Website: www.uok.ac.

rw

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION

(PGDE)

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

HOLIDAYS & WEEK-END PROGRAMME

Course Code: PDPS 514

LECTURER: Mr. BANGISHAKA Emile

TEL: 0782205704 /0788820894
E-mail: uokemile@gmail.com
 OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, students

should be able to:
Detailed course description • Explain the concepts of a
computer,
Introduction to computers • The major parts and their
functions,
Major concepts, parts, uses, types of computers,
• Distinguish between
programs and their application, health tips, computer hardware and
safety and security, storage devises, computer software
viruses, desktop environment, organizing files • Use selected applications to
and folders. produce word documents,
spreadsheets and
The Internet and E-mail presentations
• Use the internet to search,
History, Windows features, common
send and receive information
terminologies, application, search engines,
• Apply the theory and
communication tools, relevance to education, practice of computer to

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

copyright. teaching and learning.
Word processing
MODE OF DELIVERY
Windows features, application, formatting a
document, tabular information, drawing tool, The course is delivered by
using multiple program in teaching/learning. lecturer, assignments, projects
and examination.
Presentation Programs
ASSESSMENT
Examples, uses, designing and formatting a The course is assessed by tests,
presentation, principles, application to assignments and final
education, multiple programs examinations whose
contributions are as follows:
Spreadsheets
Uses, windows features, data entry and
computation, insert factions, using graphs, Final Tests 30%
Examination
application to education. 40%
Assignment
30%

Copyright © 2017 by Mr. Emile

Bangishaka, Lecturer @ UoK
Kigali-Rwanda
 Contents

Chapter I: Introduction to computers .............................................................................1

1.1 Computer System .............................................................................................................. 1
1.1.1Computer Hardware ................................................................................................... 2
1.1.2 Computer Software ................................................................................................... 7
1.1.3 Data/information ........................................................................................................ 8
1.2 Classification ...................................................................................................................... 10
1.3 Generation of Computers ............................................................................................. 12
1.3.1 First Generation Computers................................................................................. 12
1.3.2 Second Generation Computers ........................................................................... 13
1.3.3 Third Generation Computers ............................................................................... 14
1.3.4 Fourth Generation Computers ............................................................................ 15
1.3.5 Fifth Generation Computers ................................................................................ 15
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1.4 Use of the computer system ....................................................................................... 16

1.4.1 Use of Computers in Education .......................................................................... 16
1.4.2 Use of computer in Communication ................................................................. 18
1.4.3 Use of computer in Medicine ............................................................................... 19
1.4.4 Use of computer in Weather forecasting ........................................................ 21
1.4.5 Use of computer at Home..................................................................................... 22
1.4.6 Use of computer in Security ................................................................................ 23
1.4.7 The role of computer in Business ...................................................................... 23
1.4.8 Use of computer in Storage ................................................................................. 23
1.4.9 Use of computer in Traffic control ..................................................................... 24
1.4.10 Use of computer in Airline Systems ............................................................... 24
1.4.11 Use of computer in E-Commerce .................................................................... 25
1.5 Computer Security .......................................................................................................... 26
1.5.1 Computer viruses ..................................................................................................... 26
1.5.2 Security threats ........................................................................................................ 27
1.5.3 protect physical equipment .................................................................................. 27
1.5.4 Describe ways to protect data ............................................................................ 27
1.6 General safety and health safety............................................................................... 28
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1.6.1 How to Sit at a Computer ..................................................................................... 29
1.6.2 Electrical Safety ........................................................................................................ 30
 1.6.3 Fire Safety .................................................................................................................. 31
1.6.4 Cleaning your Computer ....................................................................................... 32
1.7 desktop environment ..................................................................................................... 34
1.7.1 Start menu ................................................................................................................. 36
1.7.2 The Taskbar ............................................................................................................... 36
1.7.3 The desktop................................................................................................................ 37
1.7.4 Windows ...................................................................................................................... 40
Chapter II: Word processing ........................................................................................... 52
2.1 An overview of Microsoft Word ................................................................................... 52
2.2 Word basic formatting ................................................................................................... 58
2.3 manipulating a document ............................................................................................. 70
2.4 Adding Tables .................................................................................................................... 78
2.5 Insert Common Header and Footer Information ................................................. 82

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

2.6 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. 83
2.7 Page numbers ............................................................................................................... 86
2.8 Proofing features .............................................................................................................. 90
2.9 Advanced formatting and proofing features of word Processing................... 93
Chapter III: The internet and e-mail: ........................................................................... 98
3.1 Computer Network concepts ....................................................................................... 98
Advantages of Networks ....................................................................................................... 98
3.2 General introduction to internet............................................................................... 101
3.2.1 Internet concepts: ................................................................................................. 102
3.2.2 History of internet ................................................................................................. 103
3.2.3 Methods Used to connect to the internet. .................................................... 106
3.2.4 Visiting websites ..................................................................................................... 109
3.2.5 Deciphering Search Engine Results ................................................................ 110
3.2.6 Search engines ....................................................................................................... 112
3.2.7 What is Email?......................................................................................................... 116
Chapter IV: Presentation Programs: ........................................................................... 126
4.1 New Presentation ........................................................................................................... 126
4.2 Themes .............................................................................................................................. 129
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4.3 Working with Content .................................................................................................. 130
4.4 Graphics............................................................................................................................. 135
 4.5 Slide Effects ..................................................................................................................... 137
4.6 Slide Animation............................................................................................................... 139
4.7 Printing............................................................................................................................... 140
Chapter V: Spreadsheets ................................................................................................ 142
5.1 Workbook .......................................................................................................................... 143
5.2 Entering Data .................................................................................................................. 145
5.3 Calculations ...................................................................................................................... 148
5.4 Relative, Absolute and Mixed References ............................................................ 150
5.5 Charts or Graphics......................................................................................................... 152
5.6 Format Worksheet ......................................................................................................... 153
5.6 Developing a Workbook .............................................................................................. 157
5.7 Page Properties and Printing ..................................................................................... 159
5.8 Create a Header or Footer.......................................................................................... 160
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

5.9 Layout ................................................................................................................................ 161

Chapter VI: Conclusion ................................................................................................... 162
6.1 General conclusion ........................................................................................................ 162
6.2 Enhancing Quality of Teaching ................................................................................. 162
6.3 Teacher’s online resources ......................................................................................... 165
References .......................................................................................................................... 166

iv
Chapter I: Introduction to computers
Computer has been the premier invention of this century. It plays an important role in almost
every part of our lives. It has become so important that without it we would not be able to
live the way we do. Look around you and you would find computers scattered all over the
places, starting with the machine of computer to washing machine, refrigerator, car, mobile
and to life saving devices with the doctors. Everywhere a small computer is working for your
convenience and they seem to perform almost any task in the world. Computers have had a
tremendous impact on the way information is processed within an organization. Although
information has been processed manually throughout the history yet in modern
management where decision-making is very fast and in the era of corporate governance, it
is not possible without the help of information system managed by computers.

1.1 Computer System

The word “computer” comes from word “compute” which means “to calculate.” By
definition, a computer is a programmable machine (or more precisely, a programmable

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

sequential state machine) that operates on data and is used for wide range of activities.
Computer is an electronic device or a combination of electronic devices which solves
problems after accepting data and supplies results to the user. It is a tool which can be used
to read and write stories, draw and look at images, and send and receive e-mail. It can store
a large amount of information and perform various scientific and mathematical tasks.
Computer uses many electronic Components which run on DC (Direct Current) such as
Integrated circuits, Capacitors, Transistors, Resistors, Buses, Printed Circuit boards.
Computer is Digital it means it process the data stores the data in the form of binary digits
(0, 1) which are represented in the form of electric voltages 0 for negative Current and 1 for
positive voltages.
Input is done through input devices like Keyboard, Mouse, and Scanner etc, Output is done
through output devices like Monitor, Printer, and Projector etc, Processing is done mainly by
Processor and also there are many Supporting components for processor to execute the
work. Storage of data and information is done on Storage devices or Memories like Hard Disk
Drive, CD/DVD, and Flash Drives permanently. Other memories used by Processing Unit are
RAM, ROM Cache stores the data temporarily during execution or Processing.
Basically, a computer system comprises the following elements:
• Hardware
• Software
• User (people)
• Data/information
A computer organization is often compared with a human brain. Just think of a human brain,
1
how it works? It can store data with its five senses (like input devices in a computer), process
the gathered information and reach to some conclusion drawn from the raw data (like the
processing of a computer system). Then, it can deliver an output or result with speech or with
 expression (like an output device).
Some people think that computer have a brain and can think and decide what to do, this is
not true they are primarily machines, whereas the real thinking is done by human being who
feed the computers with information and program them to perform different operations.
There are many reasons for using computers and some of these are as follow
 Computer can work much faster than human’s work.
 Computer never gets tired or need a rest.
 Computers can do jobs that it would be dangerous for human to do
 Computer can store large amount of information and data.
 Computers can retrieve information very quickly.
 Computers never lose or misplace information.
Computers linked through communication systems offer major personal and business
benefit to users like speed, consistency, precision, and reliability etc.
1.1.1 Computer Hardware
Computer hardware is made up of the equipment used to make up your computer unit. These
parts include your monitor, central processing unit (CPU), keyboard, mouse, printer, and
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

modem.
The computer is an electronic machine that performs the following four general operations:
 Input
 Storage
 Processing
 Output
Central processing unit CPU
The most important piece of hardware is a tiny rectangular chip inside of the computer called
the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor. It's the "brain" of your computer. The
CPU Controls the operation of the computer and perform its data processing functions. CPU
contain three main parts which are:
1. Control Unit (CU): Controls the operation of the CPU and hence the computer.
2. Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU): performs various operations, such as addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division, as well as others.
3. Register: Provides storage internal to the CPU
Computer peripherals
A peripheral is a "device that is used to send information into or get information out of the
computer. Most people use the term peripheral generally to refer to a device external to the
computer case. You connect the device to the computer to expand the functionality of the
system. For example, consider a printer. Once the printer is connected to a computer, you
can print out documents. Another way to look at peripheral devices is that they are
dependent on the computer system. For example, most printers can't do much on their own,
and they only become functional when connected to a computer system.

2
 Types of Peripheral Devices
There are many different peripheral devices, but they fall into three general categories:
1. Input devices, such as a mouse and a keyboard
2. Output devices, such as a monitor and a printer
3. Storage devices, such as a hard drive or flash drive
Some devices fall into more than one category. Consider a CD-ROM drive; you can use it to
read data or music (input), and you can use it to write data to a CD (output).
Peripheral devices can be external or internal. For example, a printer is an external device
that you connect using a cable, while an optical disc drive is typically located inside the
computer case. Internal peripheral devices are also referred to as integrated peripherals.
When most people refer to peripherals, they typically mean external ones.
The concept of what exactly is 'peripheral' is therefore somewhat fluid. For a desktop
computer, a keyboard and a monitor are considered peripherals - you can easily connect and
disconnect them and replace them if needed. For a laptop computer, these components are
built into the computer system and can't be easily removed.
Input devices include:

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Keyboard Mouse Microphone

Bar code reader Webcam Joysticks

Graphics tablet Scanner Touch screen

3
 Output devices:

An output device is used to send data out of the system. Some output devices are:

Monitor Printer Speaker

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Projector Plotter
Ports and connectors
The point at which a peripheral attaches to the computer and communicates with a system
unit so that the peripheral can send data to or receive information from the computer
system.

USB 2.0
1 PS/2 mouse 8
connectors

USB 2.0
2 Parallel port 9
connectors

4
 IEEE 1394
3 10 VGA connector
connector

RJ-45
4 11 Serial connector
connector

5 Line in jack
6 Line out jack
12 PS/2 Keyboard
Microphone
7
jack

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Storage Devices
A device capable of storing data. The term usually refers to mass storage devices, such as
disk and tape drives. Beginning from punch card which stores a few bytes of data, storage
systems have reached to multi Terabytes of capacities in comparatively less space and power
consumption.
Primary Storage:
In simple words, primary storage is the storage
device that is directly connected to the CPU and
store data temporarily during execution. i.e. CPU
can directly access primary storage and stores
instruction and data for execution/processing. The
most popular example of this kind of memory is the
RAM (Random Access Memory) that we use in
modern day computers. CPU registers, Caches and
other memories connected to the CPU local bus
falls in this category.
Primary storage devices are comparatively faster
than all other kinds of memory types. Usually
primary storage devices are considered to be
directly connected to the processor. But in reality,
modern computers employ components like Virtual Memory Manager, DRAM controllers
etc. In between processor and the memory but the notion of 'Direct connection' is still valid
since these components are transparent to the processor. Volatile memories are usually
used as primary storage.
5
 Secondary storage
Secondary storage may not be directly accessible by the
processor. And is usually used for more permanent storage
of data. This requires secondary storage devices to be non-
volatile. Secondary storage devices are connected to storage
controllers and the CPU is required to talk to the controllers
in order to access information from secondary devices. The
most popular example of secondary device is the Hard disk.
CD ROM, DVD ROM, USB mass storage devices, Floppy etc..
are also falls in this category. Secondary storage devices are also called Mass Storage Devices
since the capacity of these devices are comparatively large.

Bits and Bytes

A computer stores data in units called bits and bytes. Computer chips called integrated
circuits have one of two states, off or on. Therefore, a system was developed that used only
two numbers, 0 and 1. Zero representing off and 1 representing on. You can think of this as
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

a sort of light switch. Each switch is called a bit.

Bits are grouped together in sets of eight. Each set of eight bits is called a byte. Setting
different combinations of those eight "on and off" combinations can be developed to stand
for letters numbers, spaces, and symbols. For practical purposes, think of a byte as one
character. When computers refer to memory or storage they refer to the following forms of
measurement.
1bit= binary digit
8 bits = 1 byte
1 kilo Byte (1KB) = 1024 Bytes
1 Mega Byte (1MB) = 1024 Kilo Bytes
1 Giga Byte (1GB) = 1024 Mega Bytes
1 Terra Byte (1TB) = 1024 Giga Bytes
1 Peta Byte (1 PB) = 1024 Terra Byte
1 Exa Byte (1 EB) = 1024 Peta Bytes
1 Zetta Byte (1 ZB) = 1024 Exa Bytes
1 Yotta Byte (1 YB) = 1024 Zetta Bytes

6
1.1.2 Computer Software
Without software, most hardware would sit there doing nothing. To make most hardware
run we need to use software, and your task here is to select the correct type of software
for each job. There are two main classifications of software that all programs fit under are:
System software and Application software

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

System software

Operating Are a collection of programs that make the computer hardware conveniently
Systems available to the user and also hide the complexities of the computer's
operation. The Operating System (such as Windows 7 or Linux) interprets
commands issued by application software (e.g. word processor and
spreadsheets). The Operating System is also an interface between the
application software and computer. Without the operating system, the
application programs would be unable to communicate with the computer.
Utility Utility software is a type of system software which has a very specific task to
programs perform related to the working of the computer, for example anti-virus
software, disk defragment etc. utility software usually focuses on how the
computer infrastructure (including the computer hardware, operating system,
application software and data storage) operates. Due to this focus, utilities are
often rather technical and targeted at people with an advanced level of
computer knowledge.
Examples of utility software include:
 Virus scanner - to protect your system from Trojans and viruses
 Disk defragmenter - to speed up your hard disk
 System monitor - to look at your current system resources
 File managers - to add, delete, rename and move files and folders
Library Are a compiled collection of subroutines (e.g. libraries make many functions
programs and procedures available when you write a program) Library programs contain
code and data that provide services to other programs such as interface (look 7
 and feel), printing, network code and even the graphic engines of computer
games.
Translator 1. Assembler translates assembly language programs into machine code (A
software binary code that a machine can understand).
2. Compiler translates high level language code into object code (which is the
machine language of the target machine).
3. Interpreter analyses and executes a high-level language program a line at a
time. Execution will be slower than for the equivalent compiled code as the
source code is analyzed line by line.
Application software

General General purpose application software is a type of software that can be used for a
purpose variety of tasks. It is not limited to one particular function. For example a word
application processor could be classed as general purpose software as it would allow a user to
software write a novel, create a restaurant menu or even make a poster. Examples of General
purpose application software include: Word processors, Spreadsheet and
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Presentation software. Whatever you do, do not use brand names!

