary
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 1:45 PM
>> To: macep at macep.net
>> Subject: [MACEP] searching with Google--appropriately
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I had a conversation today with a person who told me that their
>> school is not allowing students to use Google because inappropriate
>> search results were coming up. The example that she had given was,
>> "bunnies" and sure enough nothing really related to rabbits came up
>> when I searched for this word.
>>
>> My suggestion was that rather than block Google, perhaps the staff
>> should teach the students how to search effectively. Having students
>> enter a single word into a search engine and having both the teacher
>> and student think that this is a good search is a not a good thing.
>> When I suggested that perhaps they do a more meaningful search such
>> as bunny habitat, the results were vastly different than the initial
>> search.
>>
>> My experience is that adults think that students know how (without
>> ever being taught) to search effectively. This just doesn't seem to
>> be the case...How can we get folks to understand that that it isn't
>> the tool, but the user, that is the problem?
>>
>> Do any of you have a search curriculum that you are using at elem,
>> ms, and hs levels that you think is effective?
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Lynn
>>
>>> HI All,
>>>
>>> I am interested in learning what/how other districts are using
>>> Google domains and web pages, along with the many other features of
>>> Google. With the exception of the Goolge search, I don't see much of
>>> a downside to using the many other features of Google, and in fact
>>> can think of many advantages to using these in instruction (Google
>>> notebook, docs and spreadsheets, Page Creator, domains, etc.)
>>>
>>> Maybe I am naive...
>>>
>>> I would like to get a wider perspective from all of you about the
>>> advantages and disadvantages, and ways to effectively use these
>>> tools districtwide.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for any info you can give!
>>>
>>> Tricia George
>>> -- 
>>> Tricia George
>>> TOSA Instructional Technology
>>> georgep at nclack.k12.or.us
>>> 503.353.6117
>>>
>>> _______
>>>
>>> "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."
>>> ~~ Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967)
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> MACEP mailing list MACEP at macep.net
>>> Archive: http://macep.net/pipermail/macep/
>>> http://macep.net/mailman/listinfo/macep
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Have a good day,
>>
>> Lynn
>>
>> Lynn M. Lary, Instructional Technology Specialist
>> Lane ESD
>> 1200 Hwy 99N
>> Eugene, OR 97402
>> (541) 461-8216; FAX (541) 461-8335
>> http://www.lane.k12.or.us/insttech/
>>
>> "Helping schools make effective use of current and future
>> technologies as tools for improving student learning."
>> _______________________________________________