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Google has become the standard search engine of virtually every web-goer on the internet today. In fact "to Google" is pretty much synonymous with "to search". But that certainly doesn't mean that other search engines can't do a decent, if not better, job and this list has been compiled for just this reason. So check out this catalog of awesome alternative search engines that are certain to help you search faster and more efficiently on that World Wide Web

What most people don't know, however, is just how many useful tools Google has out there than can make everything from tracking a package to creating and publishing webpages a breeze.

Here's a side by side comparison of Bing Vs Google results on the term: Information Fluency 21cif.com ( formerly 21cif.imsa.edu ) has been online for 10+ years and dominates the Google Search results. Nothing in the top ten for Bing? Google ranks our old url #1 and our new url #4. Give this a try for your self with the same terms? I'll bet you get radically different results from Google than I do. Since I've worked on the 21cif project for nearly 8 years, I know the materials well. Also Google has adapted to my search habits and provides me with more links relevant to my interest. On the Google page I'm given a link to my search-wiki results: http://tinyurl.com/21cif-search-wiki This proves the point 21cif has been making for a decade: USE MULTIPLE SEARCH ENGINES! The more sources of information you tap, the better your chances of getting a less filtered view of what's available on the world wide web

Information Literacy Games: Finding Kermit This blog post features a great video of Kermit the frog singing It Ain't Easy Being Green. It follows up with an explanation of a search game that can be used with the whole class in a lab or on an individual workstation. It's part of a free series of online information literacy / information fluency games available from 21cif.com. Finding Kermit was the inspiration for one of the first Internet Search Challenges created by Dr. Carl Heine. The task is to track down a picture of Kermit ready for graduation in the least amount of time. The search game is embedded on the page so you can try it without going to the main site. Many teachers use this as a whole class lab activity. Put up a search challenge and then it's off the races! Most of these games were developed for middle and high school students. Adults find them challenging as well.

News archive search provides an easy way to search and explore historical archives. In addition to helping you search, News archive search can automatically create timelines which show selected results from relevant time periods.

The Ultimate Google Guide can help you to improve your search results and SERP analysis with less-known search Tips First Things First In there are some less-known google operators and search tips

A blog about search, search skills, teaching search, learning how to search, learning how to use Google effectively, learning how to do research. It also covers a good deal of sensemaking and information foraging.

Web search can be a remarkable tool for students, and a bit of instruction in how to search for academic sources will help your students become critical thinkers and independent learners. With the materials on this site, you can help your students become skilled searchers- whether they're just starting out with search, or ready for more advanced training.

Today, I'm happy to announce that you too can use our color filter in your own image searches. Just search for something the way you normally would, such as [tulips]. On the results page, click on the "All colors" drop down in the blue bar and choose a color. For example, try restricting your results to [yellow tulips]. Want to see purple tulips instead? Simply click on the color filter again, select purple, and voila - you have pages of beautiful images! You can also combine the color filter with any other image filter to further refine your search. For example, if you're looking for an image of an orange butterfly, try restricting to photos or clip art.

"Teachers - especially in the elementary grades  -need to develop a shared vocabulary around the skill of searching. They need to make sure their students learn some basic search strategies and keep applying them until they become almost automatic."

Google is continuously innovating to improve its Search Engine.The recent announcement is Google Instant.Google Instant is a new search enhancement that shows results as you type (In fact it predicts the results even before you type).

Very interesting post that is probably more about economics than search but nevertheless reveals the dark arts of the search provider!

This page lists over 20 websites that have been specifically set up to provide a safer experience for students. In addition there is also information about ... | Introduction to Child-Safe Searching | Google Safe Search | Alta Vista Family Filter | Ivy's Search Engine Resources for Kids | Kid's Browser | Surfing the Net with Kids | Safe Surfing Family Guide | Review of safe search engines at 'searchenginewatch' | Internet Content Rating Association | Create your own safe search engine with Google | Censorship / Filtering | Health & Safety | About the Internet | Internet Usage Policies | Education Portals | General Resources |

Knowing where to look is an essential aspect of information fluency.  Google, Yahoo, Bing are just the top of the pyramid.  Here's a list of search engines.  How many have you even heard of, let alone used?

A feature on Image Search to help you find images that you can use for free, while respecting the wishes of artists and creators. This feature allows you to restrict your Image Search results to images that have been tagged with licenses like Creative Commons, making it easier to discover images from across the web that you can share, use and even modify.

"This website provides tutorials and sample course content so CS students and educators can learn more about current computing technologies and paradigms. In particular, this content is Creative Commons licensed which makes it easy for CS educators to use in their own classes. The Courses section contains tutorials, lecture slides, and problem sets for a variety of topic areas: * AJAX Programming * Algorithms * Distributed Systems * Web Security * Languages In the Tools 101 section, you will find a set of introductions to some common tools used in Computer Science such as version control systems and databases. The CS Curriculum Search will help you find teaching materials that have been published to the web by faculty from CS departments around the world. You can refine your search to display just lectures, assignments or reference materials for a set of courses."

Searching for information and making sense of it is a process that involves critical thinking. Google has many tools to help students sift through the overwhelming abundance of web content , but those tools are often not utilized by students and teachers. Google recently announced the launch of Search Education .

In this webinar we will look at some of the useful techniques and skills for searching effectively using Google. We will also be looking at some of Google's other useful services, including Images, Books, Scholar, Maps and Translate.  

But as quick and facile as the process is, there are ways to be even more efficient, more search-savvy. And it's our responsibility to teach kids how to find and research information, how to judge its veracity, and when it's time to ask for a grownup's help.

Tips for refining your Google searches