Special Special purpose application software is a type of software created to execute one
purpose specific task. For example a camera application on your phone will only allow you to
application take and share pictures. Another example would be a chess game, it would only allow
software you to play chess. Other examples of special purpose application software are web
browsers, calculators, media players, calendar programs etc. Again, make sure that
you don't use brand names!

Bespoke Bespoke application software is tailor made for a specific user and purpose. For
application example a factory may require software to run a robot to make cars, however, it is
software the only factory making that car in the world, so the software required would have to
be specially built for the task.
Other examples might include software for the military, missile/UAV operations,
software for hospitals and medical equipment, software being written inside banks
and other financial institutions.

1.1.3 Data/information
The computer system received data from input devices, processing it in order to get output
her called information. Data consisted primarily of text and numbers, but in nowadays
computing, there are lots of different data types, such as audio, images, graphics and
video. All data types are stored as binary digits (a value of either 0 or 1, which is generally used
to store data). For each data type, there are very specific techniques to convert between the
binary language of computers and how we interpret data using our senses, such as sight
8 and sound.
Analog vs. Digital Data

There are two general ways to represent data: analog and

digital. Analog data are continuous. Digital data are discrete,
broken up into a limited number of elements. Nature is analog,
while computers are digital. Many aspects of our natural world
are continuous in nature. For example,
think of the spectrum of colors. This is a
continuous rainbow of an infinite number
of shades. Computer are not continuous, but finite. All data are stored
in binary digits, and there is a limit to how much data we can represent.
For example, a color image on a computer has a limited number of
colors - the number might be very large, but it is still finite.
Consider the example of color in a bit more detail. The very first monitor displays were
essentially text terminals with only a single color. White or light green text appeared on a
black background.
Newer monitors used more colors, enough to represent basic images, but still quite limited.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Modern displays have millions of colors and look much more natural. Still, the number of
colors is finite. The finite nature of data stored on a computer influences how different types
are stored as binary digits.
Information have the quality and the factors that affect the quality, the major factors that affect the
quality of information are Accuracy, Relevance, Age, Completeness, Presentation and Level of detail.
 Accuracy: Validation and verification can help to remove information outside set
boundaries, unreasonable and not sensible information, but they cannot ensure that
the information is accurate E.g. A person may be 18 not 81, this information will not
be detected if wrong because it is within the set boundaries
 Relevance: It will increase the amount of data that is stored and can waste time
searching for required information E.g. Irrelevant to have a school pupils parents
birthday
 Age: Information can change over time, May be irrelevant or inaccurate if it is to old
E.g. May have your address but could be to old
 Completeness: Having only a part of information can also be worthless E.g.
Telephone number without the area code
 Presentation: Information loses value if it is not presented in a way that you can
understand it or find what you want from it. Can be improved by sorting, by using
graphs, bullets etc.
 Level of Detail: Too much or too little information can be unhelpful. Should have
enough information to be able to make a decision
9
 1.2 Classification
Computers can be classified on the basis of different factors. At present, there are two
categories of computers. These are as follows:
Analog Computers
Analog computers are analog devices (refer to figure 1.1). It means that they have
continuous states rather than discrete numbered states. An analog computer can represent
fractional or irrational values exactly, i.e. with no round off. Analog computers are almost
never used outside of experimental settings. They handle or process information which is of
physical nature.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Figure 1.1-- Analog computers

10

Figure 1.2-- Digital computers

 Digital Computers
A digital computer is a programmable-clocked sequential state machine (refer to figure 1.2).
It uses discrete states. A binary digital computer uses two discrete states, such as
positive/negative, high/low, on/off, to represent the binary digits “zero” and “one.” They
process information which is essentially in a binary state.
The digital computers that are available nowadays, classified by their size and processing
power are: Microcomputers or Personal computer, Minicomputers, Mainframe computers
and Supercomputer.
Family description

Microcomputers Microcomputers are small, low‐cost and single‐user digital computer. They consist of
or Personal CPU, input unit, output unit, storage unit and the software. Although
Computer (PC): microcomputers are stand‐alone machines, they can be connected together to
create a network of computers that can serve more than one user. Microcomputers
include:
 Desktop computers,
 notebook computers or laptop,

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 tablet computer,
 handheld computer,
 smart phones,
 notebook,
 etc.
Minicomputers Minicomputers are digital computers, generally used in multi‐user systems. They have
high processing speed and high storage capacity than the microcomputers.
Minicomputers can support 4 to 200 users simultaneously. They are more expensive
than microcomputers.

Mainframe Mainframe computers are multi‐user, multi‐programming and high performance

Computers computers. They operate at a very high speed, have very large storage capacity and
can handle the job of many users. Mainframe computers are large and powerful
systems generally used in centralized databases. The user accesses the mainframe
computer via a terminal that may be a dumb terminal, an intelligent terminal or a
PC. A dumb terminal cannot store data or do processing of its own. It has the input
and output device only. An intelligent terminal has the input and output device, can
do processing, but, cannot store data of its own. The dumb and the intelligent
terminal use the processing power and the storage facility of the mainframe
computer. Mainframe computers are used in organizations like banks or companies,
where many people require frequent access to the same data.

Supercomputer Supercomputers are the fastest and the most expensive machines. They have high
processing speed compared to other computers. Some of the faster
supercomputers can perform trillions of calculations per second. Supercomputers
are built by interconnecting thousands of processors that can work in parallel.
Supercomputers are used for highly calculation intensive tasks, such as, weather
forecasting, climate research (global warming), molecular research, biological 11
research, nuclear research and aircraft design.
 1.3 Generation of Computers
1.3.1 First Generation Computers
The first generation of computer was marked by the use of vacuum tubes for the electronic
components and the use of either electrostatic tubes (i.e. cathode ray tubes) or mercury
delay lines for storage. Examples of such first generation machines are EDSAC (operational
in 1949), SEAC (1950, the first stored program computer operational in the US), EDVAC
(1951) and IAS (1952). This generation lasted until the end of 1950s and computers in this
age had their basis in wired circuitry and thermionic valves.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Advantages

 Vacuum tubes were the only electronic component available during those days.
 Vacuum tube technology made possible to make electronic digital computers.
 These computers could calculate data in millisecond.
Disadvantages

 The computers were very large in size.

 They consumed a large amount of energy.
 They heated very soon due to thousands of vacuum tubes.
 They were not very reliable.
 Air conditioning was required.
 Constant maintenance was required.
 Non-portable.
 Costly commercial production.
 Limited commercial use.
 Very slow speed.
 Limited programming capabilities.
 Used machine language only.
 Used magnetic drums which provide very less data storage.
 Used punch cards for input.
 Not versatile and very faulty.

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1.3.2 Second Generation Computers

The second generation machines were initially marked by either magnetic drum or magnetic core
storage and later by the use of transistor in place of vacuum tubes. The second generation, which
covered the first half of the 1960s, saw the introduction of printed circuits and the replacement of
vacuum by transistors.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Advantages
 Smaller in size as compared to the first generation computers.
 The 2nd generation Computers were more reliable
 Used less energy and were not heated.
 Wider commercial use
 Better portability as compared to the first generation computers.
 Better speed and could calculate data in microseconds
 Used faster peripherals like tape drives, magnetic disks, printer etc.
 Used Assembly language instead of Machine language.
 Accuracy improved.
Disadvantages
 Cooling system was required
 Constant maintenance was required
 Commercial production was difficult
 Only used for specific purposes 13
 Costly and not versatile
 Puch cards were used for input.
 1.3.3 Third Generation Computers
The period of third generation was 1965-1971. The computers of third generation used integrated
circuits (IC's) in place of transistors. A single IC has many transistors, resistors and capacitors along
with the associated circuitry. The IC was invented by Jack Kilby. This development made computers
smaller in size, reliable and efficient.

Advantages

 Smaller in size as compared to previous generations.

 More reliable.
 Used less energy
 Produced less heat as compared to the previous two generations of computers.
 Better speed and could calculate data in nanoseconds.
 Used fan for heat discharge to prevent damage.
 Maintenance cost was low because hardware failure is
reare.
 Totally general purpose
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Could be used for high-level languages.

 Good storage
 Versatile to an extent
 Less expensive
 Better accuracy
 Commercial production increased.
 Used mouse and keyboard for input.
Disadvantages

 Air conditioning was required.

 Highly sophisticated technology required for the manufacturing of IC chips.

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1.3.4 Fourth Generation Computers

The fourth generation of computers arrived in mid-

1970s. The distinguishing marks were the introduction
of standard architecture for greater mobility of
systems, the introduction of micro technology and
significant software developments. Micro technology
gave rise to the availability of microcomputers, word
processors and intelligent terminals.

Advantages

 More powerful and reliable than previous generations.

 Small in size
 Fast processing power with less power consumption
 Fan for heat discharging and thus to keep cold.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 No air conditioning required.
 Totally general purpose
 Commercial production
 Less need of repair.
 Cheapest among all generations
 All types of High level languages can be used in this type of computers
Disadvantages

 The latest technology is required for manufacturing of Microprocessors.

1.3.5 Fifth Generation Computers
The 5th generation, It is based on the technique of Artificial
Intelligence (AI). Computers can understand spoken words and
imitate human reasoning. Can respond to its surroundings using
different types of sensors. Scientists are constantly working to
increase the processing power of computers. They are trying to
create a computer with real Intellectual Quotient with the help of
advanced programming and technologies.

Advantages:

 It is more reliable and works faster.

 Available in different sizes with unique features.
Disadvantages:

 The disadvantages of fifth generation computers have yet to be agreed upon, but
many feel that they are two of its advantages: AI and the overall advanced
technology. The addition of AI worries many due to the computers possibly becoming 15
smart enough to replace humans altogether, and many people are becoming reliant
on the advanced technology for tasks that they can do without computers.
 1.4 Use of the computer system
Computers are used in Schools/Institutions, hospitals, police stations, weather stations,
airports, cargo terminals, research centers and businesses among other places.
1.4.1 Use of Computers in Education
Computer technology has had a deep impact on the education sector. Thanks to computers,
imparting education has become easier and much more interesting than before. Owing to
memory capacities of computers, large chunks of data can be stored in them. They enable
quick processing of data with very less or no chances of errors in processing. Networked
computers aid quick communication and enable web access. Storing documents on
computers in the form of soft copies instead of hard ones, helps save paper. The advantages
of computers in education primarily include:
 Storage of information
 Quick data processing
 Audio-visual aids in teaching
 Better presentation of information
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Access to the Internet

 Quick communication between students, teachers and parents
Computer teaching plays a key role in the modern education system. Students find it easier
to refer to the Internet than searching for information in fat books. The process of learning
has gone beyond learning from prescribed textbooks. Internet is a much larger and easier-
to-access storehouse of information. When it comes to storing retrieved information, it is
easier done on computers than maintaining hand-written notes.
Computers are a brilliant aid in teaching.
Online education has revolutionized the education industry. Computer technology has made
the dream of distance learning, a reality. Education is no longer limited to classrooms. It has
reached far and wide, thanks to computers. Physically distant locations have come closer
due to Internet accessibility. So, even if students and teachers are not in the same premises,
they can very well communicate with one another. There are many online educational
courses, whereby students are not required to attend classes or be physically present for
lectures. They can learn from the comfort of their homes and adjust timings as per their
convenience.
Computers have given impetus to distance education.
Computers facilitate effective presentation of information. Presentation software like
PowerPoint and animation software like Flash among others can be of great help to teachers
while delivering lectures. Computers facilitate audio-visual representation of information,
thus making the process of learning interactive and interesting. Computer-aided teaching
adds a fun element to education. Teachers hardly use chalk and board today. They bring
presentations on a flash drive, plug it in to a computer in the classroom, and the teaching
begins. There's color, there's sound, there's movement - the same old information comes
forth in a different way and learning becomes fun. The otherwise not-so-interesting lessons
16
become interesting due to audio-visual effects. Due to the visual aid, difficult subjects can
be explained in better ways. Things become easier to follow, thanks to the use of computers
in education.
Computer software help better presentation of information.

Internet can play an important role in education. As it is an enormous information base, it

can be harnessed for retrieval of information on a variety of subjects. The Internet can be
used to refer to information on different subjects. Both teachers and students benefit from
the Internet. Teachers can refer to it for additional information and references on the topics
to be taught. Students can refer to web sources for additional information on subjects of
their interest. The Internet helps teachers set test papers, frame questions for home
assignments and decide project topics. And not just academics, teachers can use web
sources for ideas on sports competitions, extracurricular activities, picnics, parties and more.
Computers enable access to the Internet which has information on literally everything.
Computers enable storage of data in the electronic format, thereby saving paper. Memory
capacities of computer storage devices are in gigabytes. This enables them to store huge
chunks of data. Moreover, these devices are compact. They occupy very less space, yet store
large amounts of data. Both teachers and students benefit from the use of computer
technology. Presentations, notes and test papers can be stored and transferred easily over
computer storage devices. Similarly, students can submit homework and assignments as soft

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

copies. The process becomes paperless, thus saving paper. Plus, the electronic format makes
data storage more durable. Electronically erasable memory devices can be used repeatedly.
They offer robust storage of data and reliable data retrieval.
Computer hard drives and storage devices are an excellent way to store data.

This was about the role of computers in education. But we know, it's not just the education
sector which computers have impacted. They are of great use in every field. Today, a life
without computers is unimaginable. This underlines the importance of computer education.
Knowledge of computers can propel one's career in the right direction. Computers are a part
of almost every industry today. They are no longer limited any specific field. They are used
in networking, for information access and data storage and also in the processing and
presentation of information. Computers should be introduced early in education. I don't
think I am making an overstatement in saying that computers in education is as fundamental
as learning English. Yes, it is.
Computers are used in schools to provide the methods of teaching in different ways. There are
number of methods in which educational institutions can use computer to educate the students.
Much computer-based educational software are available, which students can learn to read, to
count, or to speak a foreign language. Software that combines the thrills of games with real
information content is becoming most popular.

17
 Here in Rwanda the use of one Laptop Per Child
are transforming the delivery and quality of

education; Schoolnet that aims to improve

connectivity and deploy ICT tools in 12-year basic
education schools; RwEdNet that is
interconnecting Rwanda’s institutions of higher
learning and linking them to global education and
research networks, and the Rwanda Education
Commons a one-stop portal for education
information. These initiatives are transforming
and improving the delivery and quality of
education in Rwanda.

