Tutorial for teachers- Downloading files from the Internet

When I was novice to computers and internet, it took weeks and months to learn the basics of internet and computers. Sometimes I found useful links or sites and saved them at my computer and found the files but after many trial and error efforts, I learned to save the files from the internet to hard disk. These simple tutorials can save your time to learn the basics of internet. Interestingly most of these tutorials are offered by renowned sites like 'Microsoft' itself.

Downloading a file from the internet: When you download a file, you transfer it from the Internet to your computer. The most commonly downloaded files are programs, updates, or other kinds of files such as game demos, music and video files, or documents. Downloading can also mean copying information from any source to a computer or other device, such as copying your favorite songs to a portable music player.

Where are downloaded files saved?
When you download files, Windows usually saves them in the Downloads folder which is located under your user name in the users folder on the drive where Windows is installed.
It is stored at the location: C:\users\your name\downloads.

When you are saving the file, you can choose to save it to a different folder. Some different types of files are saved to different folders by default. For example, if you right-click a picture on a webpage and then choose Save Picture As from the menu, the picture will be saved to the Pictures folder by default. If you're not sure where the file was saved, you can search for it from the Start menu.
When it take so long to download a file, there may be many reasons for delay: 

• Your connection might be slow. If you have a dial-up connection, it takes a lot longer to download files than if you have a broadband connection, such as DSL or cable.
• Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might be offline or experiencing heavy Internet traffic. Wait a while, and then try again.
• If you are on a corporate network, the network settings might be the problem. Check with your system administrator.
• If you use a file or music sharing program, someone might be downloading a file from your computer. Try disabling file sharing services while you're downloading and see if the process gets faster.
• You might have too many programs open at the same time. Try closing unnecessary programs.
• Your computer might have spyware running. Try scanning your computer for spyware. For more information about removing spyware, see Remove spyware from your computer.
• Missing updates can affect your computer's performance. Go to the Windows Update website and check for updates.

Reference: http://windows.microsoft.com/

Useful links:
Find a file you have downloaded

Free online encyclopedias for learning and knowledge

We all are familiar with the term ‘Encyclopedia’ which is meant to be a source of information. Internet offers lots of useful resources for learning and online encyclopedia is a great tool for information and knowledge.  Most of the encyclopedias are free to use and these are the best places for students, scholars, researchers, and teachers to collect knowledge. For any topic or subject you can access the free encyclopedia sites and search for it.

Do you know what is meant by ‘Encyclopedia’ and what we can get from it?
This article would be useful for students, teachers, scholars or parents, who search the world wide web for information . Included is a list of encyclopedias which you can further search for a specific type of information.


According to the definition by "Wikipedia":

"An encyclopedia is a comprehensive written compendium that contains information on either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge. Encyclopedias are divided into articles with one article on each subject covered. The articles on subjects in an encyclopedia are usually accessed alphabetically by article name and can be contained in one volume or many volumes, depending on the amount of material included.

“ Indeed, the purpose of an encyclopedia is to collect knowledge disseminated around the globe; to set forth its general system to the men with whom we live, and transmit it to those who will come after us, so that the work of preceding centuries will not become useless to the centuries to come; and so that our offspring, becoming better instructed, will at the same time become more virtuous and happy, and that we should not die without having rendered a service to the human race."


Difference between a dictionary and encyclopedia?

-  ‘A dictionary primarily focuses on words and their definitions, and typically provides limited information, analysis, or background for the word defined.’
 - ‘ An encyclopedia treats each subject in more depth and conveys the most relevant accumulated knowledge on that subject or discipline, given the overall length of the particular work. An encyclopedia also often includes many maps and illustrations, as well as bibliography and statistics.’

Free encyclopedia

The concept of a new free encyclopedia began with the Interpedia proposal on Usenet in 1993, which outlined an Internet-based online encyclopedia to which anyone could submit content and that would be freely accessible.

