Week 4: Searching for Resources on the Internet

1 Search Tools

The following six search tools belong to three different categories. Can you group them?

• Google
• Librarians' Index to the Internet
• Dogpile
• AltaVista
• Yahoo Directory
• Ixquick

2 Study the URLs

• http://www.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html
• http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.htm
  

3 How much do you know about Google Search?

• Will Google return only pages that match all your search terms?
• Will Google return pages that match your search terms exactly?
• Will Google return pages that match variants of your search terms?
• Is there any word Google will ignore during search?
• Is there a limit to the number of queries?
• Does the distance between the two queries matter? ( eg. [ snake in the grass ], [ snake grass ])
• Does the order of query matter?Is Google case sensitive?

4 Do you know the function of these operators?

• Quoted Phrases
• The + Operator
• The – Operator
• The ~ Operator
• The OR and | Operators
• The .. Operator
• The * Operator

5 Searching with key words

Find documents on the web that provide the answers to the following questions. What’s your level of comfort with the referring site(s) and why? Is it true that if you touch a cold halogen light bulb with clean fingers, you will shorten its lifespan?

1. Are 75% of Americans chronically dehydrated? Find opposing points of view.
2. Are you less likely to get dental cavities if you drink fluoridated water?
3. Is clumping kitty litter a major health hazard to cats?
4. What are the benefits and drawbacks of a flu (influenza) shot?
5. Does microwaving food in plastic containers or plastic cling wrap release harmful chemicals into the food? Check whether this is an urban legend.

Week 4: Evaluating Web Pages

Read Evaluating Web Pages

Read Nell’s WWWDOT approach on ANGEL site

Evaluate the following sites:

a. All the following sites are about Immigration.

Please evaluate these sites and think about how you decide whether the site is good or not.

a) http://www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/index2.html

b) http://www.aiisf.org/

c) http://www.msu.edu/course/mc/112/1920s/Immigration/Jamiespage.html

d) http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/introduction.html

e) http://www.ellisisland.com/ellis_home.html

f) http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/index.html

g) http://immigration.about.com/

h) http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

i) http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/population5.html

b. Three websites on Underground Railroad:

Website A: http://www.history.rochester.edu/class/ugrr/home.html

Website B: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/

Website C: http://www2.lhric.org/POCANTICO/TUBMAN/timeline2/timeline.htm

Week 4: Assignment

1. Find a topic you are interested in. Use Google to search for related information. Don’t just use Wikipedia! Write about what you have learned about this topic and what you have learned about search.

2. Respond to your classmates’ posts.

3. Continue working on your web portfolio.

4. Update your Aggregator link on the Wiki Gallery.

Week 3 Assignments

• Update your links on the Wiki Gallery so that it links to your blogs, portfolios, and Google Reader.
  
• Start creating your web portfolio (You can start by creating the homepage, and put some text, a picture, and a link to your blog on it.)
  
• Write a short reflection on the affordances and constraints of RSS readers
• Respond to at least one of your classmates’ comments in their blogs
  
• Start creating your online portfolios (See Google Page Tipsheet)

Week 3 Use of RSS Readers

(1) Read the article: Why RSS is crucial for a Blogging Classroom

(2) Discuss in Groups:

• How will RSS help you as a teacher?
• How can your students use RSS readers?
• How can parents use RSS readers?

Week 3 RSS Reader and iGoogle Lab

(1) Try live bookmarks

(2) Use Google Readers

a) Subscribe classroom blog

b) Subscribe your classmates blog

(3) Search for RSS feeds and subscribe them

a) Use Google news search to find RSS feeds on topics your are interested in

b) Use Google blog search or www.technorati.com to find RSS feeds on topics you are interested in

c) Find RSS feeds in websites such as New York Times, NPR, and so on

(4) Organize your Google Readers

a) Put your feeds into folders

(5) Use iGoogle to personalize your Google homepage

a) Add gadgets onto your homepage: such as your Google reader, weather, movie…

b) Move the gadgets around

c) Create multiple tabs

Week 2 Blogging Lab

Basic:

- To create a blog

- To create a post that includes text, a picture, and a link to an outside resource

- To leave a comment

Advanced:

- To tag/label a post (Why do we need this?)

- To create “Important Links”

- To edit "About Me" page

- To add a picture

Bonus:

- To add writers/members

- To restrict the right of commenting only to the members of the blog