For research and Educational uses:

 The internet allows access to hundreds of

online research materials
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Computers can be used as a teaching aid.

 Allows colleagues to correspond quickly
about an ongoing research.
 Online classes.
 Doing assignments/course work, etc.

The Disadvantages of Computers in Education

The limitless access to information provided to college students by computers can present challenges
and disadvantages directly related to computer usage secondary schools education. Financial
difficulties may make it difficult for some students to access important coursework, while other
students may use computers to plagiarize or cheat.
You can add on the disadvantage the Laziness in Studying and Forgetting the Basic Way of Studying.
1.4.2 Use of computer in Communication
Since communication has very important role in society as well as in business, it is necessary
that we should have an accurate and fast method for communication. Here we need
computers to provide fast and efficiency manner for communication.
Now we have mobile phones, e-mails, using facebook,
WhatsApp, Skype and other many methods for providing good
way to communicate each other which cannot develop and work
without computers.
Likewise computer based communication is necessary at every
18 field whether it is hospitals or industry or government. Without
computers there may be large wastage of time, money and
resources which may cause great damages.
Briefly, hence computer is necessary in communication, allows people across the world to
communicate easily through e-mails, chat rooms, sms, Radio broadcasting e.t.c.

The following is an example of the communication using ICT tools in chamber parliament,
you can see around microphones and laptops.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

The Disadvantages of Computers in Communication
 Poor substitute for face-to-face communication: Since people are using machines
to communicate, they get less time to talk to each other and know each other better.
 Not Safe: Since information has been centralized under one place, it is exposed to
people with wrong intention. Also information can be attacked by a hacker or a virus
and all data will be lost in a minute. So the user or the organization must pay an extra
cost to keep this information safe.
 Laziness: Communication technology can lead to laziness. For example, instead of walking
over to someone in the same room as you to strike up a conversation you would send an
instant message.
 Addiction: Like alcohol and drugs, the Internet can be addictive. Signs of Internet addiction
include lying about Internet use and becoming oblivious to events occurring in your personal
life.
1.4.3 Use of computer in Medicine
The computers are commonly used in some area of medical fields such as laboratories,
researches, scanning, monitoring, pharmacy etc. Which are helping the doctor to diagnose
an illness. 19
 Patient Monitoring: Computers are used in hospitals to monitoring critically ill patients in
intensive care units (see 1 on image). The patients have
sensors attached to them, which detect changes in
heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, breathing and
brain activity if any readings dislocate or reached
misbalancing level, the computer activates an alarming
device to create sound and alerts the medical staff. The
data is also logged and used to analyze the changes in
a patient’s condition over a period of time.
(2 shows as the Magnetic resonance imaging “MRI”
used to create detailed images of the organs and
tissues within your body)

Patients Records: Computerized databases are used to

store information about patients, doctors, medicines
and other chemicals and equipments. Storing
information in proper order to provide the convenient
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

way of arrangements for hospital staff. It is making

easy to organize records than paper based records
that are not constantly following patients around the
hospital. For example if a patient is admitted in one
ward but being seen by a consultant and receiving
treatment on other parts of the hospital, their details can be viewed and updated at any
terminal in the hospital’s LAN network. The computerized databases are used to help match
patients who are waiting for organ transplants such as a new kidney, liver or heart with
suitable organs from donors.
Diagnosis: It will come as no surprise that hospitals and clinics use computers to keep
records and generate invoices. One common use
of computer is to scan the body and sensors detect
that how much patient body have affects to any
type of cancer. Actually the body scanner helps the
doctor to raise over the patient; it displays an
image that enables physicians to look beneath the
patient’s skin. As the scanner passes over the
patient, it displays an image of bone and tissue
structure on a computer screen.

The Disadvantages of Computers in Hospitals

 Cost: One of the biggest disadvantages of adding computers to hospitals is the cost.
Computers cost money, and a large hospital needs many computers to keep the
20 system running smoothly. Creating a network to transfer medical records or keep
track of billing is an additional initial cost. Unlike paper records, which simply require
a few more copies, electronic record keeping requires constant upkeep of
 computers, computer software and other electronic elements, which can cost even
more.
 Security: If your doctor or hospital is switching to computers or electronic record keeping,
you're probably worried about the security of your medical records. Paper records are kept
in a doctor's office or a warehouse, but once computers are added to a hospital, electronic
record keeping typically follows. Once electronic record keeping is begun, medical
information is usually added to a closed computer network, but as long as an Internet
connection comes into the network, the system is vulnerable to outside sources, opening
the debate to questions about patient privacy and medical record security.
 Lack of Standardization: From a hospital point of view, one of the biggest
disadvantages of adding computers and electronic records to a hospital is the lack of
standardization through the medical field. Different hospitals use different
shorthand abbreviations or symbols on medical records than others. Even the codes
called out during emergencies don't always mean the same thing in every hospital. If
a medical record is transferred from another hospital or the system becomes open
so hospitals can share information, the lack of standardization in hospital notes and
records could cause problems when it comes to a medical professional's

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

understanding of the medical record
1.4.4 Use of computer in Weather forecasting

 Computers can perform a series of calculations in a few hours that would take a
meteorologist his or her whole lifetime to finish.
 Weather forecasts are made by collecting quantitative - numerical - data about the
current state of the atmosphere. This data is then put into a mathematical model,
which will predict the weather based on current conditions.
 In mathematical models, raw data is entered into a computer (In the case of weather
models, data such as rain fall, temperature and wind speed are fed into a computer).
A series of calculations is performed on the raw data on it to determine how it will
change over time. Normally, mathematical modelling is done by computers, which
can carry out many calculations per second. The more sophisticated and up-to-date
your model is, the more accurate your forecast should be. Powerful supercomputers
are needed to perform the complex calculations in mathematical weather models.
 Computer based weather forecasting depends on accurate collection of data from
21
weather stations, airports, satellites, different sensitive devices all around the world.
Computer depends on building a model of hot, cold air, dry and humid air interaction,
and how this is interactions are effected by land and sea temperature, season and so
 on. Once this is done, the data is collected on atmospheric phenomena over a region.
The computer model then generates a forecast of how the air will change. The
necessary parameters can never be measured with total accuracy and it is impossible
to make a perfect representation of all the factors that affect weather.
Disadvantages of online weather forecasts
However, there are also a number of disadvantages regarding online weather forecasting,
some of which I have addressed below:
 Like all weather forecasts, online weather forecasts can also be unreliable; as such
kind of prediction is not an easy one to determine.
 As users go further from the present time and day in the forecasts, the forecasts
become less and less detailed, and so ultimately become less reliable.
 A storm could be forecast, making people spend money and put in effort in order to
take precautions against the storm, but then the storm may not strike, and so people
would have wasted their time and money.
 Again, the servers may crash, causing the site to be temporarily offline, meaning that
users cannot access this information, which ultimately causes disappointment.
1.4.5 Use of computer at Home
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Nowadays people have computers at home and it has become a necessity electrical home
appliance used in home for:
 Playing children’s games
 Typing letters and other documents
 Keeping a record of home earnings and expenses
 Home owners can access bank accounts through Automated Teller machines as well
as Internet.
Children draw pictures, play music, view movies and do some sort of reading and writing
according to their needs. A typical domestic system consists of a PC with a relatively small
hard disk; printer, modem and DVD-Writer Drive etc. people can utilize computers for
keeping records, making home budgets, using electronic mail and internet services to learn
and increase their knowledge. The uses of microprocessor technology in manufacturing of
electronic home appliances like microwave, air-condition, washing machine, sewing
machine etc have completely changed our way of life.

22
Disadvantage of using the computer at home
As the living condition of people is becoming more and more rise quickly, some families have
in their home computers. The few children spend their time playing the games on the
computer instead of doing their homework, watching pornographic and violent videos and
so on. They do what they shouldn’t do in their age, in the meanwhile, they can't do better in
their study. Then they may not keep a good mental health, it do harm to their future. The
teenagers should bring home to themselves the value of life. Otherwise, the parents should
do their best to lead their children to a right way. As far as I am concerned, I think home
computers has its both sides, we should make good use of its strong point and live a happy
life.
1.4.6 Use of computer in Security
 Protects system the computer to unwanted programs (against viruses, worms,
spyware)
 Protection against data from theft.
 Protects the computer from being hacked.
 Minimizes computer freezing and crashes.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Gives privacy to users.
Disadvantages of computer security
 Makes the computer slower than before.
 Need to keep updating the new software in order to keep security up to date.
 Incorrectly configured firewalls may block users from performing certain actions on
the Internet, until the firewall configured correctly.
1.4.7 The role of computer in Business
The business must understand and adapt in the new source of competitive advantage
connecting to the people of the core competencies and customer interaction on global scale,
globe market place. In the globe business world, globe interaction is very important. In every
organization there are major business processes that provide the critical tasks such that
customer bills, analyzing sales of various products in different locations etc
 Computers allow companies to keep large amounts of information at hand
(databases)
 Shopping online.
 Makes ordering and tracking resources quick and easy.
 Allows people to have meetings from different locations.
 Advertising products through websites.
 Analysis of profits and loses.
1.4.8 Use of computer in Storage
 A computer can transfer data quickly from a storage to memory, process it, and then store
it again for future use.
 Many computers store enormous amounts of data and make this data available for 23
processing anytime it is needed.
 1.4.9 Use of computer in Traffic control

Briefly the computer in traffic control used to reduce the problems, such as congestion and
incident management, signal control optimization and public transport priority. The
computer used in:
 Traffic lights (1)
 Speed cameras (2)
 Electronic signal
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Road sensors
1.4.10 Use of computer in Airline Systems
In airline system, computers are used to control passenger
aircrafts and vehicles. Early aircraft were controlled by
moving parts attached to the controls using cables. In
modern, fly-by-wire system, electronic signals from the
cockpit are sent to that adjusts the flight surfaces.
Computer is embedded in the pilot’s or driver’s controls. It
is linked up among different cities and gives full information
about its flight and seat reservation.

24
1.4.11 Use of computer in E-Commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) describes the buying, selling, and exchanging of products,
services, and information via computer network. The term e-commerce as describe.
Transactions, conducted between business partners. There are many application of e-commerce,
such as: Mobile banking, Mobile Money, Online shopping, buying stocks, finding a job, conducting an
auction, collaborating electronically with business partners around the globe, marketing &
advertising and providing customer service.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

General disadvantages of computer using a computer in Society
The use of computer has also created some problems in society which are as follows.
Unemployment: Different tasks are performed automatically by using computers. It reduces
the need of people and increases unemployment in society.
Wastage of time and energy: Many people use computers without positive purpose. They
play games and chat for a long period of time. It causes wastage of time and energy. Young
generation is now spending more time on the social media websites like Facebook, Twitter
etc or texting their friends all night through smartphones which is bad for both studies and
their health. And it also has adverse effects on the social life.
Data Security: The data stored on a computer can be accessed by unauthorized persons
through networks. It has created serious problems for the data security.
Computer Crimes: People use the computer for negative activities. They hack the credit card
numbers of the people and misuse them or they can steal important data from big
organizations.
25
Privacy violation: The computers are used to store personal data of the people. The privacy
of a person can be violated if the personal and confidential records are not protected
properly.
 Health risks: The improper and prolonged use of computer can results in injuries or disorders
of hands, wrists, elbows, eyes, necks and back. The users can avoid health risks by using the
computer in proper position. They must also take regular breaks while using the computer
for longer period of time.
Impact on Environment: The computer manufacturing processes and computer waste are
polluting the environment. The wasted parts of computer can release dangerous toxic
materials.
1.5 Computer Security
Why security is important
Theft, loss, network intrusion, and physical damage are some of the ways a network or computer can
be harmed. Damage to, or loss of, equipment can mean a loss of productivity. Repairing and replacing
equipment can cost the company time and money. Unauthorized use of a network can expose
confidential information and reduce network resources. A technician’s primary responsibilities
include data and network security.
1.5.1 Computer viruses
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Malicious software (malware) is any software designed to damage or to disrupt a system. Types of
malware are; viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, adware, spyware, grayware, and other unwanted
software. Typically those malware installed without the user’s knowledge, these programs collect
information stored on the computer, change the computer configuration, or open extra windows on
the computer and all without the user’s consent.
A computer virus: is software code that is deliberately created by an attacker. Viruses can be
attached to computer code or software and can then infect a computer when the software is
executed on that computer. Viruses may collect sensitive information or may alter or destroy
information.
A worm: is a self-replicating program that uses the network to duplicate its code to the hosts on the
network. At a minimum, worms consume bandwidth in a network.
A Trojan horse: is technically a worm and is named for its method of getting past computer defenses
by pretending to be something useful. A keystroke logger, for instance, detects sensitive information
by monitoring the user's keystrokes. The results of a Trojan horse can include data damage,
production loss, and data theft.
Adware: displays advertising, usually in a popup window.
Grayware or malware: is a file or program other than a virus that is potentially harmful. Many
grayware attacks are phishing attacks that try to persuade the reader to unknowingly provide
attackers with access to personal information.
Spyware, a type of grayware, is distributed without any user intervention of knowledge. Spyware
monitors computer activity then sends the information back to the organization responsible for
launching the spyware.
Phishing: is a form of social engineering where the attacker pretends to represent a legitimate
outside organization. The attacker might ask for verification of information, such as a password or
username, to supposedly prevent some terrible consequence from occurring.
Spam, also known as junk mail, is unsolicited e-mail. In most cases, spam is used as a method of
advertising. However, spam can be used to send harmful links or deceptive content.
26 When used as an attack method, spam may include links to an infected website or an attachment
that could infect a computer. These links or attachments may result in lots of windows designed to
capture your attention and lead you to advertising sites. These windows are called popups.
Uncontrolled popup windows can quickly cover the user's screen and prevent any work from getting
done.
To combat spam and phishing, use anti-virus software and setting options in e-mail. Some spam still
may get through, so look for these common indications of spam; no subject line, incomplete return
address, computer generated e-mails, and return e-mails not sent by the user.
NOTE: There is rarely a need to give out sensitive personal or financial information online. Be
suspicious. Use the postal service to share sensitive information.
Anti-virus software is designed to detect, disable, and remove viruses, worms, and Trojan horses
before they infect a computer. Anti-virus software becomes outdated quickly, however, and
technicians must therefore apply the most recent updates, patches, and virus definitions as part of a
regular maintenance schedule.
1.5.2 Security threats
Types of attacks to computer security:
• Physical attacks result in theft, damage, and/or destruction to computer equipment.
• Data attacks result in removal, corruption, denial of access, unauthorized access, or
theft of information.
Potential threats:
• Internal threats from employees who have access may pose a malicious threat or an

