A totally free index of Internet resources for the K-12 Community.
Here are some options you can use to make searching safer on your school computers.
Most search services will block inappropriate content when using their safe search feature, but their methods are not foolproof.
Be prepared for that conversation when a student stumbles upon or shares inappropriate material.
Bing also offers a safe search option. You can implement it using these directions. learn more
search engine, computer program to find answers to queries in a collection of information, which might be a library catalog or a database but is most commonly the World Wide Web. learn more
Fact Monster is a little different in that it combines a search engine with essential reference materials, fun facts and features, and even homework help and games. Worth checking out. COPPA Certified. learn more
Google offers a Safe Site search option. It's worth taking a few minutes and setting this option on every computer students will be using. learn more
Similar to KidzSearch, with keyword and site blocking, the site is appropriate and formatted for younger students. learn more
KidzSearch combines Google safe search with a constantly updated list of blocked keywords and site names to provide safe search results for students. When using a site like KidzSearch, you do not have to worry about missing cookies or forgotten settings. Does a good job, but not recommended for the youngest students. learn more
PBS is another example of a wide-ranging content site that's safe for students to search. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and its predecessor, National Educational Television (NET), have been creating educational television programming since 1954. Here you will find links to resources you might realize were available from PBS, as well as resources from National Public… learn more
When you change safe search settings, the search site will add a "cookie" to your browser with the new setting. This means you'll need to change the settings individually for every web browser installed on each computer. Many computers have some combination of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Each browser needs to be updated separately as cookies are not shared between browser programs. Then you'll need to make sure the changes stick. Many school computers are set up to remove cookies, which will reset any safe search changes. After making… learn more
Use the word bareback and the phrase castro clone to test how well a safe search filter is working. These are the terms we use when evaluating the web filters on search sites. They work with both text and media searches, and will give you a good idea how well results are filtered. learn more
Another safe avenue for allowing students to do their own searches of discovery is to search one of the larger wide ranging content sites, like The Smithsonian Institution. Students can search large volumes of content – web pages, images, videos, and stories – with little chance of encountering inappropriate material. The Smithsonian, a collection of… learn more