To master the Internet you must know how to "Point and Click" with a mouse.

Here in the Technology Center Learning Lab, our mice all operate using the TOP LEFT button to click.

Keeping the mouse level, sliding it AWAY from you moves it up the screen, sliding it TOWARDS  you brings it down.

There are various ways to practice Mouse skills, including the 30 click Mousercise!

For those who've already used a mouse, try using an online coloring book! This one is pretty simple.

The Peanuts coloring book is more of a fun challenge, from  snoopy.com.

Use Browsers to your best advantage. Browsers are the programs that translate programming code into pages that contain text and pictures in the specific places the code wants. Because each one is different in certain ways, web surfers should know some differences between the two major browsers, Netscape and Internet Explorer.  In this workshop, however, we will only focus on using the Internet Explorer browser.

1. The blue bar at the top of your screen is the title bar - Used in identifying the page you are on in  history and the print outs
2. The row of words the starts with "File"on the left is called the menu bar; clicking each word brings a "menu" of different options / Sometimes it is split with the address bar, the white area that contains the URL, or page address
3. The third row  is called the Tool Bar (discussed below)
4. The 4th row is at the bottom of your window, and is called the status bar. This displays messages like "Document done", "opening page..." and has something show when you pass your mouse over a link

Back - Takes you back one screen.
Forward - If you did move back, this takes you up one screen to the page where you moved backward from.
Refresh - Asks the host computer to re-send the page; useful if corrupted in transmission or pages with constantly updated information like sports scores, stock quotes or breaking news stories.
Home - Brings you back to a pre-designated page; a "Launch Pad".
Stop - Will stop the computer from trying to link to a page you've clicked on, but is not coming up.

Also handy is the "History Arrow", the down pointing black triangle on the right side of the Back button.

This link is a great tutorial on Internet explorer as well as on surfing the web! -  http://www.actden.com/ie5/

There are 3 very critical operations to know about in browsers. How to go to a new web site, how to know where you've gone, and how to mark a site so you can quickly come back to it.

1. To go to a new web page address (URL-Uniform Resource Location), you have 4 ways to type it in.
Depending on how well you handle a mouse, use one of the methods below. People new to the mouse should try "A" first, it's much easier!
A. Control Key (marked Ctrl on each side of the bottom row of the keyboard) and the letter O for Open!
B. On the Menu Bar: Point and click on "File" – then drag the pointer down to "Open"
C. Click into Address Bar
D. Alt key (marked Atl on each side of the bottom row of the keyboard) and the letter D.

2. To know where you’ve gone in this browser session:
On the Tool Bar: Point and click on the down pointing arrow between Back and Forward

3. To mark a web site for future use:
Point and click on "Favorites" on the menu bar, drag the mouse down to "Add to favorites"

On the computer screen in front of you now should be this Library page, < http://www.lkwdpl.org/classes/interbas.htm >. Notice how our web site URL (Uniform Resource Location, aka Internet address) has a .org within it? That’s because we are a non-profit organization. Common Domain name extensions also include: .com-commercial organization, .edu -educational facility, .gov-government, or it can end with 2 letter country codes  such as .it for Italy, .au for Australia.

Reasons why they are important to know:
1. Let's you know what type of Publisher they are; that could bias the information you get.
2. Country codes could be good for getting "close to the source" information regarding a country.
3. Might help explain slow connections, especially for foreign web sites.
4. Can help in decision making when faced with a lot of options and little research time.

Examples:

Cedar Point - http://www.cedarpoint.com/ - A famous Ohio Amusement Park. For profit!

Kent State University - http://www.kent.edu/ - Where the nearest Library school is.

Small Business Administration - http://www.sba.gov/ - The Small Business Administration, great resources.

The Louvre Palace and Museum - http://www.louvre.fr/ - The Official site of the famous French Art Museum.

Web sites

Defined: A collection of linked files (hyperlinked pages) on the World Wide Web (WWW) based around a specific theme. This is without a doubt the current craze (although mailing lists are also growing exponentially), anticipated since the first graphical browser came into being in 1993.
 

