Class description / Class Outline / Class Handout / Internet Resources /
Library Resources / Glossary of Computer Terms

• A giant computer network of computer networks
• Information is exchanged via phone lines, cable, or satellite

     World Wide Web?

• One part of the Internet
• Uses text, images, audio, and video
• Relies on hypertext - links

2. What is available on the Internet?

• Newspapers
• Government agencies
• Businesses
• Schools
• Pictures/Images
• Video

3. Browsers

• Browsers are software programs that allow you to view webpages
  • Internet Explorer
  • Firefox
  • Mac's Safari
  • Plug-Ins - Software programs that allow you to use special kinds of files- usually video and audio files.

4. Connecting

• ISP
• Anti-virus software
• URL

5. Navigation

• Title Bar
• Menu Bar (File, Edit, Tools)
• Tool Bar
  • Back
  • Forward
  • Stop
  • Home
  • Refresh
• Address Bar
• Scroll Bars
  • Used to view information that does not fit on the screen
    • Vertical Scroll Bar
      • Allows the user to view information that does not fit at the bottom of the screen.
        • Click on the up or down arrow
        • Click on the bar and drag
        • Click on the bar itself
    • Horizontal Scroll Bar
      • Allows the user to view information that does not fit horizontally on the screen
        • Click on the arrow
        • Click and drag the scroll bar
        • Click on the bar itself
• Status Bar

6. Printing

• Click on "File"
• Click on "Print Preview"
  • Allows you to see what your document will look like when you print
  • Allows the user to know how many pages will be printed.

7. Locating Web Pages

•  URL
  • The URL (Universal Resource Locator) is the web address. Ex. www.norwalklib.org
  • If you know the URL of the site you want to go to you can type it in directly.
  • Practice: We want to visit the Medline Plus web site and we know that the web address is www.medlineplus.gov
    • In the address bar type the above address
    • Hit enter or click on "go"
• Links
  • From within a page you can click on a link to go to another web page.
  • The cursor will turn into a hand when it is on a link
  • Practice: We are at the Medline Plus webpage and we would like to view "drug and supplements". We can use links to get to the page.
    • To get back to Medline Plus home page you click on the back button
    • Or you can right click the back button and click on the appropriate page
• Search Engines/Directories
  • If you do not know the web address, a search engine or directory allows you to search the web by typing in a subject.
    • Examples:
      • www.lii.org (directory)
      • www.google.com (search engine and directory)
    • Practice:
    • Go to the directory www.lii.org We would like to find information about Basket Weaving. Choose "Directory", In the search box type 'Crafts', Baskets
    • Practice:
    • 1. Go to the search engine www.google.com and search for a recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
    • 2. Go to www.google.com and chose "more" and "even more" and Directory; then "home"; then "cooking"; then "desserts".

8. Evaluating Web Sites

• Ask yourself the following questions:
  • Who provided/sponsors the site
  • What are the author's credentials?
  • How current is the web page?
  • Is the information provided accurate?
  • Is the site designed well and easy to navigate?
• Domain names (at the end of the web address/URL)
  • .com - commercial site
  • .edu - higher education
  • .gov - government agency
  • .net - Internet service provider
  • .org - organization

9. What Else?

• Bookmarks/Favorites
• E-Mail

• Learn the Net
  • www.learnthenet.com
• Internet for Beginners
  • http://netforbeginners.about.com 
• Basic Web Lessons
  • http://www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/basic_web/a2004-10-15-lti-basicbrowsing.html

• How the Internet Works
  • http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet-channel.htm
• A Basic Guide to the Internet
  •  http://www.internettutorials.net/internet.html

• The Internet revolution: the not-for-dummies guide to the history, technology, and use of the Internet  by  J. R. Okin  004.67 OKI (2005)
   
• The Internet for Dummies by John Levine  004.67 LEV (2005)
• Internet para dummies por John Levine Span 004.67 LEV (2006)
   
• How the Internet Works by Preston Gralla  004.67 GRA
   
• Google Hacks by Tara Calishain  004.67 CAL (2003)

Database: An organized collection of information that can be accessed through a computer network

Directory: A catalog of sites by subject.

Dragging: The process of moving an object by clicking on it with the left mouse button,  &, while holding the button down, move the object to its desired location & release.

E-mail: Electronic messages sent between computers that are connected on a network

HTML:  (HyperText Markup Language) A set of commands & rules for encoding files on the Internet.

Home Page: Usually the first page you see at a Web site, it is the site's main page.

Hyperlinks: Text or images on a Web page that link you to another web page or a different part of the same page.  Hyperlinks are usually underlined & a different color than other text on the same page, & the mouse cursor will change into a pointed finger when you place the mouse over them. 

Internet: A diverse set of interlinked world-wide computer networks.

Mouse: A hand held input device that allows users to point & click to make selections on the screen 

Search Engine: A software program that searches for information on the Internet based on your search criteria. Two examples are Yahoo ( www.yahoo.com ) & Google ( www.google.com ).  

URL: ( Universal Resource Locator) An address on the Internet. You type a URL into your browser to visit a website. An example is www.norwalklib.org 

Web Browser: A software program for viewing & accessing information on the World Wide Web. Netscape Navigator & Internet Explorer are the most widely used & popular Web Browsers today. 

World Wide Web: The largest collection of information available online through the Internet.