Search operators consist of words or symbols that are used to restrict your results to a given parameter. For instance, you could use the 'filetype:' operator to specify that only a certain type of file be returned.
Here are some common search operators and how that might fit into classroom use:
- filetype: - when used with a search it will limit the results to those that also match the specified format. Here is an example of its' use. Common file types are:
- Audio - mp3, vorbis, aac, wma, flac, aup (audacity project file), band (Garageband music)
- Video - avi, mpeg, mp4, mov, flv (flash video), f4v (flash video)
- Video Editing Projects - wlmp (Windows Live Movie Maker), imovieproj, fcp (Final Cut Pro)
- Documents - doc, docx, rtf, pdf, odt, wpd,
- Images - png, jpg, bmp, gif, tiff,
- Presentations - ppt, pptx, gslides, odp, otp (template), key,
- Spreadsheets - xls, xlsx, ods, ots (template), csv, gsheet, numbers,
- Archive / Compression - zip, rar, 7z, dmg, iso,
This is by no means a comprehensive list! For more complete, and overwhelming list check the wikipedia entry here.
- site: - when used in combination with a specific URL the results are restricted to only that site. Here is an example of its' use. This could be used to help direct students to specific sites on a broader level or contain the search to known resources. Either way some preparation on the part of the instructor might be needed to curate what site is used. Current event searches directly into a specific new site (cnn.com or msnbc.com) could be an example activity.
- .. - this one is subtle but used to establish a range. For example "celtics 1983..1984" or "fender $350..$1000".
- related: - when used in combination with a specific URL the results are other URLs that contain similar content. Here is an example of its use. This operator is useful for both students and teachers alike who may know of one specific site but need similar to reference for a lesson or project.
- * - the asterisk can be used in place of the unknown. It is used to represent a wildcard in this instance and many others related to computing. It can be especially useful when searching for partial phrases and should be used in conjunction with quotations. For example, "it was * times *worst"
In summary, there are many different ways to refine your search and make Google work more efficiently hopefully I have shed some light on some that were previously unknown. If I failed to mention your favorite search operator please feel free to add to the conversation with a comment.
Stay positive.
Jason
No comments:
Post a Comment