The internet is like a world onto itself. There are alleys that you do not want to end up on, and more importantly, you do not want kids to end up being exposed to-especially as a teacher or a parent. Google is the undisputed king of search, and you want to allow students to master this power tool from as early an age as possible. Google believes in offering things with a free alternative. Therefore, why not create a child safe search engine for free using the poser of Google? Also, see my previous entry on how to use Google like a pro. You can allow your students or children to do research online, using Google, by creating your very own custom search engine in 3 easy steps. Following the steps outlined below, and you can even make it fun for the kids. Why not make a personal search engine for the entire family or school? Remember by default Google will operate under “Safe Search” which will not return adult themed websites, but the purpose of this post is to really create your own search engine. Let’s get cracking!
Step 1
Navigate to https://www.google.com/cse/ and login with your Google email credentials. If you do not have an account you will be required to setup a Gmail account to gain access.
Step 2
Compile a list of all the websites that you would like your kids to explore on their own, and enter them into the appropriate area as shown in the picture above. How about having the kids compile a list of all the websites that they like? You can always add more sites in the future. From the picture you can see that I am going to be searching a few sites including AccuTeach and PBSKids.
Step 3
Click create and grab the script that you will place on your personal website or blog in a location that has high visibility. That is it, you have just created your personal search engine. You may opt out of seeing ads by paying Google $100 per year.