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

accidental threat.
• External threats from those outside of an organization that do not have authorized
access. Outside users may attempt an unstructured attack by using available
resources (passwords or scripts) to gain access. They may also attempt a structured
attack by using code to access to computer network or resources.
1.5.3 protect physical equipment
When a computer is stolen, the data is also stolen. There are several methods of physically
protecting computer equipment:
• Control access to facilities
• Use cable locks with equipment
• Keep telecommunication rooms locked
• Fit equipment with security screws
• Use security cages around equipment
• Label and install sensors, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, on
equipment
There are several means of protecting access to facilities:
• Card keys are identity cards with a chip that stores user data, including the level of
access
• Biometric sensors that identify physical characteristics of the user, such as a
fingerprint or retina
• Posted security guard
• Sensors, such as RFID tags, to monitor equipment
1.5.4 Describe ways to protect data
The value of physical equipment is often far less than the value of the data it contains. To protect
data, there are several methods of security protection that can be implemented.
Password protection can prevent unauthorized access to content. Password policies should
include: 27
• Expire after a set period of time
• Contain a mixture of letters and numbers
 • Prevent users from leaving written passwords in view
• Lockout rules to limit the number of unsuccessful attempts
Data encryption uses codes and ciphers. Virtual Private Network (VPN) uses encryption to protect
data. A VPN connection allows a remote user to safely access resources as if their computer is
physically attached to the local network.
Port protection - Every communication using TCP/IP is associated with a port number. HTTPS, for
instance, uses port 443 by default. A firewall is a way of protecting a computer from intrusion
through the ports. The user can control the type of data sent to a computer by selecting which
ports will be open and which will be secured.
Data backups are one of the most effective ways of protecting against data loss. Establish data
backup procedures which account for frequency of backups, storage for data backups, and securing
data backups using passwords.
File system security - All file systems keep track of resources, but only file systems with journals
can log access by user, date, and time. The FAT 32 file system lacks both journaling and encryption
capabilities. As a result, situations that require good security are usually deployed using a file
system such as NTFS, which is part of Windows Operating system. If increased security is needed, it
is possible to run certain utilities, such as CONVERT, to upgrade a FAT 32 file system to NTFS. The
conversion process is not reversible. It is important to clearly define your goals before making the
transition.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1.6 General safety and health safety

Safe working conditions help prevent injury to people and damage to computer equipment.
A safe workspace is clean, organized, and properly lighted. Everyone must understand and
follow safety procedures.
Inside lab, never eat, drink, or smoke while working in the laboratory. Read labels carefully.
Follow the basic safety guidelines to prevent cuts, burns, electrical shock, and damage to
eye-sight. As a best practice, make sure that a fire extinguisher and first-aid kit are available
in case of fire or injury. Poorly placed or unsecured cables can cause tripping hazards
(hazards is any dangerous material could affect the safety of the people) in a network
installation. Please wash your hands before eating after laboratory activities and remember
that is your health.
Other important things in our health is the way we sit at a computer when using it, sitting at
a computer for long periods of time can take a toll on your body. By not sitting with the
correct posture, it is easy to end up with back pain, neck pain, knee pains, and a tingling of
the hands and fingers.

28
1.6.1 How to Sit at a Computer
Here are some tips on maintaining good ergonomics and staying comfortable at your desk
during the day.
Steps
1. Sit up tall. Push your hips as far back as they can go in the chair. Adjust
the seat height so that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees
equal to, or slightly lower than, your hips. Adjust the back of the chair to
a 100°-110° reclined angle. Make sure that your upper and lower back
are supported. If necessary, use inflatable cushions or small pillows.
When your chair has an active back mechanism use it to make frequent
position changes. Adjust the armrests so that your shoulders are relaxed,
and remove them completely if you find that they are in your way.

2. Sit close to your keyboard. Position it so that it is directly in front of

your body. Make sure that the keys are centered with your body.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

3. Adjust the keyboard height. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed,
your elbows are in a slightly open position, and your wrists and hands are
straight.

4. Adjust the tilt of your keyboard based on your sitting position. Use
the keyboard tray mechanism or keyboard feet, to adjust the tilt. If you
sit in a forward or upright position, try tilting your keyboard away from
you, but if you are slightly reclined, then a slight forward tilt will help to
maintain a straight wrist position.

5. Use wrist rests. They will help maintain neutral postures and pad hard
surfaces. The wrist rest should only be used to rest the palms of the
hands between keystrokes and not while typing. Place the mouse or
trackball as close as possible to the keyboard.

29
 6 Position your monitor properly. Adjust the monitor and any source or
reference documents so that your neck is in a neutral, relaxed position. 500-700
Center the monitor directly in front of you, above your keyboard.
Position the top of the monitor approximately 2-3” above your seated
eye level. If you wear bifocals, lower the monitor to a comfortable
reading level.

Sit at least an arm's length away from the screen and adjust the distance
for your vision. Reduce any glare by carefully positioning the screen,
which you should be looking almost straight at, but partially looking
down. Adjust any curtains or blinds as needed. Adjust the vertical screen
angle and screen controls to minimize glare from overhead lights.
7. Position the source documents directly in front of you, and use an in-
line copy stand. If there is insufficient space for that, place the
documents on a document holder positioned adjacent to the monitor.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

9. Take small breaks during your workday to release some of that muscle
tension. Studies have shown that constant sitting is very damaging to
your health. Try walking around for a couple minutes, standing and doing
stretches—anything to break up a full day of sitting on your bottom is
good for you!

 Take short 1-2 minute stretch breaks every 20-30 minutes. After each
hour of work, take a break or change tasks for at least 5-10 minutes.
Always try to get away from your computer during lunch breaks.
 Avoid eye fatigue by resting and refocusing your eyes periodically. Look
away from the monitor and focus on something in the distance. Rest your
eyes by covering them with your palms for 10-15 seconds. Use correct
posture when working. Keep moving as much as possible
10. Exercise your hand by pushing on top of your fingers, and using
backward resistance movements. Do a minimum of fifteen reps for each
hand at least six times every day. This simple exercise will prevent you
from developing carpal tunnel finger problems in the future. Even if you
don’t have any problems right now, you may prevent pain later in life by
doing a few good exercises.

1.6.2 Electrical Safety

Follow electrical safety guidelines to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities in the
laboratories, for electrical safety take care for the following.
 Obtain permission before operating any high voltage equipment (power supplies and
cathode ray tube screen).
30
 Cables are not strained and that there is no risk of people walking or tripping over
them;
  Other devices do not crush the cables;
 Power cords are connected to a grounded electrical outlet;
 The power outlet is easily accessible and as close to the computer as possible (do not
overload it with too many adapters).
 Electrical Voltage Information for Rwanda is 220-240 Volts while in U.S./Canada are
110-120 Volts, Please don’t change from 220-240 v to 110-120 v here in Rwanda.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 When you are adjusting any high voltage equipment or a laser which is powered with
a high voltage supply, USE ONLY ONE HAND. Your other hand is best placed in a
pocket or behind your back. This procedure eliminates the possibility of an accident
where high voltage current flows up one arm, through your chest, and down the
other arm.
1.6.3 Fire Safety

Follow fire safety guidelines to protect lives, structures, and equipment. To avoid an
electrical shock and to prevent damage to the computer, turn off to the power resource,
before you leave the computer.
Fire can spread rapidly and be very costly. Proper use of a fire extinguisher can prevent a
small fire from getting out of control. When working with computer components, be aware
of the possibility of an accidental fire and know how to react. Be alert for odors emitting
from computers and electronic devices. When electronic components overheat or short out,
they emit a burning odor. If there is a fire, follow these safety procedures:
 Never fight a fire that is out of control or not contained.
 Always have a planned fire escape route before beginning any work.
 Get out of the building quickly.
 Contact emergency services for help.
 Locate and read the instructions on the fire extinguishers in your workplace before
you have to use them.
Classify the fire. There are several types of fires.
 "A" fires involve common combustibles like cardboard, paper, wood, and fabrics. 31
 "B" fires involve flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, diesel fuel and kerosene.
  "C" fires are fires that involve energized electrical equipment, them same fire may
also include other types of fire. "D" fires involve burning metals like magnesium,
you are unlikely to encounter these in a home/garage setting.
It is important to know how to use a fire extinguisher. Use the memory aid P-A-S-S to
remember the basic rules of fire extinguisher operation:
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1.6.4 Cleaning your Computer

Cleaning your computer, components, and peripherals help keep everything in good working
condition and helps prevent germs from spreading, for you safety follow the following:
 Always unplug your computer from the power outlet before cleaning it (and remove
the battery if you are using a notebook);
 Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners, use a damp cloth instead;
 Never spray cleaning product directly on the screen;
 If dust has accumulated inside your computer, do not use a vacuum cleaner to
remove it;
 If you spill liquid on your computer or any device attached to it, switch it off
immediately, unplug the power cord (and remove the battery if you are using a
notebook) and make sure it is completely dry before switching it on again. Wait
overnight if necessary.
Computer Cleaning Tools
Today there are many computer cleaning products and tools are available in the market.
Many computer manufacturer guide the user about their products on how to safe and clean
32 it. Some cleaning tools are available in market for internal computer components and for
peripherals. Usually some household items are also helpful to clean the computers
components.
 Cloth - For computer cleaning use the lightly dampened cloth on the computer case
and use paper towel to dry it. But avoid to cleaning inside computer components or
other circuit board with damp or wet cloth.
 Cleaning fluids - spray any cleaning fluids on the computer case and use paper towel
to dry it.
 Compressed air - use the compressed air and start clean from back to front of your
computer case, specially casing and power supply fan.
 Lens cleaning kit - Always use lens cleaning kit to clean drive lens that specially
designed to clean the reading/writing devices.

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33
 1.7 desktop environment
A computer desktop is where you organize your computer work. A desktop consists of pictures, called
icons, files, folders and other items. You can arrange the desktop just as you can arrange real objects
on a real desktop. A desktop it’s the first blue Windows operating system screen, such as it’s the first
image you see when you start up your computer. It consists of many element depends of how you
activate those element but the following are mainly presented elements.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1 Start button- An ever present button at the left of our desk top containing a number of
options. The shortcut of Start Button on the key board is the key that has a symbol of a
window between the ctrl and alt key on key board.
2 Icons- Images used to represent information within the computer. They can represent short
cuts, folders, file or an application.
 File: When you save a document to your hard drive, it becomes a file. A file has two
34 important features. First, it has a name so that you can tell it apart from other files.
Second, it has place to live, like a home address. However, in the case of a file, the
"address" is in the form of a chain of folders.
  Folder: A folder, unlike a file, is a storage unit or container. Like a file, it also has a
name. A folder is not a file, but it can contain files. It is just like a paper folder where
you store your important paper documents such as your paid bills. In addition to
files, a folder can also contain other folders. This is like a bigger box containing
smaller boxes, and each smaller box holding even smaller boxes.
 Short cut: A shortcut is an icon or picture that links an action, an application
program, a document, or some other resource to the computer desktop.
3 The taskbar: is the long horizontal bar at the bottom of your screen. Unlike the desktop, which can
get hidden by open windows, the taskbar is almost always visible. It has three main sections:

 The Start button (see on 1), which opens the Start menu.
 The middle section, which shows you which programs and files you have open and allows
you to quickly switch between them (see on 3).
 The notification area, which includes a clock and icons (small pictures) that communicate
the status of certain programs and computer settings (see on 7).
4 Dropdown Menus: Sometimes referred to as a pull-down menu, drop-down list, or drop-down box,
a dropdown menu is a list of items that appear when clicking on a button or text selection.For
example, many programs have a "File" in menu bar( see on 6) drop down menu at the top left of

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

their screen. Clicking on the "File" text generates a new menu with additional options. Any where
on the desktop background (see on 8) by using right click, you will see the dropdown Menu.

5 Gadgets: Although the Windows Vista sidebar is no longer used, the user can still add useful gadgets
(like different clocks, a calendar, a mini slideshow of personal pictures, stock prices, RSS-feeds,
wheather forecasts, ...) to the desktop. Right click the desktop, on dropdown menu, select Gadgets
and drag (holding the button of your mouse down and moving the mouse where you want to add a
gadget) the desired gadgets to the desktop.

6 Menu Bar: The menu bar is right below the title bar of an open window. Clicking on one of items will
drop down a menu of program commands. Items with a little right pointing triangle have a further
cascading menu associated with them. Three dots mean the command will bring up a dialog box.

 Menu: A menu is just a list of commands. Drop down menus are associated with
menu bars, and pop up or right click menus appear when you right click an item.
Not all items will have right click menus, but when they do it is a convenient way to
change their properties
 Tool tip: Tool tips are the little yellow help boxes that pop up when you hover the
mouse over some areas of the desktop to remind you what the item is or does.
 Dialog Box: Dialog boxes are the forms that you fill out to execute some
commands. They may contain drop down lists, text areas, check boxes, or radio
buttons, which are a group or related buttons of which only one can be selected like
the buttons on those old time car radios.
7 Date and time: The notification area show both a clock and the date

8 Background- The screen provides an access interface to computer applications.

35
 1.7.1 Start menu
The Start menu can be used to quickly start the installed programs. The programs are divided
in two sections: the quickly available programs pinned to the start menu (the upper section)
and the recently opened programs (Task bar). By default this menu is filled with less
important programs, while most of the time the newly installed and important programs are
hidden behind the sub menu All Programs (like shown below –see 2). Left click on All
Programs to open the programs which are hidden, choose the program for example Mozilla
Firefox. By right clicking a program (see 3) and selecting Pin to Start menu (like shown below
–see 4), a program can be added to the short (but quickly available) list of programs in the
Start menu.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1.7.2 The Taskbar

In Windows 7 for instance, the Taskbar has been improved resulting in a better user
experience. As soon as a program is opened the program icon is added as a button to the
taskbar (when multiple windows of the same program are opened, the buttons are stacked).
The Quick Launch menu of previous versions is no longer used; the shortcuts to frequently
used programs are placed directly on the taskbar (and changes in a button when the program
is activated). A program can be pinned to the taskbar by right clicking the program icon on
the taskbar and selecting Pin this program to taskbar (select Unpin this program from
taskbar to unpin the program).
36
Changing the behavior of the taskbar
The behavior of the Taskbar can be changed as well. By dragging the top of the taskbar upwards, the
height of the taskbar can be enlarged (to make space available for more program icons). Right click
the taskbar and deselect Lock the Taskbar first to accomplish this. Right click an empty area of the
Taskbar followed by Properties for additional option like Auto-hide the taskbar (to make space
available for the active programs) and Use small icons (to fit more program icons on the taskbar).

