Yr 4 has been using SYMBALOO to easily share their resources with the students. This is another example of a bookmarking tool.
GENERAL SEARCH ENGINES
An awareness that Google is not the only search engine is important. Each search engine has a different purpose (such as wikipedia). Later in this post are some examples of search engines for younger children.
WIKIPEDIA and its usefulness
Wikipedia can a starting place to get an general understanding of a new topic or concept. It is now improved in its quality control (as content needs to be substantiated) and often can be the most current source of information on a topic. Weblinks and references to supporting information can assist students to explore more deeply about a topic. It is a springboard tool in my opinion.
Like all sources ACCURACY of content needs to be assessed and this is a skill that students need to develop.
Some teachers are still concerned about using wikipedia, but it should be viewed and assessed like any information source for:
One way to do this is using RADCAB – an acronym for Relevancy, Detail, Currency and Bias. This is an excellent online tutorial for students designed to teach them about these key aspects.