Since I am getting old, I must do things right when I remember them. Such is the case with regaling how fun it is to teach smart google searching vs. database searching. I take the approach of a football team, one side vs. the other side. Both sides are represented with their strengths and weaknesses. The points to compare are reliability, relevance (how each ranks the responses you receive), how each one really works as it searches for information, etc. When doing a "Smart Google Search," students are taught the five steps. They are:

1. Did you check the URL? Do you know what .com, .edu, .org, .net, etc. mean?
2. Is there a person or group in charge of the site?
3. Are they an expert in their field?
4. When was it last updated? (maybe not so vital for a site on "Mythology")
5. What do you think the purpose is for the site creation? Is it to educate, persuade, sell, etc? How does it compare to other information found?

Other lessons I do with the LCD projector are:

1. "Bogus websites from Joyce Valenza" (steps to ascertain what is real vs. what is bogus)
2. How to use boolean generators

Future lessons include:

1. Incorporation of a "United Streaming" clip or YouTubeSound items since I will be getting "surround sound" in the Media Center next week with eight speakers mounted
2. Sky is the limit here......