The English Wikipedia became the world’s largest encyclopedia in 2004 at the 300,000 article stage. As of July 2007, Wikipedia has over 2.0 million articles in English and well over 8 million combined in over 250 languages.

Wikipedia is one of the first "user generated content" encyclopedias.

•  List of online encyclopedias from ‘University of Wisconsin-Stout
•  List of Encyclopedia from ‘Wikipedia
•  List from ‘Librarians Internet Index
•  List of online encyclopedia’s from Wikipedia

Famous Encyclopedias:

Upto now Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a leading provider of learning and knowledge products. It is one of the world’s most trusted sources of information on every topic imaginable - from the origins of the universe to current events and everything in between.

- Encarta encyclopedia  from msn article centerProvides more than 42,000 articles on the world of knowledge–from aardvark to zither.

* HighBeam Encyclopedia provides you reference entries from credible, published sources like Britannica, Oxford University Press, and Columbia Encyclopedia.

At HighBeam Encyclopedia, you get free access to nearly 200,000 reference entries from sources you can cite. Plus, more than 50,000 topic summaries feature related pictures, videos, topic summaries, and newspaper and magazine articles from around the world. HighBeam Encyclopedia also provides innovative tools that allow you to rate and sort the reference content you find to be the most useful.

* AskTheBrain.com is the world’s first computer generated encyclopedia. All vital stats information has been inferred based upon text on the subject.

It is an automated encyclopedia that brings together the best information from around the web on over 200,000 topics. Try searching for anything at all in the search box provided. The entire database is made available free of charge from the website.

Kids Encyclopedias:

* From Yahoo

* Kids.net.au kids safe portal for children, parents, schools and teachers.

* Britanica for young children

* List of encyclopedias for kids from ‘dmoz’
* 5 Free Online Encyclopedias Suitable For Kids
Note: Article published at 'factoidz' few months ago.

How to use search tools to find out specific information at internet?

How do you start your search at internet?
The simple answer is 'Google', but do you get the specific or reliable results after few searches? Yes, you many be lucky to get the specific information after some time, but often you are simly lost to find only reliable resource or links. How to search effectively for educational stuff at the internet? Using online search tools can help you a lot and save hours of your hard work.


Search tools are intended to help you find the information you need. Each search tool takes a slightly different approach. Search engines, directories, indexes, and portals can all be helpful. While each of these has a specific definition, many search engines have more than one option. For example, Google is a search engine, but it also has a directory available. While most search tools ask users to enter key words, some like 'Ask Jeeves' are designed for questions.


How do the search tools find all the websites?


Many of the search engines use robots, wanderers, worms, spiders, harvesters, and other automated systems to find websites. In addition, people sometimes add their own website to the list.


Search engines - resources are automatically databased by a computer. The results vary depending on the rules the sites uses to select materials.


Indexes and Directories - information is organized into categories or lists that are sometimes created by people and sometimes computers. Many search engines also have directories.


Subject guides - resources are selected and organized by people. They are good for large and focused topics, but provide fewer resources than search engines.


Meta engines - these sites explore a number of search tools to come up with diverse results. For example, Dogpile searches LookSmart, FindWhat, Overture, and several others


Portals - create a virtual desktop that provides, in one central place, web-based information and resources needed by a user. The difference between a portal and a regular website is that information is customized by the user.


 For Teachers and Teens:


Search Engines

• Alta Vista
• All the Web
• Excite
• Google*
• Hotbot
• Lycos
• Teoma

Guides and Directories

• About.com
• Galaxy
• Go.com
• Librarian's Index
• Open Directory Project
• Yahoo*

Meta Engine Search Tools

• Ask Jeeves
• Dogpile
• EZ2find
• Mamma
• MetaCrawler
• SurfWax
• Vivisimo
• WebCrawler
• Wisenut
• Zapmeta
• Visual Engine 'Kartoo'
• Science Search Engine 'scirus'
• Law Search Engine 'FindLaw'
• Audio & Video 'Singing Fish'
• Movies 'IMDb'
• Archives Engine 'Wayback Machine'

You can find search tools for children, as well as particular information formats (i.e., graphics, videos) and content areas. Ditto and FreePhoto are popular image sites. Use FindSounds for audio files. The advantage of a specialized tool is their narrow focus. Rather than getting "everything", they have selected those resources that fit a particular need. For example, KidsClick provides information about the reading level and number of illustrations contained on a website. Use CNET Search to search for software and hardware information.


