This session is designed to explain to the students how to find their way around the WWW, and other applications such as chat rooms. Here we also cover the importances of Netiquette when visiting a site, or when sending messages to (or chatting with) other people.
Browsing and Searching
Here we explain to the students that a program for viewing pages on the WWW is called a browser,
and that when they use it, they are "browsing" or "surfing" the web. Using the browser of choice,
we can show them how to use the cursor to follow links, and how to use the navigation buttons, etc.
Explain that in order to find information
on the WWW, many people use what is called a "search engine". Using the search engine of choice, we
can show them how to enter in a query and view results.
URL / HTML / HTTP
We cover and define a little bit of terminology here, explaining that the "address" they see at the top of
the browser, which represents the page they're viewing, is the URL. Every page has a distinct
URL. Web pages use a special language, or code, called HTML to display their information. We
can explain that this is why many URLs end in ".html". HTML tells the browser what colors, images,
and words to use, and where to put them in order to make the page look the way it does. Web
browsers get the page information from the Internet and the WWW through a special kind of request
called HTTP. Most WWW addresses will have "http://" at the beginning.
ISPs
Here we introduce the concept of Internet Service Providers. We explain that an ISP is a company
that we pay for access to the Internet, so that we can use e-mail, chat rooms, the WWW, etc.
Different companies have different prices, different features, and different policies. The
Commonwealth of Virginia has its own ISP for grade schools, which is the very Virginia's PEN
(Public Education Network) most of this program will be utilizing. Other popular ISPs are America
Online and Compuserve, and companies or schools sometimes have their own ISPs, as does Virginia
Tech. It is important to know and abide by the policies and regulations of the ISP in use.
Chat Rooms
Now we come to another focal point of many of the general conditions of Netiquette. We explain
that chat rooms or instant chat messages are ways of communicating directly with someone else
on the Internet in "real time" (like a phone conversation), instead of having to wait to send
a message like E-mail or a regular letter you send through the post office. People all around
the world can talk in a single chat room, and it is possible to meet and make new friends.
Specifically, we can show them how to use the chat option in the VPEN system. We
should end this section by stressing the importance of following policies and acting ethically.
Netiquette
We introduce the way people are expected to behave when they are on the Internet. These "accepted"
rules are called "Netiquette".
Here we should stress that it is important to always be polite to others online. The students
should also be told that it is important to be honest and not claim to be someone else.
Personal information such as full name, address, phone number, age should not be given out.
These last topics should be mentioned now so that the students know the importance of heeding
them, but state that more detail will be given later.
Browsing: Have the students open the web browser and visit one of the following sites. Have them write down what they like or don't like about the page. When following the links, if they find a page within the site that they do like tremendously, tell them to copy down the URL onto paper.
HTML Coding: Pass out the floppy disks from Session One to each respective student, having provided three to five small simple images on each. Have them reopen the word processing program and open their file. Walk them through modifying their simple file into HTML code. Display the images from which to choose, show them how to incorporate their favorite image into their page. Have them save the file in HTML format and open it in their web browser.
Chatting: Using the VPEN, have the students make chat connections with each other (assuming multiple usernames have been established for the purposes of this program), or supervise a class chat with any random user currently on the VPEN who is willing to talk for a few minutes.
Netiquette Guidelines: Hand out a printout of Montgomery County's Appropriate Usage Agreements for 2nd-5th graders. Read through all of them aloud, with the students, and have them take the form to their parents to read and sign with them. Do this even if any or all of the students have filled out one of these forms in the past.
Last updated 98/11/20
rainman@vt.edu