Learning to Surf the Web

"Find Information: Searching the Web" from learnthenet.com is a helpful resource that teaches beginning (and even mediocre) websearchers the tricks to gaining the most useful information.

The articles on this website were written with style and used an easy readability level--comparable to pleasure reading. The information was to the point and contained links to other sources, such as a youtube video, which provided a variety to hold my attention as I continued the tutorial. The tips and facts provided proved to be helpful as I improved my searching ability.

A little annoying were the advertisements. The article itself seemed to "get lost" in the middle of multiple ads, but even worse was a technique I'd not encountered before: words were underlined in green, as if posing as links, but SURPRISE, with just a simple mouse float over the green word, and I was immediately transported to another site. The graphics and font were not elaborate--simple--not exactly appealing.

There are other methods of websearching available now, with techniques changing everyday. This site misses out on the "more" and "even more" techniques that Google offers, so I don't recommend it for 21st century teaching techniques--and students would snub their noses at the use of clip art.

If you are a educator and have not mastered the Boolean method or quotes, this is a great tutorial for you. Even if you have, there are other good tidbits of information. The clarity and ease of reading make it a quick tutorial--from the very basics of an "and" search, to how robots and spiders are out there scouring for your information, this site provides you with a great ride on your "surf board."