In these
technology-savvy times, we often look to the internet to find information and
there are many search engines available on the web to help you find what you
are looking for. Many search engines are focused on a specific topic or
category of content, and some are better than others.
Here are a few
times when you might need to search the web, and the search engines I recommend
in each case:
When you want to find something
fast….
Tried
and true, this search engine is quick and effective. It’s
database is large and the search results are up-to-date. It is also fairly
accurate. It also auto-corrects you if you make a typo, in order to maximize
your results. For instance, if you typed “2nd grade scinence” , google
would ask you “did you mean 2nd
grade science?” Google also has ways to limit your search to images, video,
etc. I use google for everything, and always have!
Altavista is another great search engine. It has similar capabilities to google, but this search engine also provides a tool to
translate words, passages, and even whole web pages to and from various
languages. http://www.altavista.com
When you want an answer to a
completely random question….
This
site is an internet-based “question-answering” site is a great way to search
for an answer to a random question from a reputable source. You can search your
topic or select from a category. You can look for similar questions, or ask an
expert yourself. The experts are rated and you can view their credentials.
This
search engine lets you find out information on basically any topic known to
man! It is an open source format, so it is constantly updated and added to. You
can get anwers to all different kinds of questions
from “what are 17th century wigs made of?” to “What was the name of
Madonna’s 2nd album?” This is a great website to satisfy curiosity,
but not one you want to rely on as your only source of information, because the
open source format can cause issues with accuracy at times.
When
you need to get away from it all for a few days….
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This
search engine is useful because although there are plenty of well-known
search engines to help you book your trip, there aren’t as many easy to
navigate sites that give you ideas about what to do when you get there; this
site does just that. Other travelers post reviews, photos and tips. You can
even search for a vacation spot based on what kind of vacation you are
looking for: ie- relaxing, adventurous, historical.
This site is a search engine that gives you a way to book
hotels, flights and rentals at low prices. In the hotels section, the reviews
are really helpful. Other travelers rate hotels and give thorough reviews.
There are lots of photos of hotels, and many even offer a 360 degree virtual
“tour”.
When you want a safe place to
let your kids browse the net…. The Best…. - many kids “search engines” are really just a large index
of links with a weak search application, whereas this is a true search
engine: just as effective as yahoo,
but geared toward young children… this website gives children a way to “feel
like a grown up” because it looks and operates like a cooler, kid-oriented
version of the original. This
search engine is rated high because it is a meta search engine
specifically intended for younger students.
A meta search engine searches the various popular engines and then
provides the most relevant links from all of them. This search engine
searches popular child-friendly websites. I think ithaki is particularly fun for kids because
they have the option to search not only the web, but also for mp3 audio files
and images. The Runners-up: this search engine gives the option to search for something
specific, but also has information divided into helpful categories. One thing
that I think could also be useful to students is the clipart that is
available. http://www.cybersleuth-kids.com This
is a student-oriented tool to find research resources. This search engine
requires a membership, which my school has, and I highly recommend it. It
accesses news, magazine and journal articles for kids ,
and operates similarly to the way the ERIC or LexisNexis data search programs
work. It is perfect for older elementary and middle school students, because
it provides a way to find current and valid research to use for projects and
in their writing. |
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When you are being a
hypochondriac…..
I use this website often when I am not feeling
well. You can search to find out more about a medical condition, or use
“symptom checker” option where you tell your symptoms and t lists possible
medical causes.
This
site is great if you take prescription medication or are prescribed something.
You can search for information on a drug and even interactions, not only
between prescriptions but also with over-the-counter medicines and remedies.