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Alternatives to Google Search

Jacob Hendrickson | August 12, 2015 | The Matrix | No Comments

Do you always use Google for searches? According to Bob Rankin, Google handles 65% of all search queries. However, there are many other search possibilities, among them WolframAlpha. Bob writes:

So what exactly can this search tool do? In a nutshell, it will answer a question or perform a calculation based on facts. Subjects such as food and nutrition, life sciences, chemistry, organizations, engineering, and money and finance are all included in the data base.

For example, I entered “Thailand” and got everything I ever wanted to know about it and more, including map location, topographical data, demographics, cultural properties and largest cities. I also got links to more data on the Web. By comparison, Google’s top results are mostly about tourism and travel, although the new Knowledge Graph…does present a map with some basic facts and figures about the country.

(Click for full article.)

WolframAlpha is not a replacement for general search engines such as Google or Bing, but it can provide information based on accumulated data. Here are some classroom uses.

About The Author

Jacob Hendrickson

Jacob's 20 plus years in education have taken him from California to Seattle, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam as an educational leader. He is currently the high school principal at Saigon South International School.

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• To Cassie: for expertly guiding us through the strange 2022 IB Prediction Grade process AND baking Muffins for us! And bribing us with chocolate when we get our IAs done and uploaded!
• To Jake: for his running of the March Madness - particularly for his great March Madness emails that keep us updated and amused!
• To Tuan: for looking into author visits and reminding us that teaching is not just about grading - but about being inspired and creative!
• To Tim - for organising all the AP mocks.
• To Cassie: Two Words: Muffin Mondays! Thanks for slaving away EVERY Sunday afternoon to ensure that we have delicious muffins to greet us on a Monday morning.
• To Tuan and Amy: Thank you for organising Nguyen Phan Que Mai's visit to the school. What a treat for our students to hear from such an inspiring women. Loved her messages regarding peace, kindness and valuing your own cultural identity
• To Rebeca: Thank you for being a ray of sunshine with your Tuesday tunes and trying to bring Sunshine and Fun into our busy lives (particularly when you are so busy too!).
• To Cassie: Thank you for all your hard work as DPC in helping us navigate the IB's complex predicted grades system for our current Grade 12 DP students - as always 'expert level' shared google drives and clear communication! (In fact, this applies to all DP stuff!)
• To Polly, Regi, Mike, Erica, Mathias, and Hunt: Thank you all for helping make my transition into the science team as smooth as possible and for answering all my newbie questions with grace and serenity!
• To Hunt: Thank you for helping me find items across the science department so my students could have experiential lab activities after a long period of home and Zoom learning. You always do it with a smile on your face and offer your assistance and thoughtful input. Thank you!
• To Jeff and Lisa Robidoux: Thank you for taking me under your wing and helping with my classes when I wasn't here, and then with negotiating the PMH area when we arrived.
• To Anh Nguyen: Anh always brings a positive, cheerful attitude to every day, and every person he encounters. He reminds me how precious we all are. Thanks for two great years, Anh!
• To Julia Bui: For being so patient and understanding with me :)
- To Kelly Braun: For being my teacher squad for the last 4 years. Good luck on your adventures. I will miss you!
- To Jake, Thomas, Erin & Chris Stoltz Thank you for being such a great team!! The advisory program has grown so much under your guidance the last two years.

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