WELCOME TO TECHNOLOGY BASICS:

• Basic Computing: Exploring Your Laptop and Working With Windows

• Internet Basics: Searching the Web and Using Email

• Microsoft Office Products: Word and PowerPoint

Learning how to navigate the internet can be one of the most challenging aspects of using a computer. Most importantly, having an email address to exchange messages and receive information is intergral to becoming an active participant in your own learning. With email you can:

• Send and receive text messages and pictures
• Apply for information about different products and services online
• Communicate with people from around the world

Some internet service providers (ISPs) have their own email accounts that are fee-based:

AOL - http://www.aol.com

MSN - http://www.msn.com

An internet browser is a program that allows you to access and display information on the Internet. These are usually free and can be obtained directly from a floppy or CD disk or usually come as part of your computer software package. Two of the most popular are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

Internet Explorer -

Netscape Navigator -

FOR ACCESS TO COMPUTERS DURING THE WEEK PLEASE VISIT:

1. The Adult Technology Center at the Westbury High School Library during the week (M-Th, 5-8pm)
2. Park Avenue school on Saturdays from 9am - 1pm
3. Your Westbury Memorial Library - computer room available during library hours - Westbury Memorial Library

MORE BASICS:

	This is your Windows Desktop. This user friendly interface means that we don't have to worry about special laguage to use the computer like we did in the old days. Look at the computer in front of you. Notice the boxes with small pictures? They are called ICONS. Press on one of them. What just happened? Pressing on an ICON opens up an application. You can create "ICONS" or buttons to open up programs more easily than searching you computer. Open up some programs and navigate around them. Type in a sentence and try pressing more buttons. Now what happens? Try and change the color of the page or the type set of the words. MOve your cursor to the toolbars and press more buttons. Now what happens?
	If you'd like to do a search in English press one of these search engine links: Google.com Altavista.com Yahoo.com If you'd like to do a search in Spanish press here to get information: http://spanish.about.com/cs/searchengines/ If you'd like to do a search in Haitian Creole press here to get information: http://www.port-haiti.com/cgibin/search/port-haiti.cgi http://caribplanet.homestead.com/Haiti.html If there is another language you would like to search through, please let me know so we can add it to our list.
	Here is the Microsoft Office Button. If you place your cursor on Start and go to Programs, you can choose a Microsoft Office application and click twice. The application will open and you can begin typing. Microsoft Help can be found here: http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/   BACK TO SEARCH ENGINES BACK TO COLLEGE AND CAREER INFORMATION