Go to Starting Points for Kids or Kid's Search Tools for other pages with student search engines links.

Search Engines for Kids and Teens

• KidsClick- Web search for kids by librarians 
• Kids.net.au  is a search engine / portal for kids, children, parents, and teachers.
• EduHound
• Ithaki Kids 'Intelligent search engine that finds sites just for kids searching simultaneously in various guides.'
• LycosZone

Directories

• Alfy
• Ask Jeeves for Kids
• Awesome Library
• CyberSleuth Kids
• EduPuppy
• Family Friendly Search
• Internet Public Library
• KidsKonnect
• ThinkQuest
• Yahooligans*

More: 
* 'Google for educators' 


* Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning  at 'Teacher tap'
'

Safe internet use for your child

Internet is a world of interactive and informative sites but it is our responsibility to teach our child 'safe use of internet'. These tips would help the parents and teachers for the safe and wise use of internet.

1. Be aware and involved. It's up to us to teach kids how to use the Internet — and all media — safely and responsibly. Just as we teach them how to eat properly and drive safely, we must teach them how to be safe, responsible and respectful on the Internet.

2. Do your homework. Check out sites, investigate ratings, explore safety and privacy tools, and parental control features. Don't be intimidated by the Internet.

3. Talk to your kids. Ask them questions about where they're going online and who their buddies are.

4. Teach safety. Make sure your kids know how to avoid dangers. No party postings, no personal information, no meeting strangers — ever.

5. Set rules. Time limits, place limits, codes of conduct. Try to keep computers with Internet access in a central room in your house if younger kids are online.

6. Report suspicious activity to your Internet service provider or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

7. Help kids view online information with a critical eye. Not everything that appears on the Web is true. Teach them to be savvy consumers of Internet information.

8. View your own online habits with a critical eye. Our kids watch everything we do.
If you don't want your kid doing what you're doing online you might want to think twice about your own habits.

9. Embrace their world. Download music, IM your kids, play an online game, visit MySpace. Not only will your kids appreciate it, you'll know what you're dealing with!
Remember, the Internet is here to stay. It's our job to help our kids be Internet safe and Internet smart.

By: Common Sense Media

A guide to web safety for kids

Text based web safety information are not attractive for kids so teachers or parents should guide their little ones in the way which could be interactive. 'A guide to web safety for kids' can be a good source in this connection.

It is a web safety presentation which can be easily used at home or school projector to teach children. It is created by Diana. R. Norton, a library service consultant from "The Mid-York Library System"

As the presentation slides are easy and well written, children would enjoy watching these slides.

A kid's guide to safety

More useful links: 'Kid's Internet Safety Sites'

Useful links:

* Fun and interactive sites for kids

*'Kids friendly search engines'

* 'List of good sites'

'Education World' - Making Internet Easier For Educators

Many teachers around us understand that they should be tech savoy and learn to integrate technology for teaching, but they are afraid of taking first steps. I feel that we don't have much knowledge and information to start making our teaching tech based. I am planning to write and provide as many links and resources which could make our journey easier. Today's site "Education World" is the site which helps the teachers in this connection. It is a FREE resoruce.

Education World makes internet easier for educators. Education World's goal is to make it easy for educators to integrate the Internet into the classroom. With 98 percent of the nation's public schools connected to the Internet, the need for a complete online educational guide is evident.

How?

