Frequently, teachers will provide their students with internet links to use for research. This type of scaffolding is effective for several reasons. First, it keeps kids focused on the topic. Having students sort through enormous amounts of information can be too time consuming. And we all recognize our limited time. We can easily get side tracked by too many things on the roadside! Second, by using sites such as netTrekker d.i. to provide a focused list of resources, we can insure the quality of the sites students are using.
If, however, you'd like to have your students actually use a search tool, such as Google, for their research, you might want to insure they have effective search skills prior to such an activity. In the January 2006 issue of School Library Journal, Katrine Watkins and Kathleen Elder share a strategy to teach students how to execute effective searches using Google. The Google Game would be fun for middle level and high school students while reviewing effective search strategies. A nice authentic learning experience! Check out the article online: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6296500.html
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