There are better ways to refine your Google research for any topic you may be seeking.  Google is a powerful search tool but most web surfers (kids and adults alike) do not know how to properly refine their search results to quickly find exactly what we’re looking for.

We all know there is a ton of information online.  There are plenty of reputable websites that can help you research a myriad of topics for an essay or an assignment.  Of course, there is a ton of misinformation as well on the internet. 

Good research is all about testing your sources against that we know to be reputable. Solid sources can be found in your local or school library in something we call books.

So, while we can’t believe everything we read online.  We don’t want to discard this wonderful worldwide encyclopedia of knowledge either.  Wikipedia and Simple Wikipedia for Kids is an open editable resource with a lot of good information, students need to fact check the details.

In addition to your library, Google is also a great place to find other good sources, such as a government site ending in the domain .gov. Similarly, reputable educational websites end with .edu.  It means you can trust that the content is properly researched. 

However,  remember that you still need multiple sources to support your research. 

Refining Search Results for Research

For students doing research, not knowing how to search Google effectively can lead kids and teens of any age down a convoluted rabbit hole. Let’s be honest, search engines are designed to do more than find trivial information.  Proper research on Google means digging deep to find the best information, not only the most popular.

Sure, if you want to find information about a celebrity you just “Google It”, but think about all the other information on the web that we don’t even know is there. Important information that can fuel research on many interesting topics.

While the early days of the internet didn’t even have highly developed search engines, it didn’t take long for developers to see the need for much more sophisticated search technology.  Today, there are billions of articles and the goal of every student should be focus their Google search to find the most relevant and valuable information possible.

As you’ll see in this infographic below, Google research is much more than just entering a few keywords.

Review this Step by Step Guide to streamline your Research Results on Google!

Although it wasn’t the first search engine in existence, Google spent a lot of time and money creating a better way to access quickly the expanding world wide web. The more mouse clicks a person has to make in order to find what they are looking for, the higher the risk of landing on a website with inappropriate content… not to mention the time wasted and confusion causes when attempting to compile information.

Google was launched September 4, 1998. That’s over 20 years ago. Since that day there is a lot more information to be found online. Some of this information exists on reputable websites. It has properly researched and verified. On the other hand, much information is down right false.

It has never been more important to learn how to focus search results search engines like Google. These techniques were created to help you dig deep for information in a safe manner by filtering out unrelated websites.  Learn about Instant Answers for faster Google search results.

Evaluating Information While Researching

It’s one thing to access a wealth of information online.  Now, the challenge is to ensure that the information you find is reliable.  Watch this video to learn how to ‘think like an editor’ as your sift through articles, facts, data and information that may not be trustworthy. 

Many public schools and universities around the world have shifted from campus to distance learning. Even though online learning is a mostly-foreign concept to our kids, some seem to be loving it. Other’s struggle with the lack of personal connection from friends, as well as teachers and professors.

Still, the advancements in online education have led more students to become interested in obtaining their college degree through virtual means. Get this: 60% of eLearners believe that online classes help them improve their soft skills such as writing, paying closer attention to detail, perfecting their oral communication, engaging in teamwork, developing time management skills, and helping them with critical thinking/problem-solving.

Still, there are a bit of challenges that arise with learning online – primarily, technology access. 44% of students in low-income families don’t own a computer, and nearly 18% of school-age children don’t have at-home Internet access.

Read how to making sure kids stay happy and healthy during online classes

You’ll be happy to know that a computer may not be exactly essential to your child’s educational journey. Today, most eLearning programs are smartphone and tablet-compatible, providing students with a wider range of options to receive their new content. However, the 30 million school children relying on free/reduced lunches remain in a tough spot. 

As if the world weren’t fast-paced enough, current circumstances are changing every corner of the world as we know it. The last thing we need during times like these is for our childrens’ education to be put at risk. Luckily, eLearning has a solution.

Check out the infographic below for the full scoop on the future of distance learning.

As online learning becomes more prevalent with the growth in technology related to communication, students can often feel more stressed out working apart from friends within a classroom environment. A fall in grades may result if special attention is not paid to potential problems related to virtual education.

However, teachers and parents can work together to help students minimize their distractions and improve their remote learning experience. While technology itself can also divert the student’s attention away from curriculum during eLearning hours, there are practical things that can be done to help.

Remove Distractions

Disabling phone notifications and turning on “do not disturb” mode can help. A step further, Apple’s “screen time” and Android’s “focus mode” can help limit distractions. Screen time allows users to set time limits on specific apps and features, and focus mode allows users to block access to specific apps on a set schedule. 