It offers:

* a search engine for educational Web sites only, a place where educators can find information without searching the entire Internet;
* original content, including lesson plans, practical information for educators, information on how to integrate technology in the classroom, and articles written by education experts;
* site reviews;
* daily features and columns;
* teacher and principal profiles;
* Wire Side Chats with the important names in education;
* employment listings.

The site is divided into many sections and you can directly go to 'site guide' link to further search for these sections:

LESSON PLANNING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ADMINISTRATOR'S DESK
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
SCHOOL ISSUES
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION WORLD @ HOME
LIFESTYLE
SUBJECT RESOURCES
SPECIALTIES
MORE RESOURCES

You can subscribe to many FREE newsletters such as:
- Education World Newsletter
- Education Site Reviews
- Teacher Lesson Plans
- Administrator's Desk Newsletter
- Education News Headlines
- Education Humor
- Early Childhood Education Newsletter
- Professional Development Newsletter
- SchoolNotes Home Newsletter

To subscribe click at 'this link'.

List of Sites and Links Helping You Learn - 'Internet And Searching The World Wide Web

Learning about internet, or world wide web is now easy for everyone. Good news is that many sites and links offer FREE tutorials for kids, students and teachers. Most of the tutorials are online and interatvie which means you browse the pages and learn in an easy but effective way, and often there are lessons which you can read offline and get the print of those tutorials. This post would help you learn about computers, internet and world wide web, including the related posts.

Links to the sites offering Free tutorials and lessons about internet, computers and world wide web

* BBC Online offers Becoming WebWise - a free online step-by-step course designed to help you learn the Internet. The course is set up as 8 "trips" and each trip is broken into three landmarks, each containing text pages, quizzes and interactive tasks.

Topics covered include:
Getting Started: what is the internet?
More From Your Browser: understanding URLs
Email: getting the most from email
Using the Net Safely: the healthy surfer
Finding Stuff: the basics of searching
As you progress through the course, your scorecard keeps track of which trip/landmarks you have visited and also your scores in the tasks and quizzes.
Link: Becoming Web Wise

* For basic learners who want to learn about the "Web"
Link: welcome to the web

* Learn the Net is dedicated to helping you master this amazing medium. You'll find articles, how-tos, resources, tutorials and information on all aspects of finding your way around the web. Learn all about email, newsgroups, downloading files, multimedia, how to protect yourself, surfing and more. If you're in a hurry, try the World Wide Web tutorial and in just 20 minutes you'll have learned how surf like a pro (or almost).

* 'World wide learn' Online Directory of Education offers "Online Internet Courses and Tutorials"

* "FREE search engine tutorial" A short and easy guide to Web searching, search engines and directories. This little crash course will teach you how to explore the Net more efficiently.
- search engine tutorial


Related posts:

* Internet as a useful tool for learning

* An internet learning site for children and teens!

* Learn more about your computer!

* "What a site" -helping teachers locate web resources

* "What is"- An internet and computer information site!

* Free tutorials about internet and World Wide Web

* Benefits of Access to Internet At Homes

Benefits of Access to Internet At Homes

There have been many studies in the UK and across the world on ICT's effect on learning and teaching, and on the importance of having access to computers and/or the internet at home, both for children and parents. ICT can improve the quality of teaching, learning and management in schools and so help raise standards.

Here are some of the key findings:

- used effectively, ICT can improve attainment
- using ICT at home and at school develops a key life skill
- pupils with supportive and involved parents and carers do better at school
- pupils enjoy using ICT and find it both motivational and fun
- parents like to use ICT to communicate with and learn more about school, and want to use it more
- using ICT provides access to a wider and more flexible range of learning materials

How does learning from home using ICT and the internet benefit pupils/students?

Home use of ICT by pupils:

- improves their ICT skills
- provides more options for what they learn and how they learn it
- supports homework and revision
- provides increased motivation, and more efficient and improved presentation
- connects learning at school with learning at home
- makes learning more fun

All this can lead to better performance at school and an imporved standard of work in assessments and tests.

