Knowing Where to Look

Develop strategies to encourage learners to look up information when need be.

You take advantage of the fact that information, in all its glorious forms, is now instantly available with pretty much any Internet-connected device. Wi-Fi is accessible in your classroom or your students’ can afford data plans that make it possible to access online references when need be. You no longer see school as the repository of knowledge, but rather as a place where strong educators can help young curious minds discover, build, explore, communicate, create. And for that, access to information is invaluable.

  • You help your learners develop their critical thinking in regards to the information they find.
  • You help your learners develop more efficient searching strategies and reflexes.
  • You help your learners get better at choosing the right engine, or engines, depending to the type of search.

Some helpful info:

How to Get the Best Search Results with Internet Search Engines by WikiHow

Better Searches. Better Results (PDF) – by Google

Twitter Search In Plain English – by Common Craft

Keep in mind:

Sometimes, it’s better to search through YouTube directly (or some other video sharing tool) instead of going through a more general search Engine like Google especialy for how-to or explainer videos.

Some search engines offer definitions, translations, synonyms, antonyms simply by stating that’s what your looking for in their search bar. This is often more efficient than using a dictionary.

Dig! When you’re clueless about something, your first results might not be the best. Look at what’s popping up and try a new search using the keywords you’ve just stumbled upon.