Extreme Googling (online course)

[Lori Ayre]

Since this announcement might not reach everyone who might be interested in
these courses, we would appreciate it if you would please print and post or
route this announcement to your colleagues.

Infopeople is pleased to offer the following two online learning courses on
Extreme Googling.  The two courses cover what the all-day Extreme Googling
course presents in a classroom.

Title:  EXTREME GOOGLING.1: GOOGLE'S WAY OF "THINKING" (online learning
course)

Dates:  November 30, 2004 - January 4, 2005

To register for this course:  Use the online registration form at
http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop/Workshop/189

Fee: Because of grant funding, California residents can take this course for
the subsidized fee of $75.00. The out-of-state fee is $275.00.


Want to get the MOST out of Google? Many of us rely on Google when we want
to find an answer fast. Extreme Googling.1 will help you apply and extend
the power of Google in a library setting. Some of the things you will learn
in this course are:

--How Google "thinks" in default mode and how to take advantage of - even
improve upon - Google's way of thinking
--Why search term word order matters
--How and when to use limiting commands and combine them with other search
options

If you use Google in any way, this course will sharpen your skills, improve
your efficiency, and put you in touch with new web searching techniques.

Workshop Description: This four-week online learning course workshop is the
first of two online courses on Extreme Googling. Together, the two courses
cover, at a pace geared to let you absorb and experiment, what the all-day
Extreme Googling course presents in a classroom. In Extreme Googling.1, you
will be doing many short exercises alternating with brief explanatory
readings with numerous examples, taking quizzes, and participating in online
discussions.

Preliminary Course Outline:

Module 1: Google's Default Thinking and Google Tools
--Lesson 1: Getting ready to Google
--Lesson 2: A close look at Google search results display Module 2: Taking
Charge of the Driving, or Getting the Most from Google's "Fuzzy" Thinking
--Lesson 1: Google's way of thinking
--Lesson 2: Improving on default AND
Module 3: Asking Google to be Fuzzy
--Lesson 1: Making Google "think" for you
--Lesson 2: What is field limiting in Google? Module 4: Limiting to Find the
Hard-to-Get
--Lesson 1: The best limit commands
--Lesson 2: Daterange: and filetype: limiting
--Lesson 3: Caveats: Impossible limit commands and Google's rarely useful
Advanced Web Search page

Who Should Take This Course: This course is for anyone in the library
community who tries to hunt for information on the Web. In addition to
reference staff, the skills taught in this course can be beneficial to
technical services staff, library business managers, procurement officers,
development officers, public information officers, systems staff, and
volunteers.

Prerequisites: This course is taught over the web. You must: --Have an
Internet connection and Internet Explorer 5 or higher (some of the quiz
functions do not work properly in Netscape).
--Be able to save Microsoft Word .docs or Adobe .pdf files to your computer
and print them out. (For .doc files, a free Word Viewer is available at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en. Search for
"Word Viewer." For .pdf files, a free Adobe Acrobat Reader is available at
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html).
--Be comfortable navigating on the web and navigating back and forward on a
website that uses frames.

If you are not comfortable with any of the above, please consider taking
this course with a colleague who does meet these requirements.



EXTREME GOOGLING.2: DISCOVERY TOOLS (online learning course)

Dates:  January 18, 2005 - February 15, 2005

To register for this course:  Use the online registration form at
http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop/Workshop/191

Fee: Because of grant funding, California residents can take this course for
the subsidized fee of $75.00. The out-of-state fee is $275.00.


Want to take FULL advantage of Google's many search features? Even
experienced Googlers can improve their results by learning more of Google's
secrets. Extreme Googling.2 will equip you to use the Google family of
databases and services to respond to questions in ways ordinary web
searching cannot. For example, you will learn when and how to use Google's
specialized databases; where to obtain quick math answers, equivalent
conversions, stock performance comparisons, patents, parcel tracking,
vehicle ID numbers, airplane ID numbers; how to probe web pages' history,
ownership, usage, and links.

