ICT:
Investigating
A Google a Day
This web 2.0 resource was launched in collaboration between Google and They New York Times as a daily critical thinking trivia game to sharpen user search skills and knowledge of strategies when researching a problem/issue/question.
This resource encourages students to broaden their investigation skills as they define and plan information searches, locate data and evaluate the information. A copy and paste of the question into google won't provide a solution, forcing students to think beyond the first few 'answers' of a google (or other) search.
This free resource is web based and can be run on any device or platform, and is suitable for students in upper primary and beyond.
How Search Works
http://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/thestory/index.html
This resource works well in tandem with 'A google a Day', as it informs students to the algorithms, programs, formulas behind a search engine.
Both of these resources are useful tools to define, generate and inform students about research, investigation, and the measures taken to remove spam and irrelevant data. Their value as a resource is increased through the constructivist model of meaning making as students identify critical thinking skills to find the solution to the question.