What is The Internet?
The Internet is a global network of computers, linking every country in the world. It is the largest free source of information on the planet. The main drawback with such a wealth of material available is that it is very easy to get lost and never be able to find the exact thing that you are looking for.
As you will see later, there are a number of things that you can do to help you to navigate your way around the Internet.
The World Wide Web
When people talk about using the Internet, they usually mean "surfing" the World Wide Web. There are other things to do, of course, but the web is the glamorous bit where all the happening things happen. It has flashy graphics, animations, sound and much more. It’s also the bit that is threatening to deliver even more information than you could ever even think about wanting, let alone absorb. It’s probably a good idea to get to grips with the Web now, before it becomes even more complicated. The best way to learn is to plunge right in and just see what’s out there!
Please note that although we have a very fast connection to the Internet, it sometimes runs very slow indeed. This can depend on a number of factors: lots of people using the web at the Cornwallis at the same time, how busy the site you are accessing is and also the time of day in America (The Internet slows right down when the Americans wake up and begin to log on).
Getting Started
To view the web you use a program called a "Browser". We use a browser called "Internet Explorer". To run it, follow these instructions:
Using a browser there are three ways of exploring the web..............
1. Following Links
On any page of text you will find links which take you to other pages. These links appear as underlined text in a different colour (usually blue) to the rest of the text on the page.
If you point your mouse at a link, the pointer will change from an arrow into a hand with a pointing finger. A single click with the left mouse button will activate the link and take you to the desired page.
Links may also look like coloured buttons, or may be part of a larger picture. The way to recognise a link is that it will cause your pointer to change into the hand and some text will appear at the bottom of the web browser window. Links may also have a blue border around them.
2. Typing the address in by hand.
If you already know the address of a web site you can type it in directly. At the top of your screen should be a long, narrow box with text in it (http://www etc....)
This is where you can type your address in. Just left-click on the box and it should become highlighted. You can then delete all the text in it and type in your own. Press "return" on the keyboard to move to that page.
All web addresses begin with http://
Be careful when you type the address in. Make sure that you copy it exactly as it is written down. They are usually case-sensitive, that means that it makes a difference whether you use a capital or a small letter. The address may also include symbols such as a hyphen ( - ), underscore ( _ ) or tilde ( ~ ).
3. Using a Search Engine
It is possible to carry out a search of the whole web and come up with a list of sites on a related topic. To do this you can use a special type of page called a search engine.
There are many different search engines and some are better than others. The quickest way to access one is to click on the Search button at the top of the browser window (it looks like a globe with a magnifying glass).
The search page will appear with a small text box. Type into this box the keywords that you are looking for. There is usually a button next to this that says "start search" or "go" or whatever. Click on this to start the search.
The search engine will then present you with a list of all the web pages that mention your keywords. There may be several thousand of these! It usually gives you the top 20 or so first.
To go to one of these pages, just click on the underlined text. If that page is not what you want then just click on the "Back" button at the top of your browser to take you back to the search page. You can keep doing this until you get the page that you want.
You can also type in combinations of keywords to try to narrow down your search.
Good Search Pages
- Internet Yellow Pages http://www.yell.co.uk
This is a great search engine because it only looks for British pages. This means that if you are looking for UK-specific information you won’t waste time with American junk......
- Yahoo http://www.yahoo.co.uk
Yahoo provides a keyword search, but can also be searched via a series of headings and subheadings. This means that you can go down level by level until you find the topic of interest.
- Excite http://www.excite.com
Favourite Sites
If you have sites that you go to a lot, you do not need to constantly type in their addresses. You can build up a list of your favourite sites. Whenever you find a site that you want to put into your favourite list, simply click on "favourites" on the top line of your browser window, then select "add to favourites".
To select a site from your favourites list click on "favourites" again and a menu should appear listing all the sites you have asked it to store. Just highlight the site you want and it will appear in the browser window.
This is another great use of the Internet. It allows communication across the globe in a fraction of the time of conventional mail (also known as Snail Mail). On a good day, an email message can go from the UK to the US in a matter of minutes. The time it takes the other person to actually log on, read and reply to the message may be a little longer........
You can send and recieve email through your browser - it will usually come with its own email program such as Ouotlook Express.
It is also possible to send and receive email via the Web instead.
Go to this site: http://www.hotmail.com and follow the on-screen instructions on how to sign up. You will need to think of a username e.g. jsmith (or whatever) and a password. Your email address will then be jsmith@hotmail.com If you want to use your proper name but it has already been taken, then try adding a hyphen or a number to make it unique
e.g. j-smith or jsmith99
All the instructions for using hotmail should be on-screen. If hotmail doesn't work, then you can also try www.mailexcite.com as an alternative.
Some Useful Web Sites to start you off:
The BBC www.bbc.co.uk
New Scientist www.newscientist.com
On-line Newspapers
Great School Site
The Cornwallis School
The Teachers Bit......
Things to consider when using the Web with a class.
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When using the web with a class, consider the following points: 1. What exactly do you want them to find out? Is the Internet the best way of obtaining this information?
2. Do a web search in advance. You will look silly if there is nothing on your chosen topic (although unlikely to happen, it is possible). 3. Consider producing a list of keywords to aid their search (depending on the ability group). |
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4. Provide a list of addresses where they can begin their search. The links can then be put onto the school website so the students can use that as their starting point. 5. Remember that some (most) students will need watching to ensure that they do not stray from the desired task and end up getting pictures of the Spice Girls!...unless of course, that was the idea in first place :-) |