Extreme Googling.2 builds on the skills learned in "Extreme Googling.1:
Google's Way of "Thinking." If you have not taken Extreme Googling.1 before
taking this course, please take the "Googling Skills Self-Assessment Quiz"
at the end of the course description on
http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop/Workshop/191

Workshop Description: This is the second of two online courses that together
cover, at a pace geared to let you absorb and experiment, what the all-day,
in-classroom Extreme Googling course covers. In Extreme Googling.2 you will
do many short exercises alternating with brief explanatory readings, take
quizzes, participate in online discussion, and answer "live" questions.

Preliminary Course Outline:

Module 1: Finding Information on a Subject
--Lesson 1: Searching for specialized directories, link lists, and
databases; Google's Directory
--Lesson 2: Google as encyclopedic glossary
--Lesson 3: Finding and using weblogs and newsgroups Module 2: When and How
to Use Google's Special Databases and Shortcuts --Lesson 1: The Images and
News databases; the unique usefulness of the Froogle and Catalogs databases
--Lesson 2: Google Local
--Lesson 3: Shortcuts for quick answers Module 3: Google Special Services
--Lesson 1: Translate, PageInfo, and investigating URLs --Lesson 2: A "hack"
and search for retrieving pages from within a country --Lesson 3: GAPS
proximity search using a Google API key Module 4: When Google Doesn't Work
--Lesson 1: Google is always evolving --Lesson 2: Alternatives to Google and
useful bookmarklets --Lesson 3: Thinking in sync with search engines and
websites; Books for keeping up-to-date

Who Should Attend: Like Extreme Googling.1, this course is suitable for
anyone in the library community who tries to hunt for information on the
Web. However, this is an advanced course, building on the skills covered in
Extreme Googling.1.

Prerequisites: In addition to the prerequisites listed for Extreme
Googling.1, completion of Extreme Googling.1 or possession of equivalent
knowledge of Google search techniques is required  in order to participate
fully in and understand Extreme Googling.2. If you have not taken or do not
plan to take Extreme Googling.1 before taking this course, you can gauge
your readiness for Extreme Googling.2 by taking the "Googling Skills
Self-Assessment Quiz" at the end of the course description on
http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop/Workshop/191



Workshop Instructor for both courses: Joe Barker. Joe works full-time,
year-round job as a reference and instruction librarian in the Teaching
Library at the University of California, Berkeley, where he works at the
reference desks in the Moffitt and Doe libraries. Since 1995, he has been
coordinating the Berkeley libraries' web searching classes, and has
maintained an online web-searching tutorial that is still one of the most
linked-to web searching tutorials in the world. His new Extreme Googling
class synthesizes and integrates much of what he has learned over the years
about searching, anchored in getting the most one can out of Google.

Online Learning Details: These are four-week courses that will be taught
online using the web. When you register, you will receive a registration
confirmation which will include the URL to get to the course, as well as a
username and password. To deal with holidays, Extreme Googling.1 will start
on November 30th, 2004 and end on January 4th, 2005 to allow an extra week
to do week 4 work. Extreme Googling.2 will start on January 18th, 2005 and
end on February 15th, 2005.

The courses consist of four one-and-a-half to two-hour learning modules. You
can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night.
However, you will be expected to log in to the course each week to do that
week's assignment. We ask that you log in sometime during the first week of
the course to begin the course work.

The materials will remain available to work on for two additional weeks
following the official end date, but you will be expected to accomplish the
majority of the course in synchronization with your peers during the first
four weeks.

If space is available, you may register for these online classes up to seven
days after the official start date. Please contact Linda Rodenspiel at
assist at infopeople.org if you are trying to register after the official start
date.

Logistics: The particular online learning product that Infopeople uses is
called Blackboard. The Blackboard software is loaded on the Infopeople
server; you do not have to install anything on your computer.  Extreme
Googling.1 and Extreme Googling.2 are instructor-led courses; that is, an
instructor will be available to interact with individual participants,
review and comment on assignments, and monitor the discussion board.

To view a complete list of Infopeople workshops and for general information
about Infopeople training opportunities, go to the main Infopeople Workshops
page at http://infopeople.org/WS/workshop

If you have questions about registration or scheduling of workshops, please
contact Linda Rodenspiel, the Infopeople Project Assistant, at
assist at infopeople.org or by phone at 650-578-9685.