Search Tools

SEARCH CUBE

Search Box looks like a rubix cube and that’s part of the fun.It is also a very powerful search tool that is great to use with kids. Not only is it incredibly visual as you flip and rotate it, making it a brilliant look on an IWB but by hovering over the various tiles it lets kids actually see what they will get at each site.A must in any classroom.

WORD SIFT

Word sift sorts words on a concept map then gives a visual thumbnail list of related sites for further information about many related concepts/issues

TAG GALAXY

A fantastic 3D visual way to collect images from Flikr. No picture, it would ruinthe fun. You have to see it.

 

LEXIPEDIA. 

They say that this is where words have meaning and it is so much more than a dictionary. It gives definitions but then explains what part of speech it is and relationships with other words. Well worth checking out.

PICS4LEARNING

This is a great source of images for educational use. It includes clip art as well as photos sorted into topics. Very easy to use.

SWEET SEARCH

This is as close as you will get to the perfect search engine for use in schools. Every site is vetted and approved by an expert panel including teachers and librarians.

You can use it just like “Google” or one of the other 4 superb options,:

  • Sweet Search2Day– This is amazing. It has new “……….for 2 day” every day at different age and year levels such as: Poem for 2 day  –  Question for 2 day  –    Interview for 2 day  –  Facts for 2 day   &   Vocabulary for 2 day
  • Sweet Search4Me – a search engine especially for young learners
  • Sweet Bites – searches organised in subject areas
  • Sweet Search Biography – with more than 1000 biographies available.

WOLFRAM ALPHA

This is a “computational search engine” which means that while something like Google finds specific sites Wolfram Alfa answers questions that involve numbers by searching through relevant sites to extract the information then calculate your answer. For example – How many famous people are called Lynda? And many  other important questions.

 

Screen Shot 2014-01-04 at 5.21.49 pmANSWERS.COM

This is pretty amazing…type in the question and this site searches the web and finds your answer.

 

 

Screen Shot 2014-05-21 at 3.37.51 pmKIDREX.

A simple, safe and fun search engine for young students.

 

 

Screen Shot 2014-05-21 at 2.41.54 pmINSTAGROK

Possibly my favourite search engine for school use because, by using a simple slider, users can change the level of difficulty of the search. This interactive concept map style search engine is the perfect tool for differentiation. Check out my post about it here.

 

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