What is the Internet?
The Internet is the network that connects together computers world wide.
It provides the communications infrastructure used by Email and the
Web. As the Internet is shared by many users worldwide, the speed of
data transfer is variable and can be low in the afternoon, when America
awakes.
TOP
What is the Web?
The World Wide Web (WWW or Web) was designed in 1989 by a British scientist,
Tim Berners-Lee, to provide a straightforward method of transfer across the
Internet for all types of information. The Web is now the major Internet
application with
at least 50 million users, a figure doubling every 2 years. Web users can retrieve information on a wide range of subjects at low
cost using Internet access from work, home or local library. Pupils
may research projects,
staff locate resources for teaching and technicians update software. Other
uses include holiday destinations, news, sport, societies, music
and languages.
TOP What is a Web page?
Information on the Web is published in the form of Web pages (such
as this!). Text and colour images are easy to include although layout
is currently more
restricted than for desk top publishing (DTP). Sound, animation and video
are also being used, but can be limited by the slow speed of the Internet.
An important
feature of the Web is that pages may be linked together using hypertext
links,
even pages held on servers in different parts of the world. Software known
as a Browser is used to view Web pages, examples include Netscape and Internet
Explorer.
To view a Web site, enter the URL (Web address) into the location
or Address input box of the browser. The URL for the BECTa
site is:
TOP What is a Web site?
The set of Web pages published by an organisation or individual is the Web
site. The quality, detail and style of Web sites varies enormously. The Web
provides a new opportunity for schools to publish newsletters, brochures and
pupils' work. A well designed Web site enhances an organisation's visibility
at a lower cost of publication than printing.
Creating a Web site is not complex, although some technical knowledge is required.
Most secondary schools and over 70 primary schools have their own Web sites.
TOP How do I move around the Web?
A hypertext link (or hot link) is used to jump to another part of the Web.
A hypertext link may be text (often underlined or a different colour) which
- when clicked on - loads another Web page. Over a link, the cursor changes
to a hand . A graphic may also be a hypertext link, such as the navigation
button below. Beware - these are live links! (use the BACK button to return).
To return to a page after visiting another site requires care:
- Use the BACK button in your browser
- Within a Web site, there may be a return navigation button
- The GO menu contains a list of recently visited sites.
TOP How does E-mail work?
Electronic mail enables messages to be sent from one Internet user to the mail
box of another (not directly to their computer). When the recipient wants to
check for new messages, a connection to the Internet service provider is made
and any new e-mail downloaded. This system is sometimes compared to placing
messages into staffroom pigeon-holes.
At least 100 million people use Internet e-mail. Most secondary schools and
now all Kent primary and special schools have Internet e-mail identities (addresses)
such as:
teacher1@greenfarm.kent.sch.uk or headteacher@st-marys.kent.sch.uk
Web-based e-mail is now popular, one example being EasyMail. This provides
mailboxes that can be accessed by a Web browser such as Internet Explorer.
The advantages include being able to leave messages on the server so
that they can be accessed from several computers, e.g. home and school.
Web-based mail is easier to configure.
E-mail can also have pictures and files such as spreadsheets attached.
In one primary school, pupils regularly scan pictures and attach them
to e-mail messages destined for pupils in other countries.
TOP How can I find Information on the Web?
One method is to use Search Engines - computers that compile an index of the
Web, which the user may search for keywords. The user decides on "keywords" which
hopefully will occur in a Web page eg Charles Dickens. The search engine then
finds Web pages that contain these words. In this case, as the words make a
phrase, it is better to place them in quotes eg "Charles Dickens".
You can also place a plus sign before word(s) that must appear, eg +Scrooge.
Another approach is to use Directories
or Catalogues - Collections of
Web sites placed in subject categories. Each categories is divided into
sub-categories etc. Catalogues cannot cover the whole Web, but benefit
from human judgement!
A Subject List may be the most direct approach. If someone with similar
interests has made a list of interesting Web sites, much work may be
saved.
TOP Can I make my own list of good Web sites?
Web page addresses (uniform resource locators, URLs) can be complex. Fortunately,
Netscape and Internet Explorer can record the title of a page, together with
its web address (URL). This feature is known as Bookmarks (Netscape) or Favorites (Internet Explorer).
Netscape: load the page, select "Add Bookmark" from the Bookmarks
menu. Internet Explorer: select "Add to favorites" from the Favorites
menu. To return to the pages, select the bookmark/favorite and double click.
