Internet Search Tools

Facilitating current digital tools and resources to support learning has become an extremely important skill for teachers to create an effective learning environment. While most of us have been using some of the most popular Internet search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, they may not be the best engines for teachers, and students in particular, to use, due to various reasons. In the hope of meeting teachers' and students' needs, I have researched Internet search tools and listed below are my top five favorites. 

KidRex

KidRex is child-friendly website powered by Google Custom Search and Google Safe Search which is used to keep all the results as antiseptic as possible. It also has its own database of inappropriate websites and keywords to filter inappropriate material. The interface is just like a child’s crayon drawing (the dinosaur stands guard). One thing I particularly like about KidRex is that it has a link on the homepage for parents to click on, and it links to a page explaining how the engine works as well as online safety tips. A potential setback would be the subtle insufficiency of the filter so it is still possible to have inappropriate material in a search. Yet there is not one search engine with a 100% accurate filter, I would recommend KidRex to students for research on projects. 

Ask Kids

Ask Kids is a search engine designed for kids specially from age six to twelve, from Ask.com’s pool of web resources. The search page resembles a school note book. Apart from the search box, there are five preset search categories – Schoolhouse, Movies, Games, Videos and Images, to help children research all kinds of information. Kids can jump from the search results to images, narrow or expand the search, find related names and other information. A neat feature of Ask Kids is the simple formatting which makes it easy for kids to navigate. The only thing I will complain about is that the amount of targeted subject is noticeably smaller compared to other search tools. However I will absolutely use it for some board topics in my classroom. 

InstaGrok

instaGrok is an amazing interactive search engine for students. It provides quality educational materials on any topic while presenting information in an engaging visual way, and helps students develop research skills. InstaGrok displays the context of a topic as a dynamic, visual map with the search key word in the center, and supporting concepts and relationships surrounded aside. Another unique feature is that students can navigate this map based on their particular interests and adjust difficulty level based on their knowledge level. They begin to grasp the topic by looking at the Key Facts, and then explore deeper into academic articles, videos and images. Once signed up for an account, students can create online journals which are saved to their account and teachers can track students' progress by viewing their journals and making comments. I would absolutely recommend my students to use InstaGrok for research paper.

Yahoo Kids

Yahoo Kids is another kid-friendly search tool that can be used for both educational and entertainment purposes. It was established by Yahoo! to give children a venue to find appropriate, safe Internet content. The homepage is colorful, engaging, and full of cool stuff to keep children engaged. There is a variety of resources on this website, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries and fun facts and answers. It also provides online games, movies, news and music. It is a wonderful tool for getting help on spelling, definition, grammar, science and nature. The most outstanding feature of Yahoo Kids is that there is a section called Homework Help where kids can ask questions about their homework. One of the drawbacks of this site might be the time it takes to get response from their "Ask Earl" section. Overall it is a great tool and I would definitely use the videos and craft ideas on Yahoo Kids in my classroom.


Quintura Kids

Quintura for Kids is also a kid-friendly search engine powered by Yahoo. Unlike other search engines, it has a more visual way of searching using a keyword cloud with other picture icons that are linked to a specific search item. For example, when I click on the football icon, the website lists search results for sports and recreation. Quintura for Kids has a very aesthetically pleasing interface and would be my first choice for a home page for classroom computers. A minor setback is that it only displays five search results at a time.