[MACEP] searching with Google--appropriately

[mhochberg at comcast.net]

Hi, Lynn!

I am a big fan of the OSLIS site for teaching about searching and citing appropriately. I've used this one for at least 7 years.
http://www.oslis.k12.or.us/elementary/

The link for high school students is http://www.oslis.k12.or.us/secondary/

For a unit on effective web searching and citing, I start with 2 or 3 30 minute classes using the OSLIS site. Next we follow up with searches that tie in with the student's homeroom curriculum.  Here is part of the "final exam" for the unit.

1. Define the words: 
site:
cite:

2. Search for a website about the origins of New Year's Day resolutions.					
Search engine you used:					
Search terms you used:					
URL:					
Site Name:					
Three reasons why you think it is useful:					
1.					
2.					
3.					
Cross-checker found this site:			Yes _____	No _____	


I am afraid that you touched on one of my "hot buttons."  In my opinion, Google is totally inappropriate for most elementary school students---and I am not talking about "safe search" concerns. It is simply that most elementary students do not have the reading level or world experience to quickly scan a list of sites and choose what is worth investigating.  

I have seen 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade teachers set their students in front of the Google home page and have them type in the name of the animal they are researching. The end result is not pretty and way too often includes anger, tears, and frustration. It doesn't help when the student doesn't know the correct spelling of their animal.

---Mary, stepping off soap box

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Lynn Lary <llary at lane.k12.or.us>
> Ok, let me rephrase:
> 
> >The example that she had given was,
> >>>  "bunnies" and sure enough nothing really related to rabbits came up
> >>  when I searched for this word.
> 
> >I should have said, "the example that she had given was,
> >  >> "bunnies" and sure enough nothing really related to rabbits
> that would be helpful for a student searching for rabbit information."
> 
>   What  I got is below...however, the whole 
> concept of one word searches is troubling.
> 
> Lynn
> **********
>