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Preparing to Learn Online
SAC provides hands-on aids to help students get ready
for web classes. The Internet Skills Center in MLC 400-B offers
modules to increase students' basic computer skills and web-based
library research abilities. Work in these areas can help students
discover how well-prepared they are to take web classes and assist
them when they need to shore up weak areas. For a description
of services and hours, click here and visit
the Internet Skills Center site.
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Becoming
Comfortable with the Web
SAC librarian John
Deosdade's overview provides an excellent place to start for students
who need to work a little at getting used to the web.
Basic information is also
available at these sites
Learn
the Net site
Netforbeginners
Webopedia
offers a comprehensive glossary and hyperlinks
Those who use Netscape Communicator
can find its overall
orientation here. Netscape Communicator is a software package that
includes Navigator, a browser; Messenger, an email and newsgroup program;
and Composer, a web page editing program. This page covers
browsing with Netscape.
Explorer 5 offers a
tutorial here.
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Accessing
The Electronic Classroom In WebCT
This section outlines how to get into the electronic classroom. If you
have trouble with this or anything on the Web, make at least three attempts,
and then try again later.
- Open an Internet browser*
and access the World Wide Web.
* AOL
users should access the web through it first, then open Netscape to
use WebCT with a minimum of problems.
- Click on this link to
access the
WebCT front access page.
- In the User Name box,
in lower case letters, type the
first two letters of your last name plus the last
six numbers of your Social Security number, with no
spaces, no hyphens.
WebCT is case sensitive.
If Russell Crowe's SS# were 123-45-6789 and he was in our class, his
would be
cr456789
- In the Password box,
type in four numbers -- the first two are the numbers of your birth
month and the last two are the last two numbers of your birth year.
For example, if Russell Crowe, born April 7, 1964, were in our class,
his password would be
0464
If Ed Harris, born November 28, 1950, were in this class, his password
would be 1150.
Again, type no spaces, no
hyphens.
- Click on OK or hit Enter.
These steps should open
up the front page of the WebCT classroom.
A tutorial specific to WebCT
is online. Please review the notes in the
WebCT overview provided here. Focus especially on the sections this
class will use, the
- bulletin board - How
Do We Communicate?
- quiz capability -- What's
an Online Quiz?
During the semester,
- When a test comes up
on the schedule click on the link to take the test.
- When you have a message
to post to the bulletin board, click there.
- To exit, click on logout
near the top of the frame or close the browser.
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To
Copy a Web Address (or Text)
and Avoid Typing Errors
To copy an address (or text)
from the Web and avoid typing errors, it is necessary to have the capability
to have both a word processing file and the site open, with the understanding,
of course, that one is behind the other or minimized. Once both are
open, go to the site.
- Place the cursor up in
the top in the Address or Location field and click to select it. (To
copy text, use the mouse to select the sentences and/or paragraphs
you want to copy and follow the steps below.)
- In the top row, click
on the Copy icon or place the cursor on Edit.
- From the pull down menu,
select Copy and click on it.
If using the mouse does not copy the text: select it again and
on the keyboard, press the Ctrl key and the letter C at the same time,
and then let them go. This step makes a copy in the clipboard which
is not visible.
- Go to the word processing
file. To minimize the Web if you need to, go to the square in the
top right corner that has a line at the bottom and click on it.
- In the word processing
file, place the cursor at the place in the document where you want
the address (or text) to appear.
- Click on the Paste icon
or, on the top row, place the cursor on Edit, and then click on Paste.
- From the pull down menu,
select Paste. The address (or text) will appear in the word processing
file.
If using the mouse does not paste in the
text: on the keyboard, press the Ctrl key and the letter V at the
same time, and then let them go. The copy should appear.
- Save the word processing
file.
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Clearing
the Cache
Because the cache holds the contents of all the pages that
one has visited during an online session, it can get full quickly. Clearing
the cache regularly can
- Help the browser work
faster and
- Bring up the most current
version of a page.
It is best to clear the
browser cache when the jumps start to feel slow, usually a few hours
into a work session. These instructions cover instructions for recent
versions of the two most popular browsers, Navigator and Explorer,
and a link to help for older versions.
Navigator
4.75
To increase Navigator 4.75
performance,
1. At the top of the
screen, open the Edit menu and from the bottom of the list, choose
Preferences.
2. In the window that
opens, look to the left side. At the bottom of the white area, click
on the cross beside the word Advanced and select
Cache.
3.Click the Memory Cache
button and click OK and then the
4. Clear Disk Cache
button and OK.
5.Click OK again.
Explorer
5
To create more space for
temporary Internet pages
1. On the Tools
menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options.
2. On the General
tab, go down to the Temporary Internet Files section in the
middle of the window.
3. Click on Delete Files.
4. To create more space
to store pages, click in the middle on Settings.
5. Move the slider to
the right.
6. Click on Apply, and
then on OK to activate the changes and exit.
Older
Versions
Webnovice has instructions
for clearing older versions of both browsers.
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Bookmarking
Bookmarking a site saves
time and typing errors. For Netscape and Explorer, first go to the Web
page you want. Then,
In Netscape
- Click on the word Bookmark
next to the Location field near the top of the screen
- Click on Add to Bookmarks
- If a dialogue box pops
up, answer it as best fits your needs
In Explorer
- Click on the word Favorites
at the top of the screen
- Click on Add to Bookmarks
- If a dialogue box pops
up, answer it as best fits your needs
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Sending
Email
In addition to the electronic
classroom, this class uses email to communicate and learn.
These points are important
about the email accounts.
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Using
Hardcopy
Electronics have a
way of cultivating inertia, so to prevent it from hindering progress
in the course, there are checklists for the key activities. Print out
the calendar and check off each task as you complete it.
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Accessing
Technical Support
These two numbers and email are available to students and faculty. Hours
vary by semester.
 220-1619
(ACCD)
785-6330
(out of the Technology Center in the MLC on campus)
If
there’s time, one can also send an email message to Helpdesk@accd.edu
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Contacting
the Instructor
The most efficient and reliable ways are
- email -- showard@accd.edu
- phone -- (210) 733-2846
or 2700
- Cell----(210) 771-4634
To turn in selected assignments,
please send them as email attachments. DO NOT
paste them into the body of a message. Attach the file to the email
message. By the way, keep both electronic and hard copies of the major
assignments where you can find them.
Enter
the Class
If you have not already done so, send an email
message to the address below stating that you enrolled in
the class. There is no other way to establish your presence in
the class.
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Page maintained by Sherman Howard
-- showard@accd.edu[Home]
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