Internet Lessons--Prologue

Prologue--Some Important Things You Should Know!

Welcome to the ML 550 Internet Lessons! This series of on-line lessons will give participants a current awareness of the Internet and its potential applications to a variety of fields, particularly communications and research. The primary purpose of these lessons is to introduce major Internet concepts and to demonstrate worthwhile resources. This will also be an opportunity for participants to gain confidence and ability with using this medium. My goal for learners in this course is to prepare you to be digitally self-sufficient; someone who understands the foundational principles of "being digital" and can apply them in a variety of settings. People who are media literate:

know when they need information,
know how to get it,
know how to analyze and evaluate information,
know how to create information in multiple formats, and
can use this information to solve problems.

So why lessons focusing on the history, philosophy and uses of the Internet? Why not teach you primarily how to use various software tools and hardware devices? Because in today's digital world, if you're focused exclusively on the software and hardware, you'll likely be left behind. As John Gage (one of the early pioneers in Sun Microsystems) famously proclaimed, "the network is the computer." What does that mean? I take that to mean the specific hardware and software we use should not be the main emphasis of a modern technology education. It is a near certainty that the specific software and hardware you're using today will not be used 18-24 months from now.

As we all know, digital tools change very quickly (are you using the same digital devices you used 18-24 months ago?) and they are arbitrary, i.e., Monday you use a PC to do a particular task, Tuesday a tablet, and Wednesday a smartphone. But what's the part that ties all of these together? The network. It's impossible to predict exactly what changes will bring about the next digital revolution. Who knew even 18 months ago that tablet computers, smartphones, "the cloud," and social media would change the digital world the way they have? But what ties all of these innovations together? The network, of course! No matter what the tool, device or technology, the foundation or common element for that innovation will be the worldwide network of networks we call the Internet.

This type of focus isn't unique to this course or this professor. National and international groups of technology experts have concluded that a network-centric media literacy focus is necessary for learners in the 21st Century. For example, read the latest list of standards for beginning teachers prepared for the International Society for Technology in Education by teachers and media experts from around the world (note that you don't see goals such as "knows how to use a SMART Board" or "can make a PowerPoint presentation"). Expectations for business leaders and others in the workforce display a similar orientation.

In this course we don't completely ignore hardware and software, but we consciously deemphasize that focus in order to avoid "dead-ending" you in your digital development. So that's why this course focuses primarily (but not exclusively) on digital literacy and foundational digital skills. We will learn how to use some digital media construction tools, but to avoid being a digital orphan, you need more than that. You need to learn about the roots and foundation of today's modern digital world and the network on which it resides--the Internet. The network is the computer!

There are two parts to the direct instruction in this course. The first part is comprised of the in-class demonstrations, discussions, and videos. The second part includes these on-line lessons and other readings. For the most part, you will do these lessons and readings outside of class. SAVE YOUR WORK ON THESE LESSONS, as they will be collected periodically and also will be part of your Learning Portfolio, a collection of learning evidence you will hand-in at the end of the course.

There are several ways to get help in case you have difficulty with the assigned activities in this course. One way is to post a question to our Discussion Board in moodle. Since much of your exploration of the Internet will take place on your own outside of class, we need a virtual meeting place in which we can share questions and answers. If you have questions about the lessons, you can post your question to our discussion group.

Another way to get help is contact me directly via email. If you email your question directly to me, I may (with your permission) repost the question to the discussion group so that others with a similar problem can benefit from our interchange. If you find an interesting site out there on the Internet, please let the other participants in the course know by posting a note about it to the group. If you wish to raise a point of discussion regarding the Internet, please do so to the group.

Our discussion group is your means of making a contribution to the course and participating in an ongoing learning discussion. Please make use of the group and see what you think about our electronic forum. Participating in this electronic discussion group is one form of class participation--and you don't even have to raise your hand!

Of course you can stop by and speak with me in person (during office hours is best), call on the phone, and don't forget to use each other as resources. Many of the problems students encounter are easily solved simply by turning to the person next to you in the lab and asking a question. Don't sit alone and suffer! Don't be afraid to ask questions and push the envelope of your knowledge--that's the only way you'll learn!

