Want a Qwiki?

Before my hubby said hello to me, he said, “There’s a new search engine that they say is going to knock Google out of  the box.” “It’s called Qwiki.”  He heard about it on CNN Qwiki video.

“Really?” I replied, not really interested because I had spent the entire day at work, and then an hour reading to 3 and 4 year olds. (Who, by the way, are a joy to read to.) I trudged up the stairs behind him, and watched as he sat down and demonstrated Qwiki. Wow! It was love at first sight!  Of course, as an educator, 600 ways to implement this tool rushed through my mind.

When you put your topic in the search bar, you get video, audio clips, and photos about your chosen topic.  It speaks to you! Yes, I said, it speaks to you.   The text scrolls below it as it speaks to you! The possibilities are endless! There are “other samples” related to the topic underneath the information provided. As the text scrolls, related links are highlighted in blue. You can sign up, or not, for the Qwiki emails of the day. There are also featured Qwikis. Can you imagine how much easier it will be for your slow readers to complete research projects? Of course, you have to be careful because the info is obtained from Wikipedia, so sources should always be checked.  I’m going to introduce this to  my class tomorrow, it’s about that time when we research African Americans, presidents, and Valentine’s Day.   The site calls it , “The Information Experience”, and I can’t wait to experience it in my classroom!

“Qwiki, Search Engine Funded byFacebook Co-Founder,Launches”

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