Reflective Searching- Blog #3
What did I do before I had access to technology right at my fingertips? Just this week I’ve quickly used technology to tell me the distance to another town, added appointments to my calendar app, pulled up a video to show my son how magnets are made, and searched for the spelling of words. I won’t even mention all of the ways I’ve used it as a teacher. Information is just a simple click away.
Based on the year I was born, I am not part of the ‘Google Generation’ born after 1993. If you look at my search habits, I am part of this generation. When I have a question, the first place I go is Google, type it in the search box, and look at the results on the first page. As stated in the article, “Information Behavior of the Researcher of the Future”, I would be part of the 89% of college students that use search engines to begin an information search, and I am satisfied with my experience using a search engine. If I was gathering information for research, I would be described as a checking information seeker, because I use cross-checking across different sites to check for the accuracy of the information.
In the article, “How Teens Do Research in the Digital World”, teachers surveyed said 94% of their students are “very likely” to use google or other search engines in a typical research assignment. Search engines make it quick and easy to find information. I agree with the teachers in the article when they discussed the importance of spending time showing students the best online resources that are available other than search engines. When I just need the answer to a question quickly I do rely on search engines, but for research I use other resources to find the most reliable and credible information.
The most fascinating information for me this week was in the video, “Even Better Search Results: Getting to Know Google Search for Education”, and the article, “How to Use Google Search More Effectively”. Maybe it is because I graduated from college 16 years ago, but I have never been taught how to effectively search online. The video and article offered many helpful tips that teachers and students should know. By learning more about proper ways to search online, that can hopefully help me avoid creating my own filter bubble. I will definitely be referring back to these resources in the future.
Based on the year I was born, I am not part of the ‘Google Generation’ born after 1993. If you look at my search habits, I am part of this generation. When I have a question, the first place I go is Google, type it in the search box, and look at the results on the first page. As stated in the article, “Information Behavior of the Researcher of the Future”, I would be part of the 89% of college students that use search engines to begin an information search, and I am satisfied with my experience using a search engine. If I was gathering information for research, I would be described as a checking information seeker, because I use cross-checking across different sites to check for the accuracy of the information.
In the article, “How Teens Do Research in the Digital World”, teachers surveyed said 94% of their students are “very likely” to use google or other search engines in a typical research assignment. Search engines make it quick and easy to find information. I agree with the teachers in the article when they discussed the importance of spending time showing students the best online resources that are available other than search engines. When I just need the answer to a question quickly I do rely on search engines, but for research I use other resources to find the most reliable and credible information.
The most fascinating information for me this week was in the video, “Even Better Search Results: Getting to Know Google Search for Education”, and the article, “How to Use Google Search More Effectively”. Maybe it is because I graduated from college 16 years ago, but I have never been taught how to effectively search online. The video and article offered many helpful tips that teachers and students should know. By learning more about proper ways to search online, that can hopefully help me avoid creating my own filter bubble. I will definitely be referring back to these resources in the future.
Oh, I can't even count the amount of times I have probably used Google seeach this week alone! The articles this week have really shined a light for me to realize how much I rely on it to get information and get it fast! I too am technically not part of the Google Generation by age, but I would still consider myself to hold the habits of someone who is part of the generation. Myself, my students, and the rest of the google gerneration are very likely to pull up a search engine as their first step of research. I think that can be alright, but we have to be able to filter information, cross check, and use the right tools to search correctly.
ReplyDeleteI find myself using google a lot during a work week. I use google for personal use, and to find quick answers while teaching. I was born in 1991, so you could say I am a part of the google generation. I didn't really start using google until I started college in the Fall of 2009. I found myself misusing google. I say that because I always chose the first answer I came across. (I find a lot of my students doing this in the classroom.) That got me into trouble, because I was getting answers wrong on assignments. With that being said, I had to force myself to cross-reference sources to find creditable information. It was not easy to do at first, because it takes time and I am not a very patient person. I do have to say that now I have no problem spending hours to cross-reference sources to make sure that my information is reliable. This is something I would love for my students to pick up. I will teach my students to cross-reference resources so that they can be a successful researcher.
ReplyDeleteHi Meredith! I agree with you that the video this week, “Even Better Search Results: Getting to Know Google Search for Education”, was particularly helpful. For example, I did not know that “and” is implied in google searches or that punctuation is irrelevant. I have some experience with learning to search effectively, but I felt that the resources presented this week pointed out some major flaws in my abilities. It is interesting that students and our own children already understand the concept of “just google it” even before they can read and write. I am sometimes overwhelmed by the access to information, but mostly I think it is just of vital importance that we teach children how to handle the access. Throughout the course of a students’ K-12 education, research skills should be addressed each year. I enjoyed reading your post!
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that you were not part of the Google Generation by age, but instead by habit. It's funny to think that these resources haven't been around forever, yet we find it hard to imagine our lives without them. I also read the article, "How Teens Do Research In The Digital World" and now I'm curious: Do you wish that you had these resources when you were in high school, or do you think it made you a better information seeker because of the lack thereof?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great question Miranda. I think I enjoy knowing what both worlds are like, life before google and life with google. However, I do wish Google would have been a part of my college career, because I feel like there is so much that I need to learn about technology and how it can be used in the classroom. Being in a district that is behind in technology also makes it difficult to keep up with the changes in technology.
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