Collaborating on Searches

With the rise of web 2.0 and social networks this year I predict 2009 will be the year where collaboration of searching online really takes off.

ReFrame It is a browser plugin that lets users highlight text on websites and add notes in the sidebar. The highlights and notes can then be shared with friends.

Search Together from Microsoft is a plugin for Internet Explorer that lets users share websites with notes. It seems very similar to AIM. There doesn't seem to be any feature where users can highlight specific text on each individual website.

Google's Search Wiki lets users promote or remove search results. Users can also apply notes to search results and add any websites Google may have missed. You can even see other people's results for the same search. I think the Search Wiki has the potential to become a lot more collaborative in the future.

G-Rated Search Engine for Kids

The Red Zebra search engine filters web searches for our younger students. No explicit content will slip through like in a Google search.

Also see my post about the Boolify Search Engine for kids.

Google Custom Search Engine

Use Google's Custom Search Engine to limit what your students can search for as well as what websites they can search. The custom search can be embedded in a website. Go see how some educators are using the search at http://www.google.com/coop/cse/

Boolify Search Engine for Kids

Boolify Search Engine lets young internet browsers piece together puzzle pieces to perform a boolean search. A cat block put with an and block and a fish block might return catfish.