Google Co-op

If you have ever asked your students to use the internet to research a topic I think you will LOVE this! Marg Stimson has sent a link to Google Co-op which allows people to customize their own search engines.

Here's an example of a Media Literacy search engine Marg made: http://google.com/coop/cse?cx=012124055334567209852%3Ayjixojitcuu

Try searching with the search engine above with the key phrase "lesson plan". Clear and try it again with the keyword “Manitoba”. You’ll see that your search is restricted to a set of about a dozen Media Literacy sites that Marg pre-identified, giving you a manageable number of search results. This is not a filter, just a way to narrow the range of the search.

This is an excellent way to narrow searches for kids. Time spent narrowing the search for them will be time well spent! It does require a Gmail account which is very easy to set up but it is by invitation only. Only registered users of Gmail can send invitations. If you need an invitation, please let me know and I will send you one!