Journal Entry #5

Chapter 5

Journal Entry #5

Focus Question: What are search engines and how do they work?

A search engine is a resource used to retrieve information off the web. It is a software program that was developed to search information regarding a particular subject or topic. When visiting a search engine such as Google or Ask you are prompted to input keywords or phrases referencing the topic you’d like to research. After entering, the search engine quickly accesses multiple hyperlinks for you to choose from. It is important though to have multiple search keywords or phrases to properly find the information in which is useful to you. It is also important that the resources in which are providing the information are trustworthy.

Search engines such as the most commonly used (Google, Ask, Yahoo!, AOL, etc..) are used best for general searches however there are many more search engines available for more specialized searching. For example WebQuest has multiple resources tailored specifically for academic purposes and grades wanted. I explored this search engine and it appears to have different subjects in which teachers can choose from. To find other specialized search engines you can go to www.search-engines-2.com. 

 

Tech Tool 5.2 Customizing your web browser with iGoogle

This tech tool is very interesting. I love how you can pick and choose what your screen looks like. It adds easily accessible resources at your fingertips. I actually created my own iGoogle page. I was able to put things on the page that pertain to my style and interests. I was able to create a background and customize it easily.

Browsing through the options and gadgets available for iGoogle was endless. A teacher could specify what gadgets benefit the class and add some for personal enjoyment. This also retrieves information that is wanted quickly and efficiently.

I would recommend this as it allows for organization and personalization for your Google home page. I did notice that you must have a gmail account to use this process though.

 

Summary

This chapter thoroughly explains necessary components to searching for information via the computer, evaluating the materials and how to use them. I found the Google for Educators suite very useful in this chapter as it offers many different options that can be incorporate into technology teaching. Google search, Google Earth, Maps, and Blogger are among some of the most popular. This chapter also explains in detail how to teach children to search on the web. It discusses search engines in depth by explaining how they work and how to actually search. I learned that there are three ways to search on a search engine; Free-Text Speech, Keywords, and the Boolean search.

I found the five criteria for evaluating web based information extremely useful as now I am using that in my daily work as well. (Acurracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency, and Coverage).

When searching the web rather it’s through search engines or planning websites it is important that not only the teacher use the materials selectively but the student must do the same. When assigning web based research the seven ways to combat plagiarism must be considered.

In conclusion, I found this to be a very informative chapter that teaches incorporation of technology searches.

Resources:
Franklin, T., Duran, M. & Kariuki, M. (2001). Mentoring Overcomes Barriers to Technology Integration. In J. Price et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2001 (pp. 848-849). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
Maloy, R. W., Verock-O, R. E., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2010). Transforming learning with new technologies. Allyn & Bacon.