Infinite Internet

The internet is an everlasting place, and if one needed information on a specific topic, it's nearly impossible to find the best information through Google without knowing the tricks involved while searching. The best way to filter out those extraneous results is to do a little "power searching", or adding specific tools to your query and allow Google to filter down your results more and more.
One of the most useful things I got out of the Power Searching with Google class is being able to filter your picture results by color. I know it may seem easy, or that information was attainable on my own, but because this tool, found easily on the left side of your image SERP (search engine results page), was never pointed out to me, I never bothered to be curious about it. Like lots of things on the internet, sometimes you just have to keep scrolling to get the information you want, and this was one of those rare times where what I was scrolling past actually would help me find whatever I was looking for.
Another simple tool, though will help anyone benefit while searching more than just Google tremendously if known, is the power to search a web page for certain words or a phrase by clicking CTRL + F. By doing this, a search bar appears on any webpage on the computer monitor. Like filtering by image, it is a simple tool, but sometimes simpler is better in a place as infinite as the internet.

Power Searching Animals

Power Searching has proved to provide some important tricks to filter search results on Google. The pace of the course was not rigorous, so it was easy to pick out important information.

 The beginning of working with Power Searching with Google began with an introduction, and it here I learned the art of filtering image results by color and how Google tries to provide the search results page with advertisements that best correspond to the needs of the searcher. First, filtering image results by color seemed like a pretty blatant way to eliminate excess results, but I had never noticed it before. Having it pointed out to me was very useful. Simply go to the image results page, and on the bottom left side there is a box with colors in it. Pick the color you want the images in your SERP to resemble, and voila. Simple, right?  I wish I had known of this tool when I had done my ancient civilizations project in middle school. I could have gotten more credible results. Another useful technique I have learned in this lesson is the ability to search a page for a specific word or phrase by typing CTRL + F. I'm glad this tool was pointed out to because I have ever come to a page that has lots and lots of text, and I know the information I want is on it, I can search that specific webpage to find my results faster and more efficiently.

 In class two, more searching techniques were opened up to me. Using the word "define" in a search, followed by a word, allows Google to know the top result you want is the definition of that word.
Also, I learned the way Google tries to put advertisements in the SERP that best match the search itself. Say you type in "cats" to Google. Your search may show an advertisement for a pet store or animal shelter. In this day and age, the world is powered by advertisements, so even though the ads are there, it's nice to know there has been some thought put into what type of ads would show up in the SERP.

Class three of Power Searching with Google was definitely the more informative class. It is here I learned that you can use "operators" to filter your results by typing in a word or set of words followed by a colon. The one that stood out to me the most was the operator intext, which shows your exact search query in the SERP. This is tremendously helpful to anyone who knows they can only get the results they want if every single word in their search is strung together. Also, in class three it was made clear to me that if you add a (-) to your search, it will eliminate any results with the words attached to that (-).

Power Searching with Google has proved to be an informative class that makes clear all the tools Google has to offer to its users. I sure do understand now why they call it "power searching".

Adaptation

In a very subtle way, high school is a million times different than middle school. Sure, there are more specified classes and levels, classes are longer and more thorough, the work is much more strenuous, but it goes, often unnoticed, that high school shapes teenagers into independent workers. I'm a freshman at RMHS, and while it is easy for others to call me out on not knowing what to do in certain situations at the high school, everybody seems to forget that every subtle change adds up, leading to a big change in our character. It's just a matter of meeting up to expectations. I'm still settling in, even almost done with my first year, and I imagine I won't be completely comfortable with everything this place has to offer until I'm graduating. It's a continuous learning experience, even outside of school, because you have to adapt to the minimal amount of time you have to complete everything you have to do, something I could just let slide by me last school year. Nobody talks about how teachers often just expect you to do homework, not even checking it, or how if you want something to happen, you have to generate it yourself and nobody is going to baby you your way to meeting your goals. It's a subtle change, but that's for the better, because we're all just different species of class adapting to new schedules, new friends, and new expectations. Adaptations happen naturally in life outside, in the same way everybody inside adapts to a much more hectic style by just doing it. There's little to reminisce and talk with short remember whens... about how much simpler life used to be. If we had someone to tell us of each and every change that occurred as it did, there's no way we'd ever be ready for the real world.