System tray/Notification area

Normally the System tray/notification area (at the right side of the Taskbar) is filled with lots
of icons of active programs running in the background. The icons are a shortcut to open the
program, but most of them are not used at all. Right click the clock and select Properties.
The shown window can be used to select which system icons to be shown in the system tray.
The icons for the volume, network, battery power level and the action center can be disabled
(especially the frequently returning icon for the action center can cause some irritations). To
keep the system tray lean and mean, most icons are hidden behind the arrow (at the left of
the system tray). When an icon must be visible continuously, just drag it to the taskbar.
Note that by following the link Customize notification icons (or by the control panel, sub
Notification Area Icons), the user can choose to hide or show the icons and/or notifications.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Changing the date and time settings
The notification area show both a clock and the date (by doubling the height of the taskbar,
this area also shows the day of the week). By clicking the date/time area, the calendar and
the analog clock is shown. If the time and/or date have been set incorrectly, they can be
changed following the link Change date and time settings. The tab Additional Clocks offers
the option to add two additional clocks (for different time zones) to the pop-up window.
1.7.3 The desktop
By placing shortcuts to frequently used folders, files and programs can be opened quickly.
To keep a good overview, limit the number of shortcuts placed on the desktop (when
shortcuts to programs are pinned to the task bar and start menu, there is actually no need
to place them on the desktop as well). Be aware that it is not wise to place any personal files
on the desktop; it enlarges the risk of losing data! Personal files belong in the folder My
documents, if you would like to have quick access to personal files on the desktop, place
shortcuts to the files and/or folders by right clicking it and choosing for Send To -> Desktop
(create shortcut).
Minimizing programs
When the shortcuts on the desktop are frequently used, the active windows will have to be
minimized frequently as well. Although the programs can
be minimized (or closed) manually, there is a method
which works a lot quicker: just click the button Show
desktop (below see 1) at the
right side of the system tray, to minimize all windows at once.
There is only one negative side effect of this button: when the 37
mouse is hovered with the mouse, the desktop is shown
temporarily. Disable this feature when it becomes irritating:
 right click the button and deactivate the option Peek at desktop (see 2). The Windows-key
in combination with repeatedly pressing the arrow down key minimizes all opened
programs. The Windows-key in combination with the space bar show (temporarily) the
desktop and in combination with the Home-key all but the active window will be minimized
(the old situation will be restored after repeating this key combination). By holding down
the left button on the active window and to shake the window, all other windows will be
minimized.
Sorting icons
The icons of the shortcuts will be ordered nicely by right clicking the desktop and to select
View, Auto arrange items. The option Align icons to grid can be enabled as well. By default
the icons are quite large but can be resized to a smaller version by holding down the CTRL-
key in combination with scrolling the mouse wheel.
What is Task Manager?
Task Manager shows you the programs, processes, and services that are currently running on your
computer. You can use Task Manager to monitor your computer’s performance or to close a
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

program that is not responding.

Open Task Manager by right-clicking the taskbar and then clicking Task Manager (1).

What is the Recycle Bin?

The Recycle Bin is a folder with a fancy icon where files and folders that you have deleted
38 are stored. They have not been permanently removed from your hard drive(s), they were
only "moved" to this special folder. By default, you find the Recycle Bin in the left top corner
of your Desktop, looking like in the image below.
 You can also find it on the left-side panel in File Explorer (if you use
Windows 8 or Windows 8.1) or Windows Explorer (if you use Windows
7).

How to Delete Files and/ or Folders?

To delete a file or folder, select it and press on Delete key on your keyboard. Alternatively,
right click on file or folder on dropdown menu select delete. In Windows 8 and 8.1, the file
is deleted immediately, and no further action is required from the user.
In Windows 7 however, a pop-up will appear asking you if you really want to delete the file.
When you click Yes, it will go to the Recycle Bin. You can choose to cancel the action by
clicking No.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

You can also select multiple items and delete them. The pop-up will be something like the
one in the screenshot below.

Bypassing the Recycle Bin

If you are absolutely certain you want to delete a file, you can bypass the Recycle Bin
altogether by selecting a file or files and pressing Shift + Delete on your keyboard. You will
immediately see this confirmation pop-up, asking if you are sure you want to permanently
delete the selected content.

39
 Remember, when you do this, the file or folder is deleted for real and cannot be found in the
Recycle Bin for easy restoration.
To recover files from the Recycle Bin
1. Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking the Recycle Bin on the desktop.
2. Do one of the following:
 To restore a file, click it, and then, on the toolbar, click Restore this item.
 To restore all of the files, make sure that no files are selected, and then, on the
toolbar, click Restore all items.
The files will be restored to their original locations on your computer.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1.7.4 Windows
Obviously, windows are central to Windows. They are so important that they named the
operating system after them. But what is a window? When you think of a window, you
probably think of something like the following windows of an application windows.
This type of window is called an application window or
main window. It typically has a frame with a title bar,
Minimize and Maximize buttons, and other standard
User Interface (UI) elements. The frame is called the
non-client area of the window, so called because the
operating system manages that portion of the
window. The area within the frame is the client area.
This is the part of the window that your program
manages.
Here is another type of window:
It is not a surprise you learners, the user interface controls, such as
buttons and edit boxes are themselves windows. You know what boxes am talking? Is for
example the window appeared when you want to send files in recycle bin.

40
The major difference between a user interface control and an application window is that a
control does not exist by itself. Instead, the control is positioned relative to the application
window. When you drag the application window, the control moves with it, as you would
expect. Also, the control and the application window can communicate with each other. (For
example, the application window receives click notifications from a button.). Therefore,
when you think window, do not simply think application window.

Example of Document window from Microsoft windows operating system

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

41
 Menu bar In Microsoft Windows, the menu bar may alternatively be referred to as file
menu and is located near the title bar. Below is a graphical representation of a
Windows file menu with a description of each part of the menu.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Title bar The title bar is a bar located at the top of a window or a dialog box that
displays the name of the window or software program being used. For
example, as can be seen in the picture above the title bar gives the name
of the program and document currently being edited.
As illustrated in the above picture, the title bar typically has a minimize,
maximize, and close button. Also, in the top-left corner of a Microsoft
Windows program window is typically an icon of the program that can
be clicked to also show these options.
In Microsoft Windows pressing Alt + Spacebar shows you the window
menu options as shown in the following picture. Using this keyboard
shortcut allows you to perform any of the title bar options without using
a mouse.

Below is a list of some of the functions of the title bar. Keep in mind
that not all of these are available in all operating systems and
programs.
1. Click and hold down the mouse button on the title bar to move the
window.
42 2. Double-click the title bar to maximize the window or sets the window
into window mode.
 3. Windows 7 introduced side-by-side that allows you to click and drag
the title bar to any edge of the screen and attach that window to that
portion of the screen.
Toolbar Sometimes referred to as a bar, the toolbar is a row of boxes, often at
the top of an application window that control various functions of the
software. The boxes often contain images that correspond with the
function they control, as demonstrated in the image below. A toolbar
often provides quick access to functions that are commonly performed
within the program. In most Microsoft Windows programs, the toolbars
can be adjusted, hidden, or displayed by clicking on View at the top of
the window, and then selecting Toolbars.
Minimize In all recent versions of Microsoft Windows, the minimize button is
represented by an underscore in the top-right corner of the window.
When minimized, the program will remain on the taskbar, but not
visible.
Note that:
1. To minimize only the current window press Alt + Space bar.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Once the window properties is displayed press N to minimize
the window.
2. Microsoft Windows users with a Windows keyboard can press
the Windows key + M shortcut key to minimize all open
windows. To undo the minimize all open windows, press Shift +
Windows Key + M.
3. Users can also use the Windows key + arrow down to resize
and then minimize a window.
Maximize and Maximize allows a user to enlarge a window to its maximum size,
Resize commonly the full display area of the monitor or screen, or the program
window that contains the window being maximized.
Note that:
1. To maximize the current window press Alt + Space bar. Once
the window properties is displayed press X to maximize the
window.
2. Users can also use the Windows key + up down to resize and
then maximize a window.
3. The maximize button will not be available or become a resize
button if the window is already full screen.
Close The close box or close button allows a user to terminate a window from
a program or the complete program. For example, In Microsoft Windows
operating systems and other operating systems and software programs,
the close button with an "X" is located in the top right corner of the
window. If there are multiple windows opened within the program, the
"X" at the top right corner closes the program and the bottom "X" closes
the window but keeps the program open. In the picture below, is an 43
example of the close button.
 Press the keyboard shortcut key Alt + F4 in Windows to close an open
program. If the program has any open windows or tabs press Ctrl + F4 or
Ctrl + W to close the window or tab, but keep the program open.
Vertical scroll A vertical or horizontal bar commonly located on the far right or bottom
bar of a window that allows you to move the window viewing area up, down,
left, or right. Most people today are familiar with scrollbars because of
the need to scroll up and down in almost every Internet web page.
Scrollbars are utilized using the mouse or keyboard. With a mouse, you
can move scroll bar by clicking the scroll arrow at either end of the scroll
bars, click empty portions of the scroll bar, or click and drag the scroll
box. With a keyboard, you can use the up or down arrow keys, page up
and page down key, and even the spacebar to move the scrollbar.
Most computers today also include a mouse with a wheel or button that
allows you to scroll up and down on a page, and in some cases left to
right
Status bar A status bar is the bottom partition of Internet browsers and program
windows that display the current state of the web page or window being
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

displayed. For example, in Internet Explorer, it shows whether or not the

page is secure, its certificate, what is currently being loaded on the page,
and the web address. Below is an example of how the Microsoft Internet
Explorer status bar may look.

Horizontal Horizontal scrolling is the ability of a program to allow a user to scroll

scroll bar horizontally using the window scroll bar. The horizontal scroll bar is not
used often and usually not visible because it is not needed.
Sizing handle Alternatively referred to as a handle, drag handle, sizing grip, or resize
corner, the sizing handle is a tool found in a Graphical User Interface
(GUI) that allows users to resize an object. For example, as you can see
in the image to the right, many windows in the Microsoft Windows
operating system have a sizing handle in the lower right-hand corner. A
user can click and drag on this indicator to resize the window.

44
Windows Explorer
Alternatively referred to as File Explorer or Windows Explorer, Explorer is a file browser
found in every version of Microsoft Windows since Windows 95. It is used to navigate and
manage the drives, folders, and files on a computer.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Ways to open Windows Explorer
1. Users with a keyboard that has the Windows key can press the Windows key and E key at
the same time.
2. In Windows 7 and earlier versions, right-click the Start button and select Explorer or Open
Windows Explorer.
3. In Windows 8 and 8.1, right-click the bottom-left corner of the screen to get the Power
User Menu and choose File Explorer
4. Click Start > Programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer or Explorer.
5. In the Windows Start Menu or Start Screen, type explorer.exe or windows explorer in the
Search text field and press Enter.
6. Click Start > Run, and type explorer.exe and press Enter.
Using libraries to access your files and folders

You can use libraries, to access your files and folders, and arrange them in different ways.
Here's a list of the four default libraries and what they're typically used for:
 Documents library. Use this library to organize and arrange word-processing
documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other text-related files. By default, files
that you move, copy, or save to the Documents library are stored in the My 45
Documents folder.
  Pictures library. Use this library to organize and arrange your digital pictures,
whether you get them from your camera, scanner, or in e-mail from other people. By
default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Pictures library are stored in the My
Pictures folder.
 Music library. Use this library to organize and arrange your digital music, such as
songs that you rip from an audio CD or that you download from the Internet. By
default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Music library are stored in the My
Music folder.
 Videos library. Use this library to organize and arrange your videos, such as clips from
your digital camera or camcorder, or video files that you download from the Internet.
By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Videos library are stored in the
My Videos folder.
Understanding the parts of a window

When you open a folder or library, you see it in a window. The various parts of this window
are designed to help you navigate around Windows or work with files, folders, and libraries
more easily. Here's a typical window and each of its parts:
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

46
Viewing and arranging files and folders
When you open a folder or library, you can change how
the files look in the window. For example, you might
prefer larger (or smaller) icons or a view that lets you
see different kinds of information about each file. To
make these kinds of changes, use the Views button
in the toolbar.
Each time you click the left side of the Views
button, it changes the way your files and folders
are displayed by cycling through five different
views: Large Icons, List, a view called Details that
shows several columns of information about the
file, a smaller icon view called Tiles, and a view
called Content that shows some of the content
from within the file.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

If you click the arrow on the right side of the Views
button, you have more choices. Move the slider up or down to fine-tune the size of the file
and folder icons. You can see the icons change size as you move the slider.
Finding files

Depending on how many files you have and how they are organized, finding a file might
mean browsing through hundreds of files and subfolders not an easy task. To save time and
effort, use the search box to find your file.

The search box is located at the top of every

window. To find a file, open the folder or library
that makes the most sense as a starting point
for your search, click the search box, and start
typing. The search box filters the current view
based on the text that you type. Files are displayed as search results if your search term
matches the file's name, tags or other properties, or even the text inside a text document.
If you're searching for a file based on a property (such as the file's type), you can narrow the
search before you start typing by clicking the search box, and then clicking one of the
properties just below the search box. This adds a search filter (such as "type") to your search
text, which will give you more accurate results.
If you aren't seeing the file you're looking for, you can change the entire scope of a search
by clicking one of the options at the bottom of the search results. For example, if you search
for a file in the Documents library but you can't find it, you can click Libraries to expand the
search to the rest of your libraries.
Working with files and folders
A file is an item that contains information for example, text or images or music. When opened, a file 47
can look very much like a text document or a picture that you might find on someone's desk or in a
 filing cabinet. On your computer, files are represented with icons; this makes it easy to recognize a
type of file by looking at its icon. Here are some common file icons:

Icons for a few types of files

A folder is a container you can use to store files in. If you
had thousands of paper files on your desk, it would be
nearly impossible to find any particular file when you
needed it. That's why people often store paper files in
folders inside a filing cabinet. On your computer, folders
work the same way. Here are some typical folder icons:
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

An empty folder (left); a folder containing files (right)

Folders can also store other folders. A folder within a
folder is usually called a subfolder. You can create any
number of subfolders, and each can hold any number of files and additional subfolders.
Folder

A folder is a location where you can store your files. You can create any number of folders
and even store folders inside other folders (subfolders).

48

Here’s how to create a new folder:

 1. Go to the location (such as a folder or the desktop) where you want to create a new
folder.
2. Right-click a blank area on the desktop or in the folder window, point to New (1),
and then click Folder (2).
3. Type a name for the new folder, and then press Enter.

The new folder will appear in the location you specified.

Here’s how to delete folder:
1. Go to the location where you want to delete a folder.
2. Right-click on the folder you want to delete (1), point to delete (2)

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

3. On the conformation windows click Yes if you are sure, if not click on No button.

49
 Here’s how to cut, copy and paste:
Use the same procedure above, then choose the command to use either copy (1) or cut (2).
After open the place where you want to place the folder (for instance open document) then
right click the choose paste (see 1 of the second figure).
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Here’s how to Name folder:

1. Go to the location where you want to rename the folder.
2. Right-click on the folder, point to Rename,
3. Type a new name for the folder, and then press Enter.
File
Like folder, the file is defined in section 3.1 of this unit in this section we interested on file
creation, rename, cut, copy and paste and delete.
Create a new file
You can create new files in any program and give each of them a meaningful name to help you
organize your work. In most programs, the File menu is where you open, save, and create new files.
1. Click the File menu in the program you are using, and then click New.
2. When you are finished working with the new file, click the File menu, and then click Save As
to name the file and save it on your computer.
To create a new file on the desktop or in an open folder, right-click a blank area, point to
New (1), and then click the program name for the kind of file you want to create ( i.e.
50 Microsoft Word Document- see 2). After the icon appears, double-click it to open the file
and begin working.
 COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION
Note that, to rename, cut, copy and paste and delete a file is like the way we did in the folder
above.

51
 Chapter II: Word processing
2.1 An overview of Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word 2007 window if you have used previous versions of Microsoft Word like 2000 or
2003, you’ll notice that the old menu system has been replaced by the Ribbon and the Office button
but in Microsoft word 2010, 2013 and 2016 Office button becomes FILE.
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When you need help:

At the top right corner of your Microsoft Word screen, you’ll see a small blue circle containing a
question mark; just click on the question mark to open the MS Word Help window. You can also
access the Help window by pressing the [F1] key on your keyboard. To get help on a specific topic,
type a word or phrase in the blank area at the top of the window and then click the Search button;
alternatively, you can click on any of the Help topics listed in the window. Click the X in the top right
corner to close the Help window.