Bookmarks/favorites can be sorted into folders and are an excellent way
to compile your own Web catalogue.
TOP What about unsuitable material?
As with magazines and video, Internet readers cover a broad spectrum. Much
material accessed via the Internet is unsuitable for young people simply because
it is designed for an adult audience. Some material is distinctly undesirable,
but pupils using the Internet for study should not discover this by accident.
Educational Internet service providers filter out much of this material, and
schools will supervise pupils' access and encourage responsible use. The following
leaflets provide an overview and suggest further sources.
" Promoting
the Responsible Use of the Internet in Schools" TOP Can I copy Web information?
All information on a Web page belongs to someone and copyright applies. However
most authors intend the reader to use the information, but in an appropriate
way.
Copying text from a page
Highlight the section of text (by dragging the cursor over it) and press
CTRL-C to copy the text into the clipboard. Change to your wordprocessor
and paste
the text in with CTRL-V. Alternately use the Edit-Copy and Edit-Paste menu
commands. To copy more text than is shown on the screen, click on the start
point, scroll so the end point is visible and then SHIFT click on the end
point. Copying graphics
Web graphics are usually in one of two special file formats:
GIF ... Graphics Interface
Format, typical file logo.gif
Used for diagrams, logos with areas of flat colour with sharp edges.
JPEG ... Joint Photographic
Experts Group, typical file photo.jpg
Used for colour photographs where the slight loss of quality does not
show.
Both formats can be read by recent graphics programs such as Paint
Shop Pro.
To copy a graphic to disk with Netscape, position the cursor over the
graphic and hold the RIGHT mouse button down. Select "Save Image
As ..." and enter a suitable file name and disk directory.
With Internet Explorer, click (and release) the right mouse button over
the graphic and select "Save Picture as ..." to save the image
to disk. However it is often better to select "copy" which
copies the image to the clipboard, from where it can be pasted as required.
Saving a Web page to disk
From a Web browser, a whole Web page can be saved to disk using the Edit-Save
command. However, this will not save any graphics which will need to
be saved separately. It may then be read later using a Web Browser
(eg. Netscape).
While this Web page file can be read into a wordprocessor, it also contains
the special codes used to display WWW pages.
Copying other files
Some files, such as large or complex documents, spreadsheets and software need
to be 'downloaded' and opened in the right application. This is easier than
it looks! Usually you will click on a link eg "Download file" and
you are asked for a filename and directory. One example is the OFSTED reports
which are stored in portable document format (PDF). PDF format preserves the
layout of an original document, including any illustrations but can only be
viewed using Adobe Acrobat. The Acrobat reader is provided free by Adobe Systems
Inc, and can be downloaded from: Free
Acrobat Reader. TOP
Is Internet use expensive?
Various costs are involved in using the Internet. For a single computer
connected by modem and ordinary telephone line:
Cost of telephone calls to an Internet Service Provider (ISP):
All calls to an ISP are now charged at a local call rate, even if the
ISP is situated the other end of the country. The BT rate is 4p per
minute (£2.40
per hour) at peak rate, with evenings at 2p and weekends at 1p. Users can often
"Best Friend". Special Rates for Schools:
Flat Rate schemes are now popular, which provide Internet connections,
including phone line charges, for a fixed price per month, irrespective
of usage.
Schools Internet Caller:
From Spring 1998, special telephone call rates "Schools Internet
Caller" have been available which considerably reduce the costs
for heavy users, particularly for networked computers.
Broadband:
Schools soon require faster Internet access. Broadband refers to much
faster access, often 16 times faster than ISDN. See the South
East Grid for Learning(SEGfL) site for details of the regional approach.
International connection charges:
There is good news here! Because Internet connections share high speed lines
efficiently, the cost of international communications is low and is covered
by the ISP charge.
TOP Recommended further reading?
For more information about the World Wide Web
and the Internet, visit these Web sites:
- NCET Information Sheet: Kent Internet Search Hints
- The Government's consultation paper on ICT Futures -
Transforming the Way We Learn
- Guidance for schools for the planning of ICT in
the curriculum has been published in "Connecting Schools: Networking People".
This booklet has been published by BECTA and is available from the
DfEE Order
Line (0845 602 2260) without charge.
TOP | << PREVIOUS | NEXT >> |
