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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

How to use search tools to find out specific information at internet?

How do you start your search at internet?
The simple answer is 'Google', but do you get the specific or reliable results after few searches? Yes, you many be lucky to get the specific information after some time, but often you are simly lost to find only reliable resource or links. How to search effectively for educational stuff at the internet? Using online search tools can help you a lot and save hours of your hard work.


Search tools are intended to help you find the information you need. Each search tool takes a slightly different approach. Search engines, directories, indexes, and portals can all be helpful. While each of these has a specific definition, many search engines have more than one option. For example, Google is a search engine, but it also has a directory available. While most search tools ask users to enter key words, some like 'Ask Jeeves' are designed for questions.


How do the search tools find all the websites?


Many of the search engines use robots, wanderers, worms, spiders, harvesters, and other automated systems to find websites. In addition, people sometimes add their own website to the list.


Search engines - resources are automatically databased by a computer. The results vary depending on the rules the sites uses to select materials.


Indexes and Directories - information is organized into categories or lists that are sometimes created by people and sometimes computers. Many search engines also have directories.


Subject guides - resources are selected and organized by people. They are good for large and focused topics, but provide fewer resources than search engines.


Meta engines - these sites explore a number of search tools to come up with diverse results. For example, Dogpile searches LookSmart, FindWhat, Overture, and several others


Portals - create a virtual desktop that provides, in one central place, web-based information and resources needed by a user. The difference between a portal and a regular website is that information is customized by the user.


 For Teachers and Teens:


Search Engines

  • Alta Vista
  • All the Web
  • Excite
  • Google*
  • Hotbot
  • Lycos
  • Teoma

Guides and Directories
  • About.com
  • Galaxy
  • Go.com
  • Librarian's Index
  • Open Directory Project
  • Yahoo*
Meta Engine Search Tools

  • Ask Jeeves
  • Dogpile
  • EZ2find
  • Mamma
  • MetaCrawler
  • SurfWax
  • Vivisimo
  • WebCrawler
  • Wisenut
  • Zapmeta
  • Visual Engine 'Kartoo'
  • Science Search Engine 'scirus'
  • Law Search Engine 'FindLaw'
  • Audio & Video 'Singing Fish'
  • Movies 'IMDb'
  • Archives Engine 'Wayback Machine'

You can find search tools for children, as well as particular information formats (i.e., graphics, videos) and content areas. Ditto and FreePhoto are popular image sites. Use FindSounds for audio files. The advantage of a specialized tool is their narrow focus. Rather than getting "everything", they have selected those resources that fit a particular need. For example, KidsClick provides information about the reading level and number of illustrations contained on a website. Use CNET Search to search for software and hardware information.


Go to Starting Points for Kids or Kid's Search Tools for other pages with student search engines links.

Search Engines for Kids and Teens

  • KidsClick- Web search for kids by librarians 
  • Kids.net.au  is a search engine / portal for kids, children, parents, and teachers.
  • EduHound
  • Ithaki Kids 'Intelligent search engine that finds sites just for kids searching simultaneously in various guides.'
  • LycosZone



Directories

  • Alfy
  • Ask Jeeves for Kids
  • Awesome Library
  • CyberSleuth Kids
  • EduPuppy
  • Family Friendly Search
  • Internet Public Library
  • KidsKonnect
  • ThinkQuest
  • Yahooligans*

More: 
* 'Google for educators' 


* Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning  at 'Teacher tap'
'

Saturday, June 19, 2010

How to find educational stuff at the world wide web

I often browse the internet for educational stuff and prefer to use education related search sites for specific information. Usual search engines like google, Yahoo or alta vista provide thousands or results but it may take hours to find relevant sites or informative links.

For specific topic search I use few sites which I suggest other educators and parents to use for their search as it can save your time.

* 'The Educator's Reference Desk' is created for education community. It offers 2,000 and more lesson plans, more than 3,000 links to online education information, and 200 plus question archive responses.

* Another site is 'eduhound' which is a highly specialized educational directory with FREE categorized resources, lesson plans, clipart, and site sets for educators, teachers, students, and families.

* More than 1600 federal teaching and learning resources organized by subject: art, history, language arts, math, science, and others -- from FREE, the website that makes federal teaching and learning resources easy to find.
- Link: http://free.ed.gov/

* 'EdHelper.com' offer stuff covering topics liks 'Math, Reading Comprehension, Themes, Lesson Plans, and Worksheets.'

* 'Shambles'

' You can use 'Similar Site' to find more relevant results.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A family guide to video games for parents 'What They Play'

As craze of video games amongst all age people is wide spreading, parents need to keep an eye on what their kids are playing. The best way to guide your kids regarding video games is to learn yourself about video games. Internet offers handful of useful links and sites with news, reviews, and expert views about video games, and you need to just bookmark those links. 'What they play' is one of those useful links which is helpful in this connection. More about the site:


What They Play 


It is a video game-centric website aimed at helping parents learn about content in video games, helping them decide what games their children should play.


The site contains a database of over 16,000 games divided by console, genre and ESRB rating.
The site employs a small editorial staff of seven to play and review games based on their content, but the site also allows parents to leave comments and reviews under each game describing their thoughts on the game's content and/or their child's reaction to the game. Parents can also submit an age-appropriateness rating, assigned on a scale from 1-17.
To know more about the site, read the 'USA today''s post:
'What They Play' gives parents helping hand'


Other useful resources:


* 'Joystic'  source for news and reviews on the video game industry.
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