Module 8

                I thought that this chapter was very informative, especially because even I have trouble utilizing the internet to find information that I need! I think that google is a great resource for finding information… to be honest, it is the only search engine I use to find information, this is because I don’t really know any other way of finding information. Google is very useful, but there are some down sides, especially when trying to use it with a child or in a classroom. For one, it is not filtered at all, so children could easily stumble upon inappropriate things that have nothing to do with what they are trying to research. Other than the obvious, it also does not refine the search enough, so a child can find an age appropriate website that is at their reading level. Not to mention that sites like Wikipedia could easily be misinforming children.

                I was very interested in the different websites that the book mentioned, I definitely liked Gooru, because you could narrow it down by grade and general topic (math, science, language arts, etc.), that way children, parents, and teachers could easily find information for their topic that could reach the child’s understand and keep their interest. I also thought that the instagrok web was an interesting way to get children exploring different topics; it is definitely more fun than sifting through all the websites on google! But I also really liked the lessons that the chapter talked about, because it gave the children the freedom to search what interests them, which will definitely get them invested in their topic, and I think it is exciting for children to share what they learned with their peers. It is also a good tool for a parent or teacher to utilize when searching for books to introduce that child, or class.  I think that though classes need structure and guidance, kids always have a lot more fun when they can independently research topics that interest them and it will motivate them to put effort and time into doing it!