Lab+activity+week+3


 * Identify three favourite children’s search web sites


 * 1) Ask kids.
 * 2) Kids click!
 * 3) Kidspace portal (DET NSW)
 * Build links on your wiki home page to these sites
 * 1)  Ask kids
 * 2)  Kids click
 * 3)  Kidspace portal (DET NSW)
 * Examine the safety issues on web page
 * < **Ask Kids** ||< [[image:mars_-_Ask_Kids_Web_Search_-_Google_Chrome_2011-02-18_23-12-59.png width="800" height="434"]]

===I find this website very appealing to kids since its interface looks and easy to use (as it was a notebook) I also find interesting that it can allow you to narrow your search (rephrase it) or expand it as kids would find sometimes difficult to come up with the right words.It also gives the user a quick "factsheet" for certain topics, highly visual and specifying a few facts only. (as you might see in my "mars" search) It is quite safe because it would block unappropiate search words. It is designed to pick up websites that are "age-appropiate" and educational only. === ||
 * < **Kids click!** ||< [[image:KidsClick!_Search_Results_-_Google_Chrome_2011-02-18_23-23-41.png width="800" height="434"]]

===Kids click! seems to be a great educational site too. It has been designed by librarians and I find it includes very specific search results which can help a student not to get lost in cyberspace when searching for ideas for an assignment. Again, searching for the word "mars" it only delivered 14 possible websites where I can find information on it. It also explicitly lists of graphics there are on the website as well as the reading level, to help a child decide whether it's worth giving it a try or not. Moreover, it gives a quick explanation on what the site it about, therefore allowing easier decision-making. It is also very safe, though it states it does not block "bad" sites but directs kids to "good" sites. It mainly searches the web to find information on common subjects only. === ||
 * < **Kidspace portal** ||< [[image:kidspace_portal_paint.jpg width="800" height="583"]]

===Kidspace portal is an interface that can only be accessed in NSW public schools. It is maintained by the Department of Education and Training and can be accessed by students using the school's intranet. They are issued with a special password to be able to log in. It has its own search engine which uses google. Students can also check their "email" and access other features such as links to games websites and other educational sites. The Department has got a very strict policy on cybersafety and blocks most websites (to public school's teachers dismay at times!). In primary schools, I don't think it affects the way teachers use the web with their students anyway. In high school, in subjects like English where video clips are so handy, useful websites such as youtube are completely blocked thus making watching a youtube video in class a bit more difficult. === ||