Useful analogy: A File cabinet (web site - http://www.lkwdpl.org) , holding various folders (sub-directory branches - http://www.lkwdpl.org/classes/) and within those individual pieces of paper (web pages/ html documents - http://www.lkwdpl.org/classes/interbas.htm).

Operational tips:

1. Use Hyperlinks to go from one web page to the next. Hyperlinks usually look like  this. They can be in different colors, might NOT be underlined, or can be part of a picture. They do usually have two things in common:

• Passing the pointer over them will cause the arrow to change from a pointer to a hand
• When the hand is visible the link's target will usually be identified on the status bar (bottom area of browser window).

Exercise: Lakewood Library has a great collection of links at http://www.lkwdpl.org/readyref/.  Organized by the Dewey system, these are links that are handy when you need to find a quick answer or an authoritative source. Visit the page, go to the 400's, and review the various names as you pass the mouse over the various web site names.

2. When you first visit a web site, look for What's New pages or F.A.Q.'s (Frequently Asked Questions) for getting a quick grasp on the mission/goals of that specific web site, and an idea of its' currency. Has it been updated lately? What section can I find phone numbers in? F.A.Q.'s started when newsgroups and mailing lists were the main centers of gravity on the Internet. They proved to be quite efficient in conserving bandwidth, and are still useful in that regard today, not to mention being a time saver for the actual visitor.

Visit the Technology Center F.A.Q. at http://www.lkwdpl.org/job/faqbing.htm#questionland

Visit SearchEngineWatch.com to see What's New in the world of search engines.

"Key" words unlock the doors of ignorance. Search Engines, catalog their databases with words. One of the most popular is YAHOO!. You need to figure out keywords that'll represent the entire concept you're looking for.

Do  a search on AARP (case doesn't matter)  in YAHOO! - After "Sponsor Results," first in the list of sites is:

1. AARP: Join for Senior Benefits and Discounts
AARP is the nation's leading organization for people 50 and over. Member benefits include savings on insurance, travel and entertainment, as well as access to financial and legal...
Category: Seniors Organizations > AARP
www.aarp.org/ - More pages from this site

Click on the category that comes up - Seniors Organizations > AARP - then browse though the various categories in the directory tree shown on the next page:

Directory > Society and Culture > Cultures and Groups > Seniors > Organizations > AARP

Each level brings new web sites!

Exercise: Type in one of these topics of interest (civil war, roses, pain, recipes) and see what comes up. Follow the categories and see how they lead to other categories, popular, and award-winning sites.

Mailing Lists
Defined: A group of people who exchange e-mail about a subject that interests them.
They can either be announcement lists or discussion lists where people exchange information.
People have to subscribe to these lists, which may or may not be moderated or semi-private.

Operational tips:
There are always 2 addresses for a mailing list; the administrative one, where you subscribe/unsubscribe, and the list address, where you send your comments and questions to the group.

Observe "Netiquette"; analyze the group before posting something to them.

Mailing Lists 'Net resources:

http://www.yahoogroups.com/ - This is a directory for mailing lists. You can even start your own for free!

Subscribe to the Library's e-mail announcement service by sending a message to: lpl-news-on@mail-list.com

Web Teacher - http://www.webteacher.org Web Teacher is a self-paced Internet tutorial that puts both basic and in-depth information about the World Wide Web at a teacher's fingertips - just a mouse click away! Learn the Net - http://www.learnthenet.com Accessible in 5 languages, this site has both lessons and good articles about using the Internet. AARP Web place - http://www.aarp.org/comptech/ Quick Tips, How To's, FAQ's and a very good glossary of terms.

Try an Internet Explorer browser tutorial Sign up for free email Go to a search engine web site and use a "keyword" to research a specific topic

Or:
Subscribe to Educause- an international nonprofit association dedicated to transforming education through information technologies. They send out an announcement-type email, 3 times a week, with many good clippings from current magazines and newspapers dealing with the Internet. Keeps one in touch with ALL the latest technical and political 'net announcements.

To SUBSCRIBE to Edupage, send an email message to:
listserv@listserv.educause.edu
and in the body of the message type:
subscribe  Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName

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Last Revised 07/09/04