Firefox Add-ons for Teachers

How to Turn the Firefox Web Browser to a Powerful Research Tool

By: Eric Durrand

In January 2004, only 5.5% of web users have used the Mozilla browser, with almost 85% using Internet Explorer. In July 2006, 25% of web surfers have used Firefox, Mozilla’s latest free web browser, and only about 60% used the various versions of Internet Explorer. The reason usually offered to why so many are moving to Firefox as their main browser is speed, better features (like tabbed browsing), and better security.

But a big part of the Firefox appeal has long been its expandability. Firefox, unlike Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, is an extensible open source product. That means that any programmer who wishes to, can write extensions and additions to Firefox, and release them freely to all users on the Firefox network.

Whether you’re at home or at the office, a teacher or an administator - finding the right additions to your browser can completely transform your web surfing experience, adding long sought functions and often undreamt of possibilities. In this article we will present our recommendations for the best Firefox extensions for teachers, so that you can turn your browser into a lean, mean, researching machine.

Google Extensions for Firefox: Google offers a few extensions to the Firefox browser, including an enhanced search toolbar, protection from spyware and pop-ups, and more. Other extensions include bookmark synchronization across different computers, immediate blogging with Blogger, and more.
URL:  http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/

Firefox Search Engines: Firefox includes a search engine field, and as a default uses Google. But now you can add other search engines and databases to your Firefox search, including Merriam-Webster dictionary, Amazon bookstore, the Internet Movie Database, and Wikipedia. Searching directly from Firefox has never been easier!
URL: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/search-engines/

Sage: As a sophisticated RSS news reader, Sage collects and displays all the newest headlines from your favorite online sources directly from a single menu! Have you ever wished you could design your own newspaper with all your favorite sections of other publications? Now you can, directly on your Firefox.
URL: http://sage.mozdev.org/

Answers: With this useful extension, every name or word becomes a window to new exploration possibilities. Just press Alt while clicking on any word in a page, and Answers will give you a definition, explanation, and links to more relevant information.
URL: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/735/

 

Del.icio.us: Once you find an interesting website using the other tools, you’d like to bookmark it. This delicious little add-on does just that. You can bookmark any website according to categories and keywords, access it from any computer, and even share it with friends.
URL: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2354/

 

 ScrapBook: This is a great research tool for teachers and educators: it allows you to save pages or whole websites onto your computer, quote and save snippets with reference of their source, organize snippets into categories, and more – directly from your browser!
URL: http://amb.vis.ne.jp/mozilla/scrapbook/

 

 Hundreds of extensions in various areas exist and can be downloaded from the Firefox Add-ons Web Site. Others are available on CNET’s Download.com. Firefox, like most open source software, is a work in progress. By keeping it updated and adding the best extensions you’ll enrich your surfing experience, make your research experience simpler and more exciting, and do more with this wonderful free browser.