SUPERSearch: One-Click to Reliable Results!

We know that students use Google for its one-click feature. Students now have that one-click access but with one BIG difference—the results are from reliable and trusted sources of information. Heartland AEA’s new SUPERSearch combines many of our online databases into one search interface! 

There are separate interfaces for elementary, middle school and high school students listed on our grade-specific online resource pages. Each grade span links to different age-appropriate databases. What are the benefits for students? 

• It addresses the practical reality that students want in a Google-like search experience. 
• It provides quality full-text search results. 
• It includes links to thousands of research starters - think of it as a curated, vetted Wikipedia. 
• It’s a tool to help students personalize their research—save to folders, social media, persistent links and automatic citation generator. 
• It’s an expectation for college and career readiness. Many Iowa colleges and universities provide this type of search interface for their students. 

To become college and career ready, the Common Core Standards require that students master digital literacy, which is the ability to gather facts from narrative or informational texts in any source or format, understand and use the information appropriately, and then be able to communicate it to others using a variety of print, audio and visual media. 

Another piece of digital literacy is digital inquiry. Not only must students evaluate and analyze their reading, they must learn to ask questions that go beyond assembling simple facts to gathering information that helps them reach a new level of understanding. Reading critically and asking deeper questions that lead students to new understanding is at the heart of digital literacy and higher order thinking skills. 
 
Watch a short video demonstrating the SUPERSearch features and get started on your learning journey!