Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
BP9_2010013_Web2.0 T3- eyePlorer
The Web 2.0 tool I have researched this week is eyePlorer which according to its website is a “graphical knowledge engine”(Von Grafenstein & Hirsch). This site works similarly to a search engine but yields a different result. The users type a topic into the search bar and the results come in the form of bullets (called eyespots on this site) and phrases. Wikipedia seems to be the main source of the information found. The results are shown like a pie graph and are separated by categories, color and size. Each category is a specific color. The larger an eyespot is the more well known and relevant the information. The small eyespot is the information that is less familiar. Another great feature on eyePlorer is its notepad. As long as the user is logged in, any notes on the notepad will be saved and may be opened at a later date.
eyePlorer Home Page
Search Martin Luther King Results
Notepad with the Results
EyePlorer would be a great alternative to a Google search. A teacher could explore the search engine as a whole class activity to show how eyePlorer works. Then students could try and use the search engine for themselves. I think students would find this search engine very refreshing. It is very welcoming and colorful and a great place to start research. The eyespots are perfect starting points to then begin finding more information. I find that this site is helpful for finding general information about topics that are people, places, or things. I think this site in conjunction with Google would be an excellent way for students to research.
Von Grafenstein, R & Hirsch, M. (n.d.). eyePlorer. Retrieved January 13, 2010, from http://eyeplorer.com/show/
