Below are several tips and explanations for identifying appropriate Internet finding tools and for using those tools to prepare curriculum and lesson plans.
What type of finding tool should you use?If your topic is well-defined (e.g., image of DNA), you'll probably want to start with a search engine, such as Google or OneKey.
Search engines collect links and index the links into a searchable database. Search engines usually do not categorize the links for browsing. Search engines can be extremely current and work well for finding specific information. They do lack precision, though. For example, pornographic sites often include famous names in the first paragraph to increase their appearance in search results.
If your topic is vague or difficult to express in search terms (e.g., ideas for a research project), you'll probably want to work with a directory, such as Yahoo or Lycos Zone.
Directories collect links, organize the links by topics, usually include summaries with the links, and create a hierarchy of topics which you can browse. Most directories now include search capabilities. They often work well for finding general information about a topic. Sites included in a directory are often of higher quality than search engines, because humans select which sites to include in a directory. Since people often maintain directories, though, updating outdated links is often delayed.
If you are having a difficult time finding anything on your topic, then you may want to consult a metasearch engine, such as Ask Jeeves for Kids.
Metasearch engines are best used when you cannot find information using directories or search engines. Metasearch engines run your search through multiple finding tools to increase your results. Often, they do not adjust your search for the specific syntax of each finding tool. Thus, if you searched for biology AND lesson plans, some of the tools used by the metasearch engine may search instead for a phrase or for biology OR lesson plans.
Generally, you won't need to remember these different types of tools. Rather, you'll just want to keep in mind when to seek out a browsing tool and when to use a searching tool.
How do you find the right tool?Once you've determined the type of tool to use, you still need to narrow the list down! For example, if you need a search engine, also consider what search features (e.g., phrase searching, date limits) you need and then look for a search engine which provides those capabilities. For help in selecting finding tools, you can conduct an Internet search (e.g., search engines AND k-12) or you can look at these sites:
Examples of finding tools for children and/or tools with filters include:
- Ask Jeeves for Kids - metasearch engine; ask a question
- Kids Click: web search for kids by librarians
- Lycos Zone
- OneKey - uses Google search engine but filters explicit sexual content sites
- Stop Dog
- Yahooligans
- 4kids
Examples of directories which include resources for teachers:
- Blue Webn - a directory of "blue ribbon" sites, categorized by subject, grade level, and format
- Education Index - annotated guide to education-related sites, includes lesson plans
- Education World - includes lessons plans, games, and professional development materials
- InfoMine - a directory of scholarly Internet resources, selected by librarians
- MarcoPolo - includes standards-based Internet content as well as professional development materials
- Teachers First - lessons and web resources, arranged by grade level and subject
- Teachers Network - search for lesson plans and videos
One of the best ways
to find tools which are right for you in terms of coverage, search capabilities,
and presentation of results is to do a simple search (e.g., mathematics) in
several finding tools. Considering the following questions should help you find
a few search tools which are right for you.
- How easy was it to find relevant results?
- How difficult was it to narrow or broaden the search?
- How did the results and the display of results differ among
the search tools?
- Did one tool prove superior for your topic?
An unfortunate part
about search tools is the lack of standardization. Some search tools require
the use of AND, OR, or NOT to combine terms, while others will not even give
you such options. Very few tools use the same character as a wildcard/truncation
symbol. Upon finding a search tool in each category which includes the features
you most need or want, look at the information on the help pages or look at
the information provided by the ratings sites listed above.
Certain search techniques can help regardless of what search tool you are using. Most of these techniques can also be used if you are searching a database (e.g., ERIC). Below are common techniques used to improve the number and/or quality of results.
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If you are getting too many matching records, try:
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If you are getting too few matching records, which is uncommon with the Internet, try:
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* Consider other possible search terms. Search tools generally search for exact matches. Thus, if you search for "genetics," the search tool will not look for "DNA." Also, keep in mind that you will most likely change your search once you see the search results. You may decide your topic is really about the ethics of genetic engineering and therefore will need to refine your original search.
Is this web site appropriate?Lastly, when searching the web for information, you always want to evaluate the site's relevance, pertinence, and credibility. While relevance and pertinence should be easy to judge, some people forget to evaluate the intended audience, purpose, bias, and currency of a web site. Of course, the hardest aspect to judge is credibility, which can be affected by the author's expertise, grammar and spelling, documented resources, methodology, and quality of links. The easiest way to determine credibility is to spot check 5% of the information given. Information which can usually be checked easily include the author's stated affiliation or expertise, the facts and statistics, and the quotes.