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 The Office button Contains a menu of file-related commands. Click the Office Button to see
the available commands. Select a command by clicking on it.
The Quick access Provides a set of frequently used commands. The default options are to
toolbar save a file, to undo the last action, and to repeat your most recent action.
The Ribbon tabs Provide you with a set of tools that are relevant to what you are currently
doing. In the example above, the Home tab contains formatting and
editing options.
The Title bar Displays the name of the program and the name of the current
document. If you haven’t named the document yet, then it will be called
something like Document1.
Window controls
Are used to change the size of a window, or to close it.
The Vertical scrollbar Is used to scroll up and down the page. You can also click on the little
down arrow below the scrollbar to move down the page. If your page is
wider than the screen display, then you will also see a Horizontal scrollbar
across the bottom of the window
The Status and Displays useful information about your document, such as the page count

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information bar and number of words.
Ruler The Ruler is located at the top and to the left of your document. It makes it
easier to make alignment and spacing adjustments.

Typing the text

When you start Microsoft Word, you effectively open an empty page into your Word “typewriter”.
In addition, the writing-mark (the cursor) blinks contentedly and waits for your text. So what are you
waiting for? Start typing! Write down whatever comes into your head!

Typing upper-case letters

You want to type UPPER-CASE letters? Just hold down the [SHIFT] key, and type the letters that you’d 53
like in upper case. You will find the [SHIFT] key in two places on your keyboard.
 Are you typing only upper-case letters?

Then you probably pressed the [CAPS LOCK] key by mistake. It’s usually located just above the
[SHIFT] key on the left-hand side. To deactivate this function, simply press [CAPS LOCK] again.

On most keyboards, you’ll recognize such “toggle keys” immediately, since they control a series of
little lights (usually green) on the upper right side of your keyboard.
Rules for entering text

Activity 2.1

Please type the following text. Do not press [ENTER] until the end of the paragraph.
“One upon a time, King Lear ruled over Britain. He had three beautiful daughters. Goneril, the
eldest, was married to the Duke of Albany. Regan was wife to the Duke of Cornwall. The youngest,
Cordelia, was still single. King Lear was old and felt that the royal duties were becoming too much
for him to bear. So, he decided to let his daughters govern his kingdom. He planned to give the
largest part of his kingdom to the daughter who loved him most.”
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You will notice that in Microsoft Word, line breaks occur automatically. You should only press
[ENTER] if
You really want to start a new paragraph. You will also press the [ENTER] key if you want to move
on to a new line after writing only a few words. For example, you might want to do this if you are
making a list or typing a short passage of text. Whatever you do, don’t press [ENTER] after each line
of continuous text! That makes it very difficult to edit your writing. But do leave a space after every
punctuation mark, that is, after full stops, commas, or exclamation marks.
Correcting mistakes
You made a mistake? There is a wonderful key that helps you correct your mistakes, called the
[BACKSPACE] key. You will find it directly above the [ENTER] key. Each press of the [BACKSPACE]
key deletes one character to the left of the cursor.
Undoing and redoing steps

Instead of erasing one word, you’d like to undo several steps at once? No
problem!

1. Each press of the Undo button (on the Quick Access toolbar) takes you one
Undo step backwards. Or press [CTRL] + [Z].

2. If you click the little down arrow next to the Undo button, you’ll see a list of all
the

Steps you’ve taken so far. Using this list, you can select the specific step(s) that
you
54 Want to undo.
 Note that after you have undone one or more actions, the redo command
becomes available and allows you to restore the undone actions. To redo an
action, on the Quick Access toolbar, click the redo button. Or press [CTRL] + [Y]
Redo

Safety first: saving documents

You are writing and writing, but have you saved your document? Currently the document exists only
in your computer’s primary memory, which means that it could get lost at any second. Your
computer’s memory is a fleeting electronic storehouse. If there’s a power failure, or your computer
crashes (the system hangs), then all the data in memory will be lost!
The solution to the problem? Save your work as soon as possible you can.
Saving data for the first time
Here is what to do if you’re saving a file for the first time:
1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar . You will recognize it by the picture of a
diskette on it. Or press [CTRL] + [S].
2. The Save As window will appear. Normally, the DOCUMENTS folder is already selected.

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3. Now look at the File name field. Word has already entered a Doc1 name for you.
6. Overwrite the Doc1 name by typing your own file name in the field, eg history.
7. Click the Save button. Your document will be saved with the name you gave it, on the drive that
you selected. Note that the new file name is now displayed on Word’s title bar.
Saving regularly
Now you have saved your file for the first time, but that’s not enough! You need to keep saving
Your work at regular intervals.
1. To save, click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar from time to time.
2. Or you can use the keyboard shortcut: press [CTRL] + [S].
3. Your file will be saved without a lot of fuss.
Why doesn’t the first dialogue box appear anymore? The answer to this question is simple. 55
You gave the file a name and specified its location the first time you saved it. Now Word just
saves the file under the same name and in the same place!
 Closing a document:
You would like to close the current document without quitting Word? Just click the Office button and
select the Close command.

You will see the Word screen without any document.

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Closing Word

There are several methods you can use to end Word:

 Click the Office button, and then click the Exit Word button in the
bottom right corner.
 Alternatively, close the window by clicking on the X at the far right
edge of the title bar. Or press [alt] + [F4].
If you’ve made any changes since you last saved your document, then you’ll be asked whether you
want to save your changes. You can return to your document by pressing [ESC] or clicking the Cancel
button.

Opening your documents

You would like to work more on a document that you previously started? Just open the appropriate
folder and haul your work out again. There are two different approaches you can use for opening
existing Word documents.

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To open a document directly from Word
1. Click the Office button. A list of your most recent documents is displayed on the right of the file
menu. Click any file name to open it.
2. If the file you want is not on the list, then select the Open command, the button looks like a
folder that’s being opened . Or press [CTRL] + [O].

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3. The Open dialog box will appear. Click on the down arrow beside the Look Infield and select the
file location (remember our document have been saved in DOCUMENTS folder). Then choose your
file by clicking its entry on the list.
4. Click the Open button in the lower right corner of the dialog box. Alternatively, you can double-
click on the file name to open it .
5. The contents of your file will be displayed on the screen. Note that several documents can be
open simultaneously, just repeat this process.

To open a document from inside My Computer:

1. Select COMPUTER from the Start menu or by double-clicking its desktop icon.
2. Double-click on the drive containing the required folder and file (this could also be a
Flash drive).
3. Double-click the folder you saved your document in, to see the files that it contains.
4. Double-click the required file name, or else select it and press [ENTER]. The file will open in
Word.
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 Rename the document:
One way to rename a document is to open Microsoft word, open the document, and then
save it with a different name. However, there's a quicker way open the location of the
document (for example DOCUMENTS in our case):
1. Right-click the file that you want to rename, and then click Rename.
2. Type the new name, and then press Enter.

2.2 Word basic formatting

In previous Section we study how to create a document or a file in Microsoft word, and I
guess you have appreciate the basic features of a Microsoft word offer to you. Now in this
Section, the learner works with character, word, sentence, paragraph and the whole
document by apply on it the basic text formatting and movement though the text.
To understand well above objectives it’s better to learn by doing. Now let start with activity.
Activity 2.2
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Follow the following steps in you activity

1. Open Microsoft word

2. Before you continue save your document. the file name should be ‘environment’
3. Type the following message (to create a paragraph press [ENTER])
Today, however, we have the power to bring about changes to stop the
destruction of the environment because we are becoming more aware of how our
lives are shaped by the environment. Even when events do not directly affect us,
reports in the mass media expose us to the extensive damage caused by such
events.

Fishery collapses, water shortages, rainforests burning uncontrollably, sudden

deaths of birds, dolphins and fish, record heat waves, and raging storms that cause
widespread destruction only serve to increase our awareness that our survival
depends on the weather which in turn depends on our ability to maintain the
ecological balance.
4. Move the mouse pointer over “Today” the first word of our text, the point looks like this
“I” right? If yes, click the left button twice (double clicks) in quick succession. double clicks
5. The small window open, then click on to change the appearance of the word “Today”

There is another options to do above step, after double click on the word, click on [home
ribbon tab], then choose the sub group [Font]. Or press [CTRL] + [B].
58 6. Do the same process on “environment” and “destruction”.
7. Double click on “birds” on second paragraph, then click on button of choose
your favorite color
 8. Click on office button and choose to save the modification.

Moving with the mouse

Congratulation for activity 2.2 of this unit, now I have same questions to ask. How do you move
around the text most easily? You use your mouse is it? Yes!
 When the mouse pointer is completely outside the document, it looks like a hollow arrow
facing to the left.
 When the mouse pointer is in the document margin area, it looks like a hollow arrow facing

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to the right.
 When you move the mouse pointer over text, it looks like a capital “I”, this is called the
insertion point.
To enter or edit text, you need to position the insertion point at the place in the text where you want
to type, and then click the left mouse button. The text cursor (a thin vertical line) will blink to show
that it is ready for you to start typing at this point. If you want to add text below the end of your
document, you can either press [ENTER] after the last paragraph to move the text cursor lower down
the page; or else you can position the insertion point where you would like to type, and do a double
click. Word will automatically fill in any blank lines for you!
Using the cursor keys
The mouse isn’t always the fastest way to move through text. Sometimes it saves time to use the
keyboard as a clever alternative! Have a look at the cursor keys (arrow keys), which are found on the
right of the normal keyboard. These provide you with flexible options for navigation. Note that if you
hold down an arrow key, it will rapidly repeat its action.

moves one cursor space to the left

moves one cursor space to the right

moves the cursor up one line

moves the cursor down one line

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 Beginning and end of the line
It can be difficult to get to the beginning or end of a line using the mouse. The keyboard offers you
two keys intended specifically for this task!

moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line

moves the cursor to the end of the current line

Beginning and end of the document

You’d like to jump immediately to the beginning of your document? Nothing could be easier! Just
hold down the [CTRL] key and press [HOME].
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To jump to the end of the document, hold down [CTRL] and press [END].
Bigger steps
If you would like to move through the document using bigger steps, try using the following keys:

Moves the cursor one screen upwards

Moves the cursor one screen downwards

CTRL+HOME Move to the top of a document

CTRL + END Move to the bottom of a document

Text selection
As you have seen in our activity, before you can do anything to your text, you need to select the
parts you want to act on. Selected text passages are easy to manipulate.
Selecting a word
You want to select just one word? No problem!
1. Position the mouse pointer directly over the word.
2. Double-click the left mouse button. It’s that easy!
If you want to de-select text that you’ve selected, just click anywhere outside the selected text.
60
Selecting a group of words
Selecting a group of words isn’t hard either.
1. Position the mouse pointer before the first word in the passage to be selected.
2. Click the left mouse button and hold it down.
3. Now, while holding the left mouse button down, drag the mouse over the text.
4. Release the mouse button only when you’ve selected all the text you want.
If you want to select the paragraph by using mouse position the pointer on paragraph then triple
click.

Selecting longer sentences

The text you’d like to select extends over multiple lines? For example, it begins on the upper right
side of the screen but ends far below on the left?
1. Start by positioning the mouse at the beginning of the first sentence. Hold the left mouse button
down, and don’t release it until you’ve selected the entire area you want.
2. Now drag the mouse directly downwards. This way you select an entire line at a time. Don’t let
go of the mouse button!
3. Have you selected too much text? Don’t let go of the mouse button yet! Just drag backwards to
unselect, until you’ve reached the word that ends your selection. If you accidentally moved some of
your text around while you were selecting it, then click the Undo button on the Quick Access
toolbar or [CTRL] + [Z].

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Selecting line by line
You can even highlight entire lines of text at a swoop.
1. Position the mouse in the margin to the left of the first line you’d like to select. The mouse
pointer will look like a hollow arrow facing to the right.
2. Click the left mouse button and don’t let go. The first line will be selected immediately.
3. Now, holding the left mouse button down, drag the mouse down the side of the page. Let the
mouse button go when you’ve highlighted as much text as you want to select.
Quick tip: you can select a single line by clicking once in the left margin; select the whole
paragraph by clicking twice on the left margin; and select the entire document by clicking three
times in the left margin.

Selecting precisely what you want

Is clicking and dragging the mouse too clumsy for you? Then here’s another approach:
1. Click wherever you’d like the selection to begin. (Just click, don’t keep on holding the mouse
button down.)
2. Press the [SHIFT] key and hold it down.
3. While still holding the [SHIFT] key down, click wherever you’d like the selection to end. Release
the [SHIFT] key. All the text between these two points is selected!
Selecting with the keyboard
By the way, you don’t have to use the mouse to select text. You can also use the cursor (arrow)
keys on the keyboard. Try holding down the [SHIFT] key and using the arrow keys to expand your
selection.

61
 Selecting the whole document
You would like to select the whole document at once? That’s
easy! At the right end of the Home ribbon, click the down
arrow next to the word Select, and then click Select All. Or
press [CTRL]+[A]

Deleting and adding text

Now it’s finally time to reveal the secrets of deleting and adding text! Deleting individual characters
in Word there are two ways that you can delete your text, character by character, step by step.
1. You have already met the [BACKSPACE] key; use it to delete characters to the left of the
cursor.
2. There is also a key that deletes characters ahead of the cursor. It’s the [DEL] (delete) key. Go
ahead and try it!
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Removing larger blocks of text

You’d like to remove several sentences at once? And you’re going to do this by pressing the
[BACKSPACE] key until you’ve erased everything? I’d like to know where you find so much time!
Instead, I’d advise you to select the text that you want to remove, and then press the [DEL] key. It’s
really that easy!
Using the clipboard
Cutting, copying, and pasting are some of the most practical features of a word processing.
Cutting and pasting
You would like to move some text from one place to another in your document? It could not be
easier! Here’s how it’s done:
1. Select the relevant text.
2. Click the Cut button on the Home ribbon, its icon is a pair of scissors.
3. Whoops! Where did the selected text go? It’s been moved to the
Clipboard, which is an (invisible) storage area.
4. Place the cursor at the point where you would like to add the text.
5. Now click the Paste button its icon is a picture of a clipboard.
6. If necessary, add an extra space at the end of the pasted text.
Copying instead of cutting
So how does copying work? It’s very similar! Select your text, and then click (the icon shows
two sheets of paper) instead of Cut.
When you copy, the selected text remains in its original position in the document, and a copy of it is
placed on the clipboard. You can paste the copied text anywhere else in your document (or in another
document).
62 Text that has been cut or copied to the clipboard can be inserted as many times as you want to.
Only when you cut or copy again will the contents of the clipboard be erased.
Keyboard shortcuts for clipboard
There are also some easy-to-remember key combinations to cut, copy and paste! Just hold
Down the first key [CTRL] while you type the second one.
[CTRL] + [X] : Cut
[CTRL] + [C] : Copy
[CTRL] + [V] : Paste
Searching for text
You are working on a long document, and looking for a particular item of text?
1. Click the Find button at the left end of the Home ribbon.
2. The Find and Replace dialog box will appear. Click the Find tab.
3. Type in the word or phrase you are searching for and click Find Next.

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4. Word will display and highlight the next occurrence of the specified word or phrase.
5. You can continue pressing Find Next to locate all occurrences of the specified word or phrase, or
click Cancel to close the window.
6. Word will tell you when all occurrences of the word or phrase have been displayed.

The Replace tab allows you to replace occurrences of one word or phrase with another.

