Google literally searches billions of web pages each time you type keywords into the search bar. When students are researching using Google, the huge amount of search results can been daunting and time consuming to a student who doesn’t know how to pick through and determine the relevance of each site. Not knowing good search engine techniques can create overwhelming search results.

Do you wish you could compile a list of web sites and then use the search power of Google to allow students to enter search queries that output results from just the sites you have determined? Well now you can!

You can set up a Google Custom Search Engine, allowing students to search sites that you have chosen. Visit the Google for Educators, The Google Custom Search Engine, web site to learn more. You can even have Google search your personal classroom web page.

To get started visit this site: http://www.google.com/coop/docs/cse/. Here you will find tutorials and FAQs.

Google also provides classroom posters that can be helpful to students when searching. Here are some search engine specific posters:

• Google Search Tips for Kids (a kid friendly poster reminding students how Google works)
• Google Search Tips (search modifiers to help narrow the search)
• Google Web Search (breaking down how Google finds search results)

It will be nice to teach students proper search techniques without having to worry about the billions of inappropriate search result possibilities. Now you can allow students to search for results without the teacher having to worry about what might pop up! Create your Google Custom Search Engine today!