How I Will Benefit From Power-Searching With Google

I will benefit from power searching with Google because it has given me new information about a tool I use every day. One thing that will be especially influential is the knowledge about Google Books. Google Books as an invaluable source because it allows you to benefit from the text of books you may not be able to find in print. When doing a research project, not having to track down the print version of a book will save valuable time. Google Books is also an invaluable source because you are can search the text of books. Often times when using a book for a project, you need only to read the parts of the book relating to your topic. Having the search function will allow you to find the sections of the book you are interested in more efficiently.

Power Searching With Google: Classes 1-3

In the first class of Power Searching with Google, we were given an introduction to how to effectively search with Google. I use Google and its related apps a lot in my daily life, so I already knew post of the tricks we were taught. However, in Class 1 I did learn about how a Google search works, and how to best phrase a Google query. Learning the mechanisms behind Google was not only interesting, but having a better understanding about what is happening when I type something into Google will allow me to use it to its best advantage. Also, learning about word order and keyword choices was extremely helpful. When I type something into Google, I usually type the first thing that comes to my mind, even if it isn't clear or concise. With the tips I learned in Class 1, I will now be able to create better queries that will allow me to research with more efficiency.

Class 2 of Power Searching with Google was about interpreting results. I was always aware of the different types of Google media, but this class showed me the usefulness of tools such as Google patent and Google news. I am sure I will use both those tools in the future. Also, I learned that I could use Google's dictionary to look up words that are not in most dictionary's yet. I knew I could use Google to look up normal words, but I did not know its database had such a wide variety of words. Next time I need to know the meaning of the newest slang term, I will go to Google.

Class 3 of Power Searching with Google taught me the most so far. I was familiar with the filetype operator, but learning how eliminate invasive results and use quotes was extremely helpful. Many times I had been looking for one thing, when results for something else were clogging up me search results page. Now that I know I can eliminate results containing a word or phrasing using the minus symbol, I will be able to see only the results I want, which will speed my research up a lot. Also, I did not know that I should use quotes if I wanted an entire phrase to be found together. I would just type the phrase into the search bar, so good thing Google came around to teach me not to! Power Searching with Google seemed uninteresting and unneeded at first, but I have learned many new things that will help me use Google to my best advantage.

Traveling

Budapest,  Hungary

So, we were supposed to put two pictures on the side of our blog as part of the set-up process. The first picture I chose was a picture of a girl running. I run a lot and enjoy it, simple decision. However, the second picture I chose was a picture of the rooftops of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, taken from the top of the Old Town Hall. I chose this picture because running represented the present, and this photo of Prague represents the future. This summer, I will be visiting Europe for the first time on Dr. Ryan's Eastern/Central Europe trip. I have only been out of the country once before, only going as far as Canada, so this is going to be a whole new experience for me. I have spent the entirety of my life thus far in the "New World", where no building has been standing for longer than 400 years. Visiting Europe, a place where every city has a million stories from thousands of years of history, is going to be amazing. To an American suburban teenager, Europe is a magical land of winding streets and beautiful buildings and foreign languages. Sure, I've stood on the roads of Boston in the wake of American revolutionaries, which is very cool. But Europe is foreign and untraveled by me. With its huge cities and long, complex history, it has a mystery and sense of epicness I can't wait to encounter.
We will be visiting Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, and the Auschwitz concentration camp. Not all these places have happy stories to tell and beautiful sights to see. However, even the largest crime scene on earth is somewhere I am glad to be visiting. Though it won't be a cheerful visit by any means, it will be an awakening one, and it will give me a feeling of being part of the world in a way I could never get by reading of the past in a book in a classroom. Not only will this visit be an incredible experience in shaping who I am, hopefully it will begin a life-long journey of traveling. This trip will be important because it will open my eyes to the significance of experiencing other places and other cultures.Traveling is something that I would like to continue for the rest of my life, but I need a starting point. Hopefully, this summer will be it.