PebbleGo

PebbleGo is an easy-to-use research database for young students who want a safe a curriculum-focused place to learn.

What do we like about PebbleGo?

PebbleGo is an excellent, entertaining introduction to the field of database research, allowing kids to search, discover, and experiment in a kid-friendly, secure setting. The topics are diverse enough that most children will find something to enjoy, and the many presentation formats—text, read-aloud, graphics, and videos—make everything available to everyone. 

The printable assessment forms can be used by teachers to determine what their students are learning, and the blog is full of original suggestions for how to make research interesting.

What skills does it improve?

With readily available information and a kid-friendly layout, students can enjoy exploring a variety of areas of interest. Several games boost the interaction level. There is plenty of information to excite attention and gratify inquisitive minds in this new approach to fundamental research and citation skills.

What age is it appropriate for?

PebbleGo is appropriate for students in grades K-3.

Is PebbleGo free?

PebbleGo is free to try and it is available in all browsers of Windows and Mac.

Is PebbleGo easy to use?

Interesting content and excellent assistance make PebbleGo a wonderful, secure introduction to the worlds of research, databases, and reporting. Kids can practise conducting research and reporting their findings with appropriate citations because of the range of themes and consistent approach.

How will students benefit?

Kids have the option of reading alone or having content highlighted and read aloud to them. Although students cannot alter the tempo, modulated speech can aid in the improvement of reading fluency. However, some students may find it to be too sluggish or too quick. Comprehensive lesson plans, printable activity sheets, and some fundamental usage statistics, such as the number of logins and most-read articles, are all included in the administrative side's teacher resources.

In the classroom or at home, students might conduct individual or small-group research projects. Older students may benefit from more freedom to conduct independent research while younger children may benefit from more structured searches and explicit assignments. Children can also add to a class list of "pro tips" for utilising the web and remark on their research process. It can be challenging to help students develop effective research techniques, but PebbleGo's vibrant design, easily navigable topics, and just-right amount of information make the process less difficult for both teachers and students.

How will teachers benefit?

Teachers can generally use PebbleGo's databases to instruct students in research, reporting, and referencing sources. Give novice researchers the opportunity to investigate subjects that interest them and come up with two to three interesting pieces of information to present to their classmates. As their knowledge grows, set the youngsters the task of researching three people they've never heard of using the biographical database, then playing a guessing game using the information they provide.

What can PebbleGo improve on?

Although teachers can view the most popular articles, it is impossible to determine how each student is responding to the material. The lack of individual accounts for children helps to keep the website secure and confidential, but it also makes it impossible to evaluate online learning or track children's search patterns.

How much does PebbleGo cost?

PebbleGo cost $1299 a year. 

Final thoughts

Giving children practice undertaking research and then reporting on it is a vital activity; they will undoubtedly do this frequently throughout their academic careers. However, teachers will likely need to scaffold a lot for younger students. It helps in immersing children in the development of ingrained research skills and seems more likely to keep them occupied with similar instructional materials. Additionally, it's still crucial to instruct children in conducting effective and focused internet searches. Overall PebbleGo is a fantastic engagement tool for basic research skills because of its simple user interface and abundance of standards-based material.