HIT: Searching the web

[Dianne & Ken <kdhager@labyrinth.net.au>]

There is a tutorial written just for kids on this topic using KidsClick.
http://www.ima.egreen.wednet.edu/search_Tut/new_home2.htm


I too teach a class on searching the Internet and using the symbols you
mentioned. Saturn is a good service   followed by -cars.......when you
want the planet
magnet*   followed by    - schools   when working with magnetism We find
"Virginia Beach Public Library"   and
the search :      car  (then add +Jeep)  then add +red....then add
+1994.... then add +Virginia    .........etc., etc. shows how a list of
millions of  hits can be effectively narrowed down to 100's or less


Dianne....I use two different examples: chocolate candy ... chocolate
cake.  I know that Altavista is one search engine that assumes that two
words entered as a keyword search is a phrase...so you might not get a
difference when you add the quotation marks.  I'm not sure if Google and
Northernlight also make that assumption or not.  I also draw a Venn
diagram and that helps my students understand the + and the -.  You
might also want to tell them about and, or, not since some search
engines/databases require the user to use these operators.


I use the following website as my example when teaching these skills to
kids.  I decided that they can bookmark the address and go back to the
page when they want to review.  Hope it helps.  It is based on the Alta
Vista search engine.
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/searching/sevensteps.html


I had an interesting experience looking for lesson plans for the book
"Holes".  When I just used 'holes' and 'lesson plan', I got a zillion
lessons  on black holes!  Then I subtracted 'black', and later added
'Sachar' and got
great sites I needed.  That might not be as relevant to students, but
it  really illustrated the message to me.  Also, here is a site for
searching that is useful with students and teachers;  it's just a little
bit "outdated" because many search engines automatically  assume 'and'
anymore, and I don't think altavista is considered the most
comprehensive anymore.  (I prefer google.)  Seven Steps Toward Better
Searching


I've prepared a search engine tutorial for my 9th grade English classes
in conjunction with their research project.  I like to use Google, and
the term I use is transcontinental railroad (the one in the U.S.).  They
search with just the term first, then with quotation marks.  I then show
them how to use the Google Directory to narrow down their search.  We go
from thousands of hits to just seven, if I remember correctly.

I don't like to send unexpected attachments to people because of all the
virus concerns, but if you'd like a copy of my tutorial handout, just
let me know.  It might be set up as a WordPerfect document, but I could
easily convert it to Word for you if that would be better.


A good one, if your students are at all knowledgable about U.S. football
- eagles -Philadelphia or -football.  This will get rid of all of the
sports references.  If this is too foreign, I would bet that you could
come up with one from Australia.


I find that using sports teams with animal mascots works really well for
this.  It occured to me after a very frustrated 6th grader complained
about only getting football stuff when she was looking for Dolphins.
Add and subtract cities, or some sport terminology.


I always use terms like bat or seal because you can get all kinds of
responses.  I usually type in the word and show how many and how many
different kinds of hits and then demonstrate how the boolean operators
help
to eliminate non-relavent hi


In one of my graduate courses where they were trying to  teach Boolean
search logic (AND OR NOT etc.), they used
a Venn diagram to show the AND OR NOT.  It helped a lot  of students
who, up to that point, just didn't get it.   Hope this helps.  (please
don't use my name/email  address if you post a HIT, thanks)


I have a video on internet searching at school that I think does the
following refining a search.

The librarian and a student start with "summer camps" and then add
drama,  minus music (the girl claims she can't sing) and then add New
York.  I can't  remember if they go any further but you could adapt.
Hope that helps.

I heartily agree with the other posters about
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/ . Lots of tips and tricks.  Probably
in there somewhere, but remember that not all search engines have the
same default Boolean terms.


1) I would strongly suggest taking a look at the work of Greg Notess.
Greg is a librarian and web researcher at Montana St. University and his
widely known for his Search Engine Showdown site. It is an absolute
"must have" resource. http://www.searchengineshowdown.com

Specifically, take a look at the sites search chart which provides the
information you are looking for.
http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/features/


A good one is 'libraries'.

+libraries +school

+libraries  -school

Gives two very different sets of results.

The minus is used to 'not' out terms that are not relevant or are
causing noise.  The plus is used to quickly narrow a search to
hopefully relevant terms. I use both in my searches. I'll start with a
plus set, then start using the minus to get rid of noise and come up
with a set that I can go through. I consider a set of 300-500 as  good
on the search engines. And I'll got through them <grin>.   The  minus
(not) search is very powerful, and can be used to eliminate
the known, so you are left with the unknown or problems.


Check out SearchEngineWatch. They have very detailed information,
including which power search features work with which search engines.
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/math.html has the + and -
information and how to use it. Could be basis for your explanation


http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/ataglance.html lists the power
switches like URL, link, domain and which engines utilize them.

All three reduce # of hits, they increase relevancy in different ways.


AS for the - term...you could search something like: fairy tale -dragon

The " " could easily be used for a book title or for a person's name
that  you want to be together.

Hope this helps.


I use things like  "St. Paul, Minnesota".  Without the quote you would
get all about Saints, All about men and boys named Paul and all about
the state of Minnesota.


I usually ask the audience for suggestions.  It adds a bit of
interactivity and, if the terms are relevant to them I find they pay
more attention.  If they are adolescents try something on a pop or
sports star.  However be warned - when I looked for Elle Macpherson
(suggested by a group of kids) we got Elle Macpherson girlie sites.

John Howard is a good one to use - you can start with this then move on
to parentheses and then add something like +Australia or "Prime
Minister" until you get a really specific search string.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST, etc.) send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu   In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
 See also EL-Announce for announcements from library media vendors:
    http://www.mindspring.com/~el-announce/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=