History/Social Studies Tutoring

There is a post going around social media asking teachers to stop using google, because when you google "What countries in Africa starts with K" the first answer is None.

And that's true - if you go to google.com and type in that question, it tells you that there are no countries in Africa that begin with K.

However, if you go to google.co.uk and type in that exact same question, it tells you that Kenya is a country in Africa that starts with K.

The AI algorithm in the United States has elevated an incorrect answer. All educators, especially ones that incorporate research into their classrooms, need to make sure that they are teaching students how to use search engines and check for accuracy. Tactics like lateral reading are going to be more and more necessary as search engines fall to the lowest common denominators. The cream is not rising to the top, and students need to know how to combat that.