What about parents?

Parents can:

- find out information about current and prospective schools through websites, etc.
keep in touch with educational and social events being organised by the school
- play a more active role in school life, find out about the work of the governors, the parent-teacher organisation and more
- get details about their child's lessons and homework, and where to get help and useful background information
- keep in touch with the school, individual teachers, clubs and other parents
- access - from some schools - information about how well their child is doing, behaviour and attendance information, sporting and creative arts success, and details of personal assignments and homework

TIP 1: Sometimes speaking to parents and carers who have experienced the same issues as you can be a great way to get valuable advice and information. Read, respond or ask a question in the 'Using computers and the internet'section of the ParentsCentre forum.

TIP 2: Benefit from the advice and tips given by our experts by reading or asking a question in the Experts' views forum

source: Using computers and the internet:

Related study material:

* Pdf file: DOES ICT IMPROVE LEARNING AND TEACHING IN SCHOOLS?

* Impact of ICT on Learning and Teaching

Free tutorials about internet and World Wide Web

Internet has become a source of information and if we want our children to use the internet for constructive purposes then we have to guide them and let them learn about "internet". This article offers you useful links and resources to learn about 'Internt' and 'World Wide Web.


1- From "Infomat": What is 'Internet'?


The Internet is a huge collection of computers around the world. These computers (there are millions of them) are all linked together, and they communicate with each other, sharing information. If your computer is connected to the Internet, it can connect to millions of other computers, in many different parts of the world.

Internet as a useful tool for learning

Most of the people search the web for the sake of information. Internet has provided lots of help in education sector. It would be interesting to know for teachers that
internet can be used as a source of quick information source helping us in learning and teaching. Students, teens are increasingly using internet for their school or college projects.

Pew Internet and American Life Project an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit organization, that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world, explorinh the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life.

"The Pew Research Center" provides a survery and research based report about the use of internet in education.

"The Internet and Education"

The Internet has become an increasingly important feature of the learning environment for teenagers. Research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November and December 2000 shows that teens use the Internet as an essential study aid outside the classroom and that the Internet increasingly has a place inside the classroom.

The Project surveyed 754 online youth ages 12-17 and their parents. Teens and parents report that Internet is vital to completing school projects and has effectively replaced the library for a large number of online youth. 71% of students report using the Internet at their primary source for their last major project, and they also report accessing online study aids like Sparknotes or CliffNotes. Beyond legitimate assistance with studies via websites, or email or Instant message communication with teachers, students also take advantage of the Internet to cheat, with 18% of students reporting knowing someone who used the Internet to do so.

Source: report

Review: "What is"- An internet and computer information site!

From beginners to professional level, everyone can learn and master new concepts, technologies, skills and a lot more at the site. This site provides FREE content.

"WhatIs.com" is a knowledge exploration and self-education tool about information technology, especially about the Internet and computers.

It contains over 4,500 individual encyclopedic definition/topics, a number of "Fast Reference" pages and learning tools. The topics contain about 12,000 hyperlinked cross-references between definition-topics and to other sites for further information.

When it was Launched in September 1996, it contained 350 alphabetized words about computers and the Internet. But by late 1998, WhatIs.com's audience grew rapidly, reaching one million page views a month.

In 1999, PC Magazine editors voted WhatIs.com one of the five best sites about information technology.
By September 2003, WhatIs.com was being visited over a million times a month, serving over 50,000 visitors each business day, and delivering five million page views a month.

learning tools:
There is a series of fast education 10-step "Learn IT" pages that explain, summarize, cross-refer, and test the reader about a complex subject.

Fast Guides:
For doing specific tasks, quizzes, a series of Learning Paths in which you can learn by reading definitions in sequence, and a number of popular Fast References, including Every File Format in the World, Mathematical Symbols, and The Speed of...(a table comparing data rates).

Awards and recognitions:
link page
Site link: What is.com

"What a site" -helping teachers locate web resources

Finding specific information at the world wide web is a time consuming matter and even after spending and lot of time and efforts, we are unable to find the relevant piece of information. As a blogger I could get in touch to many web resources, which helped me in starting this blog and I could organize my resources or links for other teachers or parents. But still if you are an IT teacher and for your students if you need to create a tutorial, then "What a site" can be a solution to your needs.
Even teachers can learn from this tutorial.

This site is created by "Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (mcli)" at the Maricopa Community Colleges, and provides support innovation in teaching and learning, promoting the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning.

What a site helps the teachers to learn finding, evaluating, and integrating useful content in your specialty area.

In their own words:

"The Web is a huge, vast resource of mostly disorganized information. We cannot do much about that.
But for advancing the process of learning, we as educators can do more than sending students out to a search site or just providing them a laundry list of hyperlinks. We can create activities that leverage the wealth of content "out there" while at the same time promoting higher order thinking skills or integration with activites we already know work well. All it takes is a bit of homework and some creative thinking on our part.

The purpose of "What a Site" is to help teachers locate, evaluate, and integrate web resources for their area of interest-- the subjects that they teach."

"What a site" has organized a tutorial where you will be able to locate examples of full web courses, course materials, web activities, and key reference/resource web sites in your subject area. You can then help your students in your teaching area by sharing your findings into a searchable web database.

*** Start your step by step tutorial here:
introduction

Learn more about your computer!

Internet provides links to lot of useful FREE tutorials and lessons, to learn about computers. All the tutorials are free and start from basic learning skills.

* Learn about computers at BBC where 'Computer Tutor' teaches all the skills you need to use a computer. Computer Tutor is for people who don't know how to use a keyboard, mouse or computer screen.

If you're a friend, family member or tutor helping someone learn, all you need to do is choose your connection speed and press 'Start'.

- The BBC''s guide to using a computer"

* Build your own computer tips is a site providing lot of useful information about computers.
Robert Blackstone is the creator of this site.

Newsletter links takes you to the page, where you would be able to download 3 free computer building e-books.

The articles link provides link to many computer related articles.

* Download FREE e-book "A Guide To Using Your PC And The Web"
A Guide To Using Your PC And The Web is a 110-page e-book of computer tips, presented in an easy-to-read, step-by-step manner.

There is information on the basics of using your PC and Windows, tutorials for popular programs, online safety tips, and hundreds of links to useful web sites.

Because the e-book is a single small PDF file (less than 1 MB), it is easy to store or to e-mail to friends and relatives.

Downloading instructions: Once you have downloaded the e-book PDF file, you will need a PDF reader program to view it. PDF is a common type of file used for sharing documents on the Web.

The most popular PDF reader program is Adobe Reader which you can download for free.

Right-click the above link and select Save Target As or Save Link As to save the e-book to your PC.
- Downlaod FREE e-book

I would be updating this post, if I get more useful links. Suggestions from the visitors are also welcome.

An internet learning site for children and teens!

This site is not only for children or teens, but teachers who want to guide their children about basic knowldge of internet and web, this site would be a good source.

“Welcome to the web” provides you step by step instruction based tutorial where you can lean about internet, web browsers, searching and researching the internet.

Welcom to the web is created by Mark Warner, and is a production from Teaching Ideas for Primary Teachers.

What you can learn from the site?

1- The internet section provides you with the information about the Internet, what can it do and how do you move around the internet.
* The internet

2- Guest book section shows you the use of guest book and also give you tips to be safe on the internet.
* Guest book

3- Web browser is an important section of this site, as you would get introduction of “web browser, use of it.
* Web browsers

4- Searching the net-Here you can learn safe use of internet.

* Search the net

5- “Researching on the internet” is basically about printing web pages, finding words on a page and how you can copy text and pictures from the web.
* Researching

6- And the most important part of the site is “Challenge”.
This will test what you have learned about the Internet and if you are good enough to succeed, you will get a special certificate to prove your brilliance!

*