Internet Training

A combination of interconnected physical items such as computers, wiring and phone lines, people procedures and standards such that electronic information can be virtually instantly transferred

Components that make up the internet

Physical: Computers, Modems (converts computer signals to sounds and vice versa to transfer computer signals across phone lines), the telephone network, computer networks (devices and wires connection computers)

Non Physical: Specialist Internet programs (software) such as internet browsers, email software, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), IRC (internet Relay Chat), News Groups, Telnet - A method of logging on directly to remote computers

Standards: TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), HTML (HyperText Markup Language), Domain Names, URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

People: The people to use and work on the internet

What a WEB Browser is

A special program (set of instructions) which when operated on a computer after connecting to the internet allows you to access information in the form of text, pictures, sounds and video

Some ways of learning how to use a computer

Looking at the right place

Menu not used (Curiosity)

Give a person a fish and they survive for a Day. Teach a person to fish and they can survive for years.

The same applies to learning computers. If you only lean how to use one specific computer package then you will only be able to use that package and will require further training on how to use different computer packages. But if learn how to learn any computer package you may not require any additional training.

Looking at the right place

Having taught may thousands of people how to use computers over a number of years I discovered that at the completion of training courses I had 2 broad groups of people. Those that could use the functions they had learnt within the classroom only and those that could use the functions they had learnt anywhere.

The first group had painstakingly followed all the steps we went through in the classroom and with very little effort could repeat those steps. But that is all they had learnt. If they were given a slightly different problem from what was portrayed in the classroom they could not use the skills they had learn to come up with a solution.

I also discovered that this group of people spent most of their time looking at the computers keyboard trying to find which key to press and very little time looking at the computers screen. Hence they were very good at following the instructions and pressing the correct keys but had not learnt the real objectives of the course.

I thought that a better solution was that everyone learnt to touch type (press the keys without looking at them) before they learnt anything else on a computer. Other than setting back computer learning for a considerable time, I also realised that many people that could not touch type, like myself, had been able to effectively learn

In later years when the mouse was used more often than the keyboard this instance of learning to find the keys rather than how to use the program was reduced. I realised that the lack of looking at the computer screen, the main sensory device in computer learning, was the cause of the lack of learning. People would have information presented on a screen, spent quite a amount of time looking at the keyboard whilst pressing keys, then look back at the screen only to see it looking completely different than what it originally looked like and not know why.

If you are not a touch typist (can press the correct keys without looking at them at all) when you are learning something new about the computer I suggest you following the following steps.

Look at what information is currently presented to you on the screen
Ask your self why this information is being presented to me?
If you don’t know the answer to 2 read any notes for the course, the Help for the system, ask the instructor or someone else for assistance.
Read the appropriate course notes, help screen or listen to the course instructor
Based on step 4, form an idea of what you feel the screen is going to look like after you perform the operations in step 4
This is the most IMPORTANT part if you have to use the keyboard. Find the key you have to press and hold your finger over the key, but DO NOT press it
Look up at the screen and whilst looking at the screen press the appropriate key
Note how the screen is now different
If the screen is as you expected it to be in step 5 them you have learnt well
If the screen is not as you expected it to be in step 5, but you no why, you have also learn well
If the screen is not as you expected it in step 5 and you don’t know why then you have not learnt and so should re read the course material, ask the instructor or someone else for assistance.

Learning is like any construction. The foundations have to be carefully constructed correctly before any further building takes place and preferably each step should be completed successfully before the next step take place. If you don’t understand a concept or part of a course ask the instructor or seek additional assistance before proceeding.

Why is this so

Generally computers are designed to perform tasks that can otherwise be accomplished without a computer. There were times when computers did not exist. When you are going to learn something new on a computer think about the way you would perform the task if you did not have a computer. What steps would you take? What would you do if you steps did not give you the result you were looking for?

With this in your mind carefully look at each part of the computer program and ask yourself how has this program been designed to make it easier for me to perform these tasks. And why was it done that way.

Replicate

Computers are very good at doing the same task over and over again very quickly. Hence computers programs or packages are designed to save you time by eliminating the need to replicate tasks

If whilst using a computer you find yourself repeating the same task many times, you should think to yourself, their must be an easier way. There usually is. Look in the help system of the package you are using for an easier way of what you are doing.

Generic

A number of functions are generic across most computer packages, which are well worthwhile spending time in understanding. Some of these are: Selection, Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo, Redo, Find and Replace

Terminology

Often the hardest part about learning a new computer package is simply coming to grips with the terminology used. Most Help system have a Glossary which is well worth while reading before going to deep into a package

Menu not used (Curiosity)

Curiosity is good to have when learning to use a new computer package. If you have never use a particular menu function then give it a try. You are not going to break anything and unlikely to do anything wrong. Remember menus can have sub menus and sub sub menus.

What you can use the internet for (An Incomplete list)

Learn what you can use the internet for
Plan a trip
Decide what to buy
Find information about something you want to purchase
Communicate with friends
Find new Friends
Communicate with people you don’t know on something which you have a common interest
Obtain Free software
Obtain Demonstration software
Find Information about a specific person or Organization
Read the latest News
Find out about the latest Weather
Look at Real Estate for Sale
Purchase Sell or Trade any commodity
Make transport reservations
Get a map of an area you will be travelling to
Share photos with others
Find and apply for Jobs
Obtain and listen to Music
Obtain and watch Movies
Book Accommodation
Send a SMS message to someone’s Mobile Phone
Play computer games with people anywhere in the world
Check Share Prices and buy and Sell Shares
Do all you Banking
Receive and Pay Bills
Gamble
Organise House Sitting
Do Property conveyancing
Obtain Detail Medical Information
Obtain Manuals for products you own
Look up a Dictionary
Complete a Tax Return
Research Family History
Complete a University course
Run a Business
Look up a telephone number
Talk to people at internet costs
Video Conference
Webinars
Learn

Exercises on using the Internet and Microsoft Internet Explorer

Who own this WEB Site http://www.microsoft.com/
Who owns this site www.msn.com/
List 5 Search Engines
Find a photo of your favourite Flower
What is the Latest News
What is the current Temperature in each capital City in Australia
What is the weather forecast for tomorrow in Brisbane and London
How much is a new Base model Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon
What information can you find out about you surname
What information can you find out about you instructor
What properties are for sale nearest to were you live
What are the names of the 4 next streets south of Civic Parade off Jacaranda Ave Logan Central
How many Jobs are their for Computer trainers in Brisbane

Email Exercises

Send a Email message to yourself with a Subject of “To myself” and text of Hello
Send an email message to all the other participants in the class with a Subject of “Hello from”” and your name and text of Hello their
Check for any New email messages and read them
Create a sub folder under your inbox for Class Emails and move the email you received from the other class participants to it.
Delete the message you sent to yourself
Forward one of the messages you received for one other the other class participants to another class participant
Print the last message you received
Add the email address of each of the messages you received to your Address Book
Send a new message with the subject “Test of Multiple sends” with the text Multiple Sends to all the people in your address book
Send a message to the person sitting beside you with a text document attached to it
Send a message to the person sitting beside you with a Picture attached to it
Send a message to the person on the other side of the room with a recording of your voice attached to it
Create a new folder under you inbox for message received from the person sitting beside you
Create a rule so that any message receive from the person sitting beside you automatically goes into the folder you set up in step 13
Go to the WEB Site http://www.yahoogroups.com/ and join a mail list that is of interest to you.