In this course we will also learn how to use the moodle Discussion Board and other group communication resources such as Usenet newsgroups. You should get in the habit of checking these electronic resources. You should check them frequently during the entire term to ask questions, provide suggestions, and participate in discussions. This will become especially important after you subscribe to one or more listservs (listservs are a kind of on-line discussion group--about which we will learn more in a later lesson).

IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS FOLLOW!!!!!

I have four strong suggestions regarding these Internet Lessons. If you follow them you will be almost guaranteed to live a long and happy life (well, maybe not). But I can guarantee that the lessons will go a lot smoother if you follow these four tips:

Read the lessons. Read them all the way through. Read the entire lesson from beginning to end and make sure you understand it before you attempt the assignments.
Really--read the lesson! Take notes, write questions in the margins (after you print it out of course), and carefully sift through all of the key points.
Follow the directions in the lessons step-by-step. Most of the homework activities assigned at the end of the lesson are explained step-by-step in the lesson. But of course you know this because you have followed steps 1 & 2, right?
Then, if you have diligently tried to complete the lesson and it still won't work after an hour or so of hard work (what? hard work!), then call me or drop me an email message. If you are having trouble, I will help! On the other hand, if you just haven't tried and you want me to do the lesson for you, you are selling yourself short and stealing valuable time from other students who really need help!

These Internet Lessons are crafted to give you a thorough introduction to the Internet and other digital media, but they will require effort on your part. On average, I estimate each lesson will take 30-60 minutes. If you are a computer novice, these lessons may take more than an hour to complete. If an assignment doesn't work out the first time, re-read the lesson to see if you left out a step. The key point: don't be surprised if a lesson takes time to complete. Good work is often hard work...and hard work takes time to do well!

If you have the inclination and skill, the activities in the lessons may be adapted to better suit your individual taste or needs at a particular time. For example, if a lesson suggests you find a discussion group web site such as groups.google.com in order for you to demonstrate your ability to work with discussion groups, you are certainly free to substitute another similar web site if you feel you need to; for variety, because of technical difficulties, etc. The main objective of these lessons is to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate the skill(s) for that lesson. Often the particular Internet resource at which you demonstrate the skill is arbitrary. When in doubt, you probably should stick to the suggested activities.

If you have problems or questions involving the lessons, Internet navigation in general, technical questions about your email account, communications software, etc., please send them to me at: . I may need to forward your question(s) to the folks at the Augsburg Information Technology (IT) Center if I cannot answer them, but I will serve as the coordinator for any questions you may have. If you have any problems receiving email, be sure to contact me right away and I will assist you in getting the problem straightened out.

If you have not already done so, you should apply for and start using your email account immediately! To apply for, troubleshoot, or customize your email account, stop by the Information Technology (IT) Service Desk in the Lindell Library.

Internet Access From Home

Most students in this class have computers of their own and would like to access their email and do these lessons from their home or work computers. Believe it or not, this is possible! Of course, I will assume you already have a relatively up-to-date computer (MacOS or PC/Compatible) and a connection to the Internet.

The first step--choose an Internet Service Provider (ISP). There are many of them, from big ones like Comcast and CenturyLink, to small mom-and-pop operations. Most ISPs will offer Internet access for about $30.00 a month--some a bit more, some a bit less.

Through your ISP you will be able to access these Internet Lessons from home using your favorite web browser (e.g., Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Internet Explorer). You should also be able to access your Augsburg email account using standard email software such as Microsoft Outlook and via WebMail using a standard web browser. Special instructions as to how to set-up your email program to fetch your Augsburg email is available from the Augsburg Information Technology Student Computing Help Desk (2nd Floor, Lindell Library), or online at the Augsburg Student Computing Web Site. Technical support for accessing the Internet from home is provided by your ISP (that's what the 30-bucks is for!).

While this all appears easy, appearances can be deceiving. In the real world, Murphy's Law applies and it may take many hours to get your access running smoothly. I don't want to dissuade anyone from connecting to the Internet, but make sure you are prepared for a few "bumps" on your personal Information Superhighway. When it works right it is great--you can even do your homework in your pajamas (or do you do that already?).

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.

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