Search Engine Dilema

In total disbelievement last week all of our Apple devices stopped opening Google; reporting a  404 Forbidden message.    The chaos and annoyance that has since followed shows just how reliant we are on using technology.     If anyone knows how to fix the error I would be grateful for any advice.  However what it has highlighted is that without prejudice we have become Google snobs.  It is our search engine, calendar, drive, emails - Its our way of communicating and without it as teachers we are lost.   The same is true for our students.  We have downloaded an iPad app that allows access to a variety of search engines but our students are finding it difficult to use.

What serach engines do educators use with students?
Do we need to be teaching and using more than one search engine?

Teaching computer skills

Students are entering our classrooms technologically savy with the idea that ICT is a tool, but I am still an advocate of specific skills teaching.
10 years ago it was skills around printing, connecting to a server, accessing the Internet.. We needed students to have those skills to use our classroom computers. In junior classrooms those skills will still be unfamiliar to some students but most students have those basics mastered quicker than the learn to tie shoelaces.

However we need to be teaching students the more social skills of technology. Yes parents need to be helping here but we know that many aren't. One only needs to look at Facebook and the inappropriateness of some pictures and comments to realise that parents are either totally unaware of what their kids are doing online or have turned a blind eye..
So once again as educators we need to step in here. Regardless of our personal views social networking is happening in our classrooms. It is has having an impact on students and just as we teach the skill of sharing we need to teach skills around the etiquette of using technology. Do they understand that what seems private may be accessible? They are able to login but what does that actually mean? What happens when someone 'acts' as you and posts something inappropriately? And how will they deal with images or websites that appear when the filter isn't full proof?

In some classrooms and schools I worry that students are literally being handed a smoking gun with disastrous consequences.

Our children are out there and it is our moral and ethical duty to 'teach' skills for online survival.

Leaders of schools need to rethink the filters they have in place. By banning social media, trade me etc are we enabling students to learn digital awareness. Most children come to school with data loaded in their pockets. They are using Facebook and we need to accept it and move on.

And there is a place for learning about sites like trade me.. We are allowed to buy a school dishwasher. We are using trademe and the engagement is huge.

There will be mistakes but we can learn from them.