I have great kids in my classes. I really do. They are curious, hard-working, and bright.

But today I wanted to scream. I spent quite a bit of time creating a research guide for them, a way to start finding information about social justice issues. I even created a custom google search with all my favorite resources.

So what do I find as I walk around the room? A student on Ask.com.

I corrected and sent her off in a new direction.

Two minutes later, she’s on Dogpile, saying what funny things she is finding.

SCREAM inside my head.

“Why do you think I spent time working on these resources, for you?” I ask as patiently as I can. “So you could ignore them and just browse through various links?”

I know. Kids need to learn to sift through resources on the web, figuring out which are valid and which are a waste of time. That’s certainly a valuable skill. But sometimes I want them to go directly to the best place and read.

Read and think.

Ok, I’m better now. I can do this again. Tomorrow.

:)