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Q: Why not just send kids to Google?
A: Google works well when finding a narrow topic or something that recently made the news. However, Google has its flaws.

  • Google is a for-profit company: It makes $$ from advertisers paying to get their sites listed in the right hand column - Kids don’t necessarily know the difference between ads and facts.
  • It’s a popularity contest: Google uses a mathematical formula (PageRank) which takes into account how many other websites link to a given site, how “important” those other sites are, etc. So, Google ranks websites as a popularity contest, NOT as best academic or child-appropriate sites. 
  • 3rd graders don’t benefit from doctoral theses: Google is NOT able to list sites that are appropriate for students’ reading level.
  • Anyone can post a webpage, no matter what their agenda: Google has NO screening for sites that may contain completely false, racist, or otherwise biased information.

As an educator, I believe it is in our students’ best interest to access sites that educators have already previewed.

Our older students DO learn how to search for information using search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Yahooligans, and Ask Jeeves at IHMCS. However, why start searching from scratch when someone else has already done the toughest job – finding the diamond among the rough?!

Do kids at IHMCS need to use Google sometimes? Yes.
Should they use it as their first search option?  No.

 - Mr. Michael White. IHMCS Technology Coordinator,

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Immaculate Heart of Mary
Catholic School
13505 Excelsior Blvd.
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Principal: Cheri Gardner

Phone (952) 935-0004
Fax (952) 935-2031

School hours: 9:25 a.m. - 3:55 p.m.