Locate Resources Begin by locating resources that meet your teaching/learning need. Ask yourself: What's the learning outcome? What kind of resources are needed? Where can I find useful Internet resources? Search Tools for Adults Educator's Lists of Sites Start with Four Search Tools for Students Mailing List Updates Project Centers Search Engines, Directories, and Indexes Most people begin their search for information with a traditional search engine or index. Try the word turtle or another word. Compare your results with three different tools. Middle School/High School/Adult Starting Points Tools for Searching Librarian's Index MetaCrawler Google About.com Northern light Yahoo Study Web Searchopolis Dogpile Excite Hotbot Search Tools for Students Teachers and students may be more successful using search tools designed specifically for children and young adults. Try the same search with these tools. Elementary/Middle School Starting Points KidsClick EdView Starting Points for Kids Yahooligans AOL for Kids Kid's Search Tools Ask Jeeves InfoSeek KidFusion MetaEngine Educator's Lists of Sites Search tools can be time-consuming. Many educators prefer to begin their search with lists that have been developed by and for educators. If you teach a specific subject area, consider bookmarking the section of interest rather than the index page. Use these tools for general themes rather than narrow topics. Kathy Schrock SurfNetKids Cyberbee Blue Web 'n Research It Subject Links Homework Central Berit's Best EBlast Pinchbeck Internet Public Library Surfmonkey Kid's Engine Starter Education World Schoolwork Ugh Scholastic.Com NetMom Let's Find Out Lesson Plan Links Page Busy Teacher Early Childhood Links California SCORE Links for Younger Students Family.com Cybrary for Middle School 4-5 Grade Starting Points Online School Yard Teacher's Desk - Grade 4/5 ALA Great Sites Educational Hotlists Library in the Sky Alvarado Cyber Explorers Mailing List Updates Keeping up-to-date is difficult. Consider joining a mailing list that can keep you up-to-date on the latest popular sites. Join one! Blue Web 'N Homework Central List Scout Report Kathy Schrock's SOS List Hilites - Project Updates KIDS Start with Four Narrow your search to a few specific sites that will be useful for students. Use the 42eXplore index website as an example. Provide students with handouts, bookmarks, or a web page. Use the 42explore index to search for your content area. Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace The History Place Mr. Lincoln's Virtual Library West Elementary's Abraham Lincoln Presidents POTUS American Memories: Presidents Biography.com The History Net Project Centers There are many short-term and long-term Internet-based projects you could join. You can also use these sites to get ideas for your own projects. Use Virtual Architecture to learn about all the different types of projects you can join. Global Schoolhouse NickNacks CLEO Science Projects Kidlink Projects Online Science Projects Apple Learning Project Page Houghton Mifflin's Project Center Project Center Interactive Web Projects Spin the Web! Select a topic in your curriculum area. Do some exploration. Pick at least four good starting points. As you locate the good sites, make bookmarks so you can find them later. Do some brainstorming: What search tools do you find the most useful? What are the least useful? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the educator lists instead of the search engines for locating materials? Explore the Project Registry. Search for a project that you might want to join. Keep in mind some of the following factors in selecting a project: Does the project match my learning outcomes? Does the project fit my grade level? Do we have the hardware and software to implement the project? Does the timeline fit the needs of my class? Will the students find the project interesting and motivating?