If you want for example to replace birds into Animals, follow the same steps but here click on
Replace.
Then click on Replace All.

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 Final you will have the following windows:

Basic text formatting

Word provides an amazing range of tools to help you create professional-looking documents!
Characteristics that affect the appearance of one or more characters are called character formats.
Changing the font
The style of typeface that you use is called the font, and there are literally hundreds to choose
from!
To change your font:
1. First, select the relevant text. This can be anything from a single character to the entire
document.
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2. Find the Font field on the Home ribbon.

Font Size

3. Click the drop-down arrow next to the Font field.

4. The list with countless font choices opened. Scroll through the list until you have found the font
you want to use. As you move the mouse over a particular font, your document will show what that
font would look like.

5. Select the font you want by clicking its name.

64
Changing the font size
You can change the size of the font to suit your needs:

1. Once again, first select the relevant text.

2. Find the Point Size field on the Home ribbon, and click the drop-down arrow next to it.

3. On the list, find the font size that suits you and click it.

You can also specify your own font size. Just click in the Point Size field and type in the size
that you’d like, then press [ENTER]. The size must be between 1 and 1638, and can include
“half sizes” such as 12.5.

Bold, italic, and underline

Would you like your text to be bold, italic or underlined? It’s very easy! As usual, you start by
selecting the text that you want to format, since otherwise Word will not know where the new
formatting should be applied.
1. Select the relevant portion of your text.
2. Click the appropriate character formatting button on the Home ribbon.

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Shortcut

for Bold [CTRL] + [B]

for Italic [CTRL] + [I]

for Underline [CTRL] + [U]

Note that, the arrow next to the underline button offers you a choice of underlining styles.
3. To turn a character format off, click the same button again.
You can select multiple formatting characteristics at the same time, for example by clicking Bold
and then Italic.

You can apply one or more font styles effects to text. Font styles are attribute such as those we
mentioned above, bold, italic and underline; effects are especial enhancements such as
strikethrough, subscript, superscript, and Change Case.

Draws a line through the middle of the selected text (example)

Creates small letters below the text baseline (H2O is an example)

Creates small letters above the line of text (x2+2x-5 is an example)

65
Changes the selected text to uppercase, lowercase, or other common
capitalizations.
 Note that the bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, subscript, and superscript buttons are toggles.
If you select text to which one of these formats has been applied, and then click the corresponding
button, that format is removed.
Clearing Formatting
You can remove all formatting from selected text, leaving only the plain text.
To clear formatting:
1. Select the text that has the formatting you to clear.
2. On the Home Tab, in the Font group, click the Clear All formatting button
Font color
Colors can really make life worth living! And Word gives you the ability to make your texts as
colorful as you wish! The general rule applies here too: first select your text, then act:
1. Find the Font Color button on the Home ribbon, and click the drop-down arrow.
2. The palette containing all the text colors opened and available to you.
3. Choose the text color that you would like by clicking on it.
Paragraph formatting
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Paragraph formatting applies to a complete paragraph, that is, all the text between two occurrences
of [ENTER]. And you don’t even need to select the text first, unless you want to format more than
one paragraph. Just position your cursor anywhere inside the paragraph that you want to format. It’s
as simple as that!
Right, left, or in the middle? Please arrange!
By default, paragraphs are usually left-aligned: the left margin is straight, but
the right margin is jagged. Word provides you with a number of other options
though. Just position your cursor anywhere in the paragraph, and click one of
the text alignment buttons on the Home ribbon.

Align left: text is aligned at the left margin but jagged on the right.

Center: text is centered within each line, with jagged margins on both left and right.

Align right: Text is aligned at the right margin but jagged on the left.

Justify: text is aligned at both the left and right margins (Word does this by adjusting the
amount of space between words).

Changing line and Paragraph Spacing

Line spacing determines the amount of space between the lines of text in a paragraph. Paragraph
spacing determines the amount of space above and below a paragraph.
To change the line spacing within a paragraph:
1. Select the paragraph that you want to format.
66 2. On the home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the line and Paragraph Spacing button

and Select the desired line spacing.

To change the spacing before or after a paragraph:
1. Select the paragraph that you want to format
2. On the Page Layout Tab, in the Paragraph group, enter the desired value in the Spacing
Before or Spacing After box

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Changing Paragraph Indentation

Indentation a paragraph refers to moving it away from the left, the right, or both margins. You can
indent an entire paragraph to make it stand out from the surrounding text. You can also indent only
the first line of a paragraph (which is called a first line indent), or indent all lines except the first line
(which is called a hanging indent).
To change the indentation of a paragraph:
1. Select the paragraph that you want to indent.
2. On the home tab in the Paragraph group, click the Increase Indent button or
Decrease Indent button to move the paragraph right or left in half-inch
increments.
To change a paragraph using the horizontal ruler:
1. On the view tab, in the Show group, select the Ruler check box to display the rulers.
2. Select the paragraph that you want to indent.
3. On the horizontal ruler, do the following

 To change the left indent of the entire paragraph, drag the left indent marker to the
position where you want the text to start. 67
 To change the right indent of the entire paragraph, dray the Right Indent marker to the
position where you want the text to end.
  To create a hanging indent, drag the First Line Indent marker to the position where you
want the first line to start.
 To create a hanging indent, drag the hanging indent marker to the position where you
want all lines except the first line start.

Note that you can specify an exact measurement for the left or right indent by entering the desired
value in the INDENT Left or Indent Right box in the paragraph group on the page Layout tab of the
Ribbon.

Borders and shading

You want to place a border around an entire paragraph? That’s no
problem either!
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1. Place the cursor anywhere in the paragraph that you’d like to frame.

2. Click the Outside Borders button in the Paragraph group of the Home
ribbon. (Note: if the Outside Border button doesn’t show a “frame” icon,

then click the drop-down arrow to select it.)

For more complex borders and shading, select the Borders and Shading
option at the bottom of the Outside Borders drop-down list. This will
open the Borders and Shading dialogue box. Effects can be applied to
the whole paragraph, or to selected words.

Using the Borders tab, you can select a border setting, style, color and
width. The Apply To field lets you specify whether this should be applied
to the whole paragraph or to selected text. Click OK to see the effect.
(And then Undo if you don’t like it!)

68
Using the Shading tab, you can select a background color and/or pattern. The Apply To field lets
you specify whether this should be applied to the whole paragraph or to selected text. Click OK to
see the effect.

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Activity 2.3
Step 1:Open Start >> All Programs >> Microsoft office >> Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Step 2: Save a
document
Step 3: Paragraph Under PAGE LAYOUT, Paragraph group make Indent (Left and Right) 0 and
setting Spacing (Before and After) 0.
Step 4: Enter text you name
name of school
2nd July 2015
to the school Principal of
School name.
dear sir,
re: request for to whom it my concern
i humbly request for to whom it my concern.
i completed the training of word processing .
i graduated on 22nd -03 -2015.
i hope that my request will meet your considerations 69
yours faithfully
 Step 5: copy & Select the first word “You name” then Under Home tab, clipboard group, click
paste on copy. Then put the cursor on the last text under yours faithfully (click on
the lest character the press enter). Then Under Home tab, clipboard group,
click on paste.
Step 6 Selection & 1. Select the first three lines form “your name to …2015”
Indent
2. Under Page layout >> Paragraph group >> on Left indent put 4.5.
3. At the end of 2015, press Enter twice. To insert two blank lines.
4. Insert a blank line between school name and dear sir.
Step 7: Bold Select Dear sir, then Press [Ctrl + B] or under home tab, Font group, click B.
Step 8: change Select “re: request for to whom it my concern” then Under Home tab, font
Case group, click on change Case, then choose UPPERCASE.

Step 9: Underline Select “request for to whom it my concern” then Under Home tab, font group,
click on U or [Ctrl + U].
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Step 10: Select only nd, in 22nd -03 -2015 then Under Home tab, font group, click on
Superscript
superscript.
Step 12: Spacing Select the last three lines, the Under Page Layout tab, Paragraph group, Spacing
(After: put 12)
Step 13: Save Click on office button then Save. Well done!

2.3 manipulating a document

Activity 2.4
Step 1: Open Microsoft word Start>>All programs >> Microsoft office >> Microsoft word

Step 2: Enter text On a blank page, type the following text

Hello! I am writing to express my interest in applying for learning IT

Product Design. I am always willing to learn new technological ideas,
especially those that pose a challenge to me. On the other hand, I
have open minded and interpersonal skills in creative works of
design related with Information Technology.
Step 2: Save a document

Step 3: Manipulating a 1. Press [CTRL] + [A] for all selection, [CTRL] + [C] for copy then
document [CTRL] + [V] 10 times for paste. ( now you have five paragraphs)
2. Under the Page Layout tab of the ribbon, identify the Page
background group, extend the Page color icon then choose the
color you want (for example green color )
70 3. On the same group click on Page border, (make sure that you
are under page border tab) then click on Box (on line setting) and
choose the line you want (on style line).
 4. Under the Page Layout tab of the ribbon, background group click
on watermark then choose “Confidential 1”.
5. Select the second and third paragraphs of our text, under the
Page Layout tab of the ribbon, Page setup group, click on
columns then choose “three”.
Step 4: formatting text 1. Select the first character of our text (in this case select H)

2. Under the Insert tab of the ribbon, Text group, click on Drop Cap,
then choose “Dropped”.

3. Under the Insert tab of the ribbon, find the header & footer group,
click on Header then type “Education for All” After click on footer
type “REB”.

Step 5: Save the Office button>>then click on Save button

modification

The most commands used in manipulation of the text are located in Page layout tab of the ribbon,
the following are some examples:

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The commands for Page background group
Watermark, insert ghosted text behind the content on the page, this is often used to
indicate that a document is to be treated specially, such as confidential or urgent

Choose a color for the background of the page

Add or change the border around the page

Commands for page setup

The columns split into two or more columns on selected text.

Switch the pages between portrait and landscape layouts

Select the margin sizes for the entire document or the current section.

Choose a paper size for the current section, to apply a specific paper size to all
sections in the document, click more paper sizes.

Insert page and section breaks, add page, section or column breaks to the document.

71
 Change or set page margins
Page margins are the blank space around the edges of the page. You can position some items
in the margins for example, headers, footers, and page numbers.
1. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click Margins.

2. Click the margin type that you want. For the most common margin width, click
Normal.
When you click the margin type that you want, your entire document automatically
changes to the margin type that you have selected.
3. You can also specify your own margin settings. Click Margins, click Custom Margins,
and then in the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes, enter new values for the margins.
Note:
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 To change the default margins, click Margins after you select a new margin, and then
click Custom Margins. In the Page Setup dialog box, click the Default button, and
then click Yes. The new default settings are saved in the template on which the
document is based. Each new document based on that template automatically uses
the new margin settings.
 To change the margins for part of a document, select the text, and then set the
margins that you want by entering the new margins in the Page Setup dialog box. In
the Apply to box, click selected text. Microsoft Word automatically inserts section
breaks before and after the text that has the new margin settings. If your document
is already divided into sections, you can click in a section or select multiple sections
and then change the margins.
Select page orientation
You can choose either portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) orientation for all or part
of your document. When you change the orientation, the galleries of predesigned page and
cover page options also change to offer pages that have the orientation that you choose.
Change the orientation of your entire document
1. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click Orientation.

2. Click Portrait or Landscape.

72
Use portrait and landscape orientation in the same document
1. Select the pages or paragraphs that you want to change to portrait or landscape
orientation.
Note that, if you select some but not all of the text on a page to change to portrait or
landscape orientation, Word places the selected text on its own page, and the
surrounding text on separate pages.
2. On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, click Margins.

3. Click Custom Margins.

4. On the Margins tab, click Portrait or Landscape.
5. In the Apply to list, click selected text.
Creating Bulleted and Numbered Lists
Bulleted and numbered lists make documents easier to

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

read and understand. When you want to emphasize items
in a list in no particular order, create a bulleted list. When
you want to present a sequence of information or list
items by order of importance, create a numbered list. You
can add bullets or numbers to existing lines of text, or
word can automatically create bulleted or numbered lists
as you type. You can also create a list that has multiple
levels.
Note: If you move an item within a numbered list, word
will renumber the list to keep the items in the correct
order.
To create a bulleted or numbered list:
1. Click in the document where you want to add the list.
2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the
Bullets button to start a bulleted list or
Numbering button to start a numbered list.
3. Type the text for the first list item.
4. Press the Enter Key to add the next list item.
5. To end the list, press the Enter key twice.
Note that you can change the bullet or number style by
clicking the Bullets or Numbering arrow and selecting the
desired option from the menu

73
 To create a multilevel list:
1. Click in the document where you want to add the list.
2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the
Multilevel List button and select the desired
style from the menu.
3. Type the text for the first list item.
4. Press the Enter key to add the next list item.
5. Continue creating the list of items that are all at the
same level.
6. To change the list level, do one of the following
 Press the tab key to demote the list level.
 Press [Shift] + [Tab] to promote the list level.
7. To end the list, position the insertion point at the end
of the last list item, press the Enter key, and then
press the delete key.
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To add bullets or numbers to exiting text:

1. Select the text to which you want to add bullets or numbers
2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the bullets button to add bullets or
numbering button to add numbers
Note that if the numbering sequence is incorrect, right click the list item, and then click Restart at 1
or continue Numbering on the shortcut menu.
To remove bullets or numbers from a list:
1. Select the list from which you want to remove bullets or numbers.
2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Bullets button to remove bullets or
Numbering button to remove numbers.
Applying Styles
A style is a set of formatting characteristics (such as font, font size, font color, and paragraph
alignment and spacing) that you can use to quickly format a document. In addition to saving
your time, styles can help you keep formatting consistent throughout a document. Microsoft
word includes several predefined styles that can be used to format headings, body text, lists,
etc. If you do not like the appearance of a built-in style, you can modify it or create a custom
style to suit your needs.
To apply a style using the Styles gallery:
1. Select the text to which you want to apply a style.
74
 2. On the Home tab, in the Style group, select the desired style from the Style gallery

Note that, to display the entire Styles gallery, click the more button in the lower right corner
of the gallery to expand it.
To apply a style using the styles pane:

1. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the dialog

box launcher. The Styles Pane opens on the right side of
the program window [38]
2. Select the text to which you want to apply a style.
3. In the Styles pane, click the desired style.
Note that, you can close the Styles pane by clicking the close
button in the upper right corner of the pane.

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New
NewStyle
Style

To modify an existing style:

1. In the Styles pane, right click the style, and then click Modify on the shortcut menu.
2. In the Modify Style dialog box, make the desired changes, and the click the Ok
button.
Note that, when you modify a style, all text formatted with that particular style will be
updated automatically.
To create a new Style:

1. In the Styles pane, click the New Style button .

2. In the create New Style from formatting dialog box, type a name for the new style in
the Name box, select the desired options, and then click the OK button. 75
 Note that, if you want to use formatted text as the basis of a new style, select the text before
you click the new style button. The dialog box will open with all the attributes of the selected
text already specified, so you will only need to type a new name for the style.
Formatting Headings
Heading are used to organize information into a logical structure. The best way to format
heading in A word document is to apply one of the built in heading style (Heading 1 through
Heading 9). The lower the heading number, the higher the ranking of that heading.
To format a heading:
1. Select the heading that you want format.
2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, select the desired heading style from the styles
gallery. Or, click the desired heading style in the Styles pane.
Note that, when you point to a heading, a small arrow appears to the left of the heading. Click the
arrow to collapse or expand the body text, click on Modify to modify the style depending to you
needs.
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Clear formatting:
Now you have some style in your document, to remove or clear the style, you have to put
the
Point or select where you need to clear the style, then Click the
arrow to expand the Style gallery. Finally click on to
76 clear all formatting from selection, leaving only the plain text.

