Google released two new products today. Earlier I shared the Google News Timeline which will be a great tool for history teachers. Now I would like to make sure that everyone knows about Google Similar Images search.
Google Similar Images search helps you to refine image searches to find the images you really want to see. Google Similar Images search does this by placing a “similar images” link under every image in your search results page. Clicking the “similar images” link will reveal more images that match the category of your original image. For example, if I search for images of “George Washington” I’m likely to see images of paintings of George Washington, statues of George Washington, the George Washington Bridge, and the Washington Monument. If all I want to see is images of statues of George Washington I can click the similar images link below one of those images and all that I’ll see is more images of George Washington statues. The video embedded below explains the service better than I just did.
Applications for Education
I’m a big fan of any tool that helps students refine Internet searches. Refinement tools help students find relevant resources more quickly than might otherwise find the same resources. If your students have a limited amount of time to access the Internet, search tools like Google Similar Images can help them get the maximum benefit of their time online.
Here are some related resources that may be of interest to you:
LIFE – Your World in Pictures
William Vann’s EduPic Graphical Resource
Morgue File – Odd Name, Good Free Photos
