Thursday, May 19, 2016
Reflective Searching
I considered myself to be a pretty good internet researcher. Even though I did not grow up in the Google generation, I feel as though every age group is a part of it. I cannot think of a generation that does not use search engines to find what they need. In a social setting if someone says something and no one knows the answer to it, then my first response is "just Google it!" and then they do. My typical search pattern is to use key words or to type the whole question into the search box. I already knew not to capitalize anything, but being in the habit of spelling things correctly I sometimes do. Many times using an entire question in a search engine just pulls up results that are coming from random opinions and may not actually be legit. As far as how my searching skills compare with today's teenager? Well, I can tell you that I do not just randomly print things off because the relevance of the material I find are too overwhelming. I was shocked to read in "Information Behavior of the Researcher" that teens do that and then barely glance at what they printed off. Like today's teens though I do have a preference for a certain search engine. Google is my go to place for information. I rely on this search engine to find everything I need. I think teens and adult can just be lazy at times and do not want to put in the work to find information from reliable sources such as libraries and scholarly databases. The resources that I read and watched this week taught me to reevaluate my search patterns. The order of words can make a huge difference in the results. If you type something in one way and then switch it around you may get entirely different results. One of the most interesting things I learned this week was searching with a picture that you upload to Google. I had no idea you could do this. Of course it was one of the first things I had to try! I took a picture of a painting in my house that I bought on a cruise years ago and uploaded it to get the artists name. I am so glad that I am learning how to be a more proficient researcher.
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I agree with you that searching through Google has proliferated its way into the day to day lives of every generation represented on the planet today. Please in their 80's and 90's are using Facebook, Instagram, and other forms of social media. Google is closely linked to all of the forms of communication and there is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of people who are traveling in a car google directions now instead of using a paper map. The picture searching function of Google is also very cool and is something that will be more and more utilized with everyone having a quality camera at their disposal in the form of smart phones. Great post! I look forward to reading more of yours in the future.
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ReplyDeleteYou were spot on when you said that we are all part of the Google generation. I have become reliant on my phone for entertainment and for educational use. I love that you noted that even in social situations Google is our go to when we can't think of an answer fast enough. Today it seems, that we are not concerned with finding the correct answer but who can find it faster. This is evident in the classroom today, when students do not find what they are looking for immediately they assume that it must not be there. It is our role as educators to keep up with the times and guide our students to be effective searchers.
ReplyDeleteGreat Points! It's hard to remember what we did before being able to Google the answers to our questions. Our table conversations always end up with someone wanting to know some fact that is just on the tip of our tongues. Smart Phones have made this even easier. We don't even have to get up! Someone just says "OK Google" and we're off.
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