Setting a new life schedule can be helpful, too. It’s easy to let normal schedules slip when everyone is home, but you don’t have to keep your old schedule to have a consistent routine. Students with schedules built around a type of activity rather than specific plan may have greater success improving each child’s focus during online learning.

Furthermore, a schedule with announced transitions to keep your child engaged when switching tasks.

Give time warnings before a transition, and stick to them.

Get your child’s attention, give directions, then say “go.”

Using a visual timer can help your child understand how much time is left before switching gears. Try the “Time Timer app” for this.

Incorporate Fun

When learning is fun, it’s easy to get kids engaged. Schedule virtual playdates for your child to catch up with friends, let students collaborate and help each other with school work through digital, and keep in touch with other parents to share ideas on what works.

Find more tips to enhance home learning in the infographic below.

Lost Learning Time during the Covid Era, how worried should parents be?

Most parents can easily come up with a list of potentially harmful elements on the Internet that their kids could be exposed to. But as long as that list gets, most will not even think about malware. Precautions to block certain content from causing lasting damage in young minds includes making sure malicious software (malware) does not invade our child’s privacy.

Malware can secretly infect any computer through infected websites, bad software, music and movie file sharing sites and even seemingly innocent online video games. It can expose kids to harmful materiel and at the very least reek havoc on computer. And like any type of virus, it can spread to other computers.

In this article, we’ve collated some of the best ways to take measures regarding Internet security and privacy in order to keep your children’s browsing and gaming safe. Most of these precautionary measures include having an open dialogue with kids about the unseen dangers of malware. Additionally, software solutions a necessary.

Get an Anti-Malware Program

An anti-malware program will save you from future headaches. It protects your browsing and gaming from unwanted viruses and malware; an effective anti-malware program will keep the Trojan virus away. Trojan viruses are a class of code or app that seems to be innocuous when downloaded, but once it’s part of your computer system it goes to work to cause mayhem.

Malware protection blankets your computer against most threats, including Trojan horses which even top of the line antivirus systems do not have. It does it’s best to block “suspect” programs, as well as conducts daily scans to subsequently removes threats that are attempting to change the way your computer behaves.

Google “Malwabytes free download” so do a free scan of your computer.  If data and privacy is compromised due to a scammer, it can also block a brute force attack.  

Setup Digital Boundary rules

This is where effective communication comes through. Setting up digital boundary rules with your children is fundamental in making them understand that while the Internet is a great place to obtain information, play games, and communicate with their friends, it can also be a dangerous place for someone vulnerable.

Talk to them about rules that you’ve decided upon, or better yet, allow them to participate in the decision-making process. For example, ask them what their stance on no Internet or gadgets after a certain time on weekdays. If you prefer they go to bed before 10:30 PM, it’s wise to set up no Internet by 9 PM or thirty minutes earlier. It’s also a great decision to tell your kids what sites they can or can not access. If they ask, answer them honestly.

Create a Safe Space for Kids via Parental Controls

Teaching kids to make good decisions about online use can only go so far. Any device you have in your home should have parental controls installed. This includes smartphones, laptops, iPads and of course, desk top computers and laptops. Once installed, parental controls can be customized to automatically block sites according to the age of your child. You can also monitor what your kids are doing online.

Effective parental control will also allow you to set usage restrictions according to the time of day. In addition to blocking websites, monitoring social media and filtering content, it can also track location. You may decide to set up rules with your kids to adhere to without setting up blocking features. Leave up to them so make the right decision, but you’ll know if they went online after hours for example, thanks to monitoring. This will help them build self control skills.

Always Communicate with your Kids Regarding their Internet Concerns

Even when you already have set up everything and it’s all going very well and smoothly, encourage your kids to express concerns they may have about their Internet use. Re-enforce why staying away from harmful content is for their own benefit. Slowly give them responsibility to “do the right thing” within the safe confines of your parental control settings.

You can’t protect your children from mature and adult content forever, as well as keeping kids safe from inappropriate YouTube videos. That’s why keeping the lines of communication open is essential to nurture a strong relationship of trust between you and your child. When kids feel listened too, they feel less of a need to rebel from the rules.

Takeaway

Parental supervision is only the start. No parent should feel inadequate for not being able to monitor their child’s activist online all the time. Most computer systems do a good job of preventing virus infections. But malware is much more deviant. It is not uncommon to install a anti-malware program for malware protection, even from innocent website, software programs or video games. The same goes for parental control software which blocks access to the worst parts of the web.