Now it’s the time for practice right? Let do the following Activity
Activity 2.5
Step 1: Open Microsoft word Start>>All programs >> Microsoft office >> Microsoft word
Step 2: Save the document
Step 3: Enter text On a blank page, type the following text:
What is Dropbox?
Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos
anywhere. Any file you save to your Dropbox will also automatically save to all
your computers, phones, and even the Dropbox website. This means that you
can start working on your computer at school or the office, and finish on your
home computer. Never email yourself a file again!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Dropbox cost?
Dropbox is free! If you run out of space, visit https://www.dropbox.com/plans
to view our available sub-criptions.
How much space does my Dropbox have?
Free accounts come with 2GB of space (deleted files and revisions won’t
count against your limit). You can always check your usage by visiting your

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

account settings page at https://www.dropbox.com/ac-count.
Step 4: Apply a style 1. Select the first line “What is Dropbox?” then under Home tab, on Style
group choose Title on style gallery.
2. Select “Frequently Asked Questions” then under Home tab, on Style group
choose Heading1 on style gallery.
3. Select “How much does Dropbox cost?” then under Home tab, on Style
group choose Heading 2 on style gallery. Do the same to “How much space
does my Dropbox have?”
Step 5: Modify the style Try to modify the style of Heading2
 Font color: Automatic
 Font size: 12 and
 1.5 space
Step 6: Clear formatting Select “Frequently Asked Questions”, then remove the style applied on it.
Step 7: Save the
modification

77
 Activity 2.6
Step 1: Open Microsoft word Start>>All programs >> Microsoft office >> Microsoft word
Step 2: Save the document
Step 3: Enter text On a blank page, type the following text:
What is a Computer?
Hardware
Input device
Keyboard
Mouse
Output device
Monitor
Printer
Software
System software
Operating system
Drivers
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Application Software
Microsoft word
Photoshop
Step 4: Nested Lists By using bullets and numbering try to make you text like the
following:
On a blank page, type the following text:
What is a Computer?
1. Hardware
a. Input device
 Keyboard
 Mouse
b. Output device
 Monitor
 Printer
2. Software
a. System software
 Operating system
 Drivers
b. Application Software
 Microsoft word
 Photoshop
Step 5: Save the modification

2.4 Adding Tables

Tables are used to display data in a table format.
78 Create a Table
To create a table:
 Place the cursor on the page where you want the new table
  Click the Insert Tab of the Ribbon
 Click the Tables Button on the Tables Group. You can create a table one of four ways:
 Highlight the number of row and columns
 Click Insert Table and enter the number of rows and columns
 Click the Draw Table, create your table by clicking and entering the rows and
columns
 Click Quick Tables and choose a table
Enter Data in a Table
Place the cursor in the cell where you wish to enter the information. Begin typing.
Modify the Table Structure and Format a Table
To modify the structure of a table:
 Click the table and notice that you have two new tabs on the Ribbon:
 Design and Layout. These pertain to the table design and layout.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

On the Design Tab, you can choose:
 Table Style Options
 Table Styles
 Draw Borders

To format a table, click the table and then click the Layout Tab on the Ribbon. This Layout tab allows
you to:

 View Gridlines and Properties (from the Table Group)

 Insert Rows and Columns (from the Rows & Columns Group)
 Delete the Table, Rows and/or Columns (from the Rows & Columns Group)
 Merge or Split Cells (from the Merge Group)
 Increase and Decrease cell size (Cell Size Group)
 Align text within the cells and change text directions (Alignment Group)

79
2.5 Graphics, Symbols and Special Characters
Word 2007 allows you to insert special characters, symbols, pictures, illustrations, and watermarks.
 Symbols and Special Characters
Special characters are punctuation, spacing, or typographical characters that are not generally
available on the standard keyboard. To insert symbols and special characters:
 Place your cursor in the document where you want the symbol
 Click the Insert Tab on the Ribbon
 Click the Symbol button on the Symbols Group
 Choose the appropriate symbol.
Equations
Word 2007 also allows you to insert mathematical equations. To access the mathematical equations
tool:
 Place your cursor in the document where you want the symbol
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 Click the Insert Tab on the Ribbon

 Click the Object Button on the text Group
 Choose Microsoft Equation 3.0 type and click ok.

After clicking ok you will get the following table which will allow you to choose special characters to
use.

80

There are other ways to edit equations.

 COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION
 To edit the equation click the equation and the Design Tab will be available in the Ribbon

Illustrations, Pictures, and SmartArt

Word 2007 allows you to insert illustrations and pictures into a document. To insert illustrations:
 Place your cursor in the document where you want the illustration/picture
 Click the Insert Tab on the Ribbon
 Click the Clip Art Button
 The dialog box will open on the screen and you can search for clip art.
 Choose the illustration you wish to include

81
To insert a picture:
 Place your cursor in the document where you want the illustration/picture
  Click the Insert Tab on the Ribbon
 Click the Picture Button
 Browse to the picture you wish to include
 Click the Picture
 Click Insert
Smart Art is a collection of graphics you can utilize to organize information within your document. It
includes timelines, processes, or workflow. To insert SmartArt.
 Place your cursor in the document where you want the illustration/picture
 Click the Insert Tab on the Ribbon
 Click the SmartArt button
 Click the SmartArt you wish to include in your document
 Click the arrow on the left side of the graphic to insert text or type the text in the graphic.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Resize Graphics
All graphics can be resized by clicking the image and clicking one corner of the image and dragging
the cursor to the size you want the picture.

2.5 Insert Common Header and Footer Information

To insert Header and Footer information such as page numbers, date, or title, first, decide if you want
82 the information in the header (at the top of the page) or in the Footer (at the bottom of the page),
then:
 Click the Insert Tab on the Ribbon
  Click Header or Footer
 Choose a style

I
 The Header/Footer Design Tab will display on the Ribbon
 Choose the information that you would like to have in the header or footer (date, time, page
numbers, etc.) or type in the information you would like to have in the header or footer

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

2.6 Table of Contents
The easiest way to create a Table of Contents is to utilize the Heading Styles that you want to include
in the Table of Contents. For example: Heading 1, Heading 2, etc. based on the content of your
document. When you add or delete headings from your document, Word updates your Table of
Contents. Word also updates the page number in the table of contents when information in the
document is added or deleted. When you create a Table of Contents, the first thing you want to do
is mark the entries in your document. The Table of Contents is formatted based on levels of
headings. Level 1 will include any text identified with the style Heading 1.
Mark Table of Contents Entries
You can mark the Table of Contents entries in one of two ways: by using built-in heading styles or by
marking individual text entries.
To Use Built-In Heading Styles
 Select the text that you wish to be the heading
 Click the Home Tab
 In the Styles Group, click Heading 1 (or the appropriate heading)

 If you don’t see the style you want, click the arrow to expand the Quick Styles Gallery
 If the style you want does not appear click Save Selection as New Quick Style

83
 To Mark Individual Entries:

 Select the text you wish to make a heading

 Click the References Tab
 Click Add Text in the Table of Contents Group
 Click the Level that you want to label your selection

Create a Table of Contents

To create the table of contents:
 Put your cursor in the document where you want the Table of Contents
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Click the References Tab

 Click the Table of Contents button

Update Table of Contents

If you have added or removed headings or other table of contents entries you can update by:
 Apply headings or mark individual entries as directed above
 Click the References Tab in the Ribbon
 Click Update Table
84
Delete Table of Contents
To delete a table of contents:
 Click the References Tab on the Ribbon
 Click Table of Contents
 Click Remove Table of Contents

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

85
 2.7 Page numbers
A typical academic essay consists of two different numbers:
Roman numerals (i, ii, iii etc…) after your cover pages, executive summary, table of contents.
Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3 etc…) after above, e.g. essay body, chapters.
How to have two different number formats in one file?
Section breaks will help you to do this. Your document will have a few segments but Microsoft
Word still treats it as one single file. There are several ways of doing this but here is an example.
Let’s assume we would like to have the following page numbering.
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1. Before you start, it is easier to do if you can see where you create section breaks. Click
Show/Hide. This will be a good marker when you insert a section break.

86
 COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

87
88
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 COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

89
 2.8 Proofing features
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In previous Section we study how to organize written text, apply different methods to move text and
move through the text and use formatting tools to improve the presentation of a document.
Now in this Section, the learner use proofing the features of spell, and grammar checks and the
thesaurus to correct errors in a document.
To understand well above objectives it’s better to learn by doing. Let us start with activity.
Activity 2.7
Step 1:Open Microsoft Word Start >> All Programs >> Microsoft office >> Microsoft Word

Step 2: Save a document The name should be “Valentine msg”

Step 3: Enter text Please don’t change the text!, write it as it is.

“Wish you a very haptpy Valentine's Day. This is a message

is to let you know that you are thought of always. May God
give you everything wifuza mu rwand.”

Step 4: save a modification

Spelling and grammar checking

Have you sometimes noticed a wavy red line appearing beneath your typing? This indicates
a mistake, or a word that Word doesn’t recognize. Note that Word also regards a missing
space after a comma or a period, or the doubling of a word (the the), as a mistake!

90
Proofing while you type
Now I’ll show you how to use the nifty spell checker!
1. Mistype a word so that the wavy red line appears.
2. Click the right mouse button on the underlined word. A context-sensitive menu will open
up.

3. Click with the left mouse button on the correct suggestion, and the mistyped word will
automatically be replaced. What if Word doesn’t make any suggestions? Then check whether

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

maybe you left out a space after a period or comma.
Please note that there are many proper nouns and specialist terms that Word doesn’t recognize.
A wavy red line doesn’t always mean that you’ve made a mistake!
Spell checking the entire document
Maybe you would rather get your thoughts down on paper without stopping to make corrections as
you go? Word also has an option to spell check the entire document or selected passages of text.
1. Position the cursor at the point where you would like to begin spell checking.
2. Click on the Review ribbon tab, and then on the Spelling & Grammar button.
The Spelling and Grammar dialogue box will open.
3. The first spelling or grammar error will be highlighted and a list of suggestions provided.
4. Click the correct suggestion and then Change, or click the Ignore Once button to skip over
it.

5. Each subsequent problem will be

highlighted in turn.

6. Press OK when the spelling and

grammar check is complete.

91
 If you want Word to proof grammar as well as spelling, then make sure that the Check Grammar
option in the Spelling and Grammar dialog box is ticked.

Automatic error correction

Did you know that Word is already looking for errors while you are still typing a word? Try it for
example, type stdent instead of student, or boak instead of book. You can’t do it! The force behind
this is an intelligent function called Auto-Correct.
To check spelling and grammar automatically (wavy red, blue, and green lines)
Maybe you are looking for a way to find and fix spelling mistakes in your document more quickly and
easily? Or maybe you don't want to see the wavy red lines that your Microsoft word displays in your
document? This Section explains how automatic spelling and grammar checking works and how to
turn it on or off.
How automatic spelling checking works
When you check spelling automatically while you type, you can be more confident that you won't
have to correct a lot of spelling mistakes when you are ready to deliver your document. Your
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Microsoft word can flag misspelled words while you work so that you can easily advert them, as in
the following example.
I am a stdent of senior one.

You can right-click the misspelled word to see suggested corrections. By using, right-clicking a word
can provide you with other options, such as adding the word to your custom dictionary.

Note that the setting default spelling and Grammar during writing this document is English (United
States). That is good but what happen if I want to write other language words like Kinyarwanda? If
you are sure for the word, you need to add it to your dictionary. That is easy! Just right click on the
word then choose Add to Dictionary.
For example I am a student and the student in Kinyarwanda is umunyeshuli

92
Turn on or off automatic spelling and grammar checking
1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.
2. Click Proofing.
 3. To turn on or off automatic spelling checking and automatic grammar checking
for the currently opened document, do the following:
1. Under Exceptions for, click Name of currently open file.
2. Select or clear the Hide spelling errors in this document only and Hide
grammar errors in this document only check boxes.
To turn on or off automatic spelling checking and automatic grammar checking
for all documents that you create from now on, do the following:
3. Under Exceptions for, click All New Documents.
4. Select or clear the Hide spelling errors in this document only and Hide
grammar errors in this document only check boxes.
Note that if you turn off automatic spelling checking or automatic grammar checking for a
file that you share with other people, you may want to notify those people that you made
this change.
2.9 Advanced formatting and proofing features of word Processing
For well appreciate advanced formatting and proofing features of word Processing for editing a

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

document including using track changes. Let start with the following activity.

Activity 2.8
Step 1: Open Microsoft word Start>>All programs >> Microsoft office >> Microsoft word
Step 2: Save the document
Step 3: Enter text A shining ANGEL stands beside ur silky bed,
Calling ur nice Name so soft,
Throwing flowers on yoU
nd saying Good Night nd Sweet Dreams
Step 4: adding changes Note: you have to select the word before you perform the
changes.
1. Under review tab, on tracking group, click on Track Changes
icon and then againTrack changes.
2. On the first and second line change ur to your, soft to softly
and on third line changeyoUto you. The last line change nd to
and.
3. At the end of sweet Dreams add the following text “my friend”.
4. Select “Name” on second line, then on Home tab, font group
click on B to make it Bold.
Step 5: Adding comment 1. select the word “bed” of the first line
2. Under review tab, on comment group, click on New Comment
icon and type the following lines in comment box, “A large
rectangular piece of furniture, often with four legs, which is used
for sleeping on.”
3. Do the same on the last word “Dreams” but now here the
comment is “A series of events or images that happen in your 93
mind when you are sleeping.”
Step 5: Save the modification
 Well done! Now you have the document with changes and comments.
Understanding the Track Changes feature

You may not realize it, but you are working with the Track Changes or Comments feature in Word.
Typically, when Word tracks changes, it displays deletions in balloons in the margins and insertions
as underlined text. Deletions as well as comments (or "annotations") also can be displayed to appear
inline.
There are various ways to hide the tracked changes or comments but all the changes that were made
while the Track Changes feature was turned on and all the comments that were inserted remain part
of the document until they are accepted or rejected (or, in the case of comments, deleted).
Note that, hiding tracked changes des not delete existing tracked changes or comments from the
document. Instead, hiding tracked changes enables you to view the document without having to
wade through strikethroughs, underlining, and balloons.
How did those tracked changes and comments get there?
You may have thought that you removed the comments or tracked changes, or you may have
received the document from someone else without realizing that it contained comments or tracked
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changes. How does Word store these items without you being aware of them?
You, or the person who sent the document, may have hidden the tracked changes or comments to
make the document easier to read. However, hiding tracked changes does not remove them. They
will remain in the document until you take action. Depending on your version of Word and the
settings you are using, the tracked changes or comments may reappear when you or someone else
opens the document.
If you don't want others to see tracked changes and comments, accept or reject the tracked
changes and delete the comments before you share the document with others.
How do I use Track Changes to track my revisions in the document?
If you want to show your revisions in Track Changes, all you need to do is activate the function by
clicking on the “Track