mastering-the-internet

The Internet is changing the way people communicate information more rapidly than any other innovation since the invention of the telephone. Help your students improve their reading, writing, research and information technology skills as they join the Information Age. Mastering the Internet is a unique book that introduces elementary-school students to computer and Internet use while also improving their skills in several disciplines.

Mastering the Internet is designed to introduce students to important aspects of the Internet, including its history and current applications. They consider the advantages and disadvantages of recent technological changes, and learn how to conduct research and complete projects using computers and the Internet. Each chapter presents important information about the Internet as well as a series of fun-filled, hands-on activities.

While engaging students in exciting student-friendly activities, Mastering the Internet is also closely aligned to the National Educational Technology Standards for elementary school students. It is equally aligned to the information-technology standards of most states, including New York, Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Its perforated pages make tearing out and submitting written assignments simple for students and teachers.

Chapter 1 briefly explains how computers and the Internet work. Students consider how Internet use is adding new words to our vocabulary. In later chapters, students learn how to connect to the Internet, “surf” the Web, and search for more specific information.

Applying What You Have Learned exercises throughout each chapter encourage students to interact with what they have just read. These exercises are practical applications of what the student has just learned and can be used for group work, individual assignments, class discussions or short “Do Now” in-class assignments.

Students learn the differences between dial-up and broadband connections, and the significance of the “digital divide.” They also learn how to analyze and evaluate information they find on various websites.

In Chapter 6, students learn how to use the Internet to conduct research. They review the steps of the research process, from refining their topic to drafting a bibliography with both Internet and printed sources.“Logging-Out” Activities at the end of that chapter ask students to extend what they learned in that chapter by completing a research project on their own. Students also learn how to give a PowerPoint presentation. In later chapters, students consider chat rooms and social networking (including sites such as MySpace and Facebook), accessing music and video on the Web with related copyright issues, the effects of the Internet on everyday life, and how the Internet will affect us all in the future.

Here is a brief list of some of the unique and fun-filled activities students will enjoy while using Mastering the Internet.

●    Identify the various devices that are connected to your computer.
●    Get online and surf the Web.
●    Design a home page for your own website.
●    Search for specific information on the Web.
●    Evaluate the reliability of information from various websites.
●    Write a research report using the Web and a word processing program.
●    Write a book report using reviews found on the Web.
●    Import pictures from a digital camera.
●    Open an e-mail account and learn how to send and receive e-mail.
●    Learn about chat rooms and social networking on the Internet.
●    Debate if music and videos should be downloaded from Internet for free.
●    Research information on a topic using Wikipedia.
●    Create a PowerPoint presentation, a blog, and a podcast.