Introduction to the World Wide Web

A Workshop for Teachers in the Peralta Community College District

Introduction to the Internet and the World Wide Web

Please refer to your handout for concepts and examples.

Online World Wide Web Guides

• Understanding and Using the Internet. http://www.pbs.org/uti/begin.html This PBS Beginners Guide provides a starting point for exploring the Internet.
• Understanding and Using the Internet: the World Wide Web. http://www.pbs.org/uti/guide/www.html This part of the PBS Beginners Guide presents links to web search tools, WWW guides, and fun ways to explore the web.
• Newbie U's Web Stadium http://www.newbie-u.com/web/ Catch a class Web Stadium. You'll learn the history of the WWW, what a browser is and how to use one, and how to search the Web.
• All About the World Wide Web http://www.imaginarylandscape.com/helpweb/www/www.html Topics include: An Overview of the World Wide Web, Finding Something On The Web, A Consumer's Guide to Search Engines, Netscape Hints, Fun With Multimedia On The Web, and Saving Pages for Future Reference.
• Learn the Net: World Wide Web http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/www.html This helpful site explains browsers, how the Web works, the anatomy of Web pages and Web addresses. You'll also find information on searching, Web chat, bookmarks, and 10 browsing tips.
• Internet Errors Explained http://www.cnet.com/Resources/Tech/Advisers/Error/ Not found. File contains no data. Frustrated? This c|net article provides a list of common Internet error messages, and explains what they are and what you can do about them.
• The HelpWeb: A Guide to Getting Started on the Internet. http://www.imaginarylandscape.com/helpweb/welcome.html

Streaming Video and Audio

Instead of having to download an entire audio or video file BEFORE you can use it, streaming files download AS you use them.

Download the RealPlayer from Real.Com http://www.real.com/

http://www.real.com/showcase/realplayer/education.html

Natrifical - The Brain http://www.thebrain.com

Natrificial Software Technologies developed The Brain, an information management system. Their series of tutorials effectively use RealFlash combined with screenshots of the software. Check out some tutorial chapters.

Chapter One http://www.thebrain.com/support/chapter1.htm

CNN Interactive. The streaming formats that CNN Interactive currently supports are RealVideo and Windows Media.

CNN Live Audio on Demand http://www.cnn.com/audioselect/

CNN Live Video on Demand http://www.cnn.com/videoselect/

Live Chat

Mission College Chat Center

Yahoo Clubs http://clubs.yahoo.com/

Dave's ESL Cafe Chat Central http://www.eslcafe.com/chat/chatpro.cgi

Searching on the Internet

If you are looking for a particular organization, and it is large, and you know the name and domain type, you can often guess the URL according to naming conventions. For example, to find the home page of the following places:

The White House, type http://www.whitehouse.gov in the Location box

University of California at Berkeley, type http://www.berkeley.edu

Costco, type http://www.costco.com (or just costco)

There are two types of search tools for general web searching.

• Subject Directories
• Keyword Search Tools

Subject directories use a subject-type format. For example, click on Recreation & Sports, and get subcategories Amusement Parks, Cooking, Fitness Sports, and Travel

Yahoo! http://www.yahoo.com is a very popular directory.

Keyword search engines maintain indexes of key words used in web pages. Many popular search engines are listed and annotated on the PBS web page Understanding and Using the Internet Beginners Guide http://www.pbs.org/uti/guide/www.html

Finding Information on the Internet http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

This excellent tutorial from the UC Berkeley Library introduces you to the Internet and WWW, teaches you how to analyze a topic, choose a search tool, and use a variety of search engines.

Sample Web Assignments for ESL Students

Thanksgiving Web Search
thanksgiving.html ESL students learn about the history and mearning of Thanksgiving in the USA and thanksgiving as a human universal. They then respond to questions.

Halloween Web Search halloween.html ESL students learn about this popular American children's festival by viewing websites with text, graphics and sound. They then respond to questions.

Vacation Travel Project VacaProj.html Students in an ESL writing class each plan a trip outside of California on a budget of $2,000. They use information from web, print and interview resources.They then write a report about their travel plan.

Basic Terminology and Sentence Structure Identification ESL students in an online advanced grammar and editing course read a news article published on the CNN Interactive web site and analyze the sentence structure.

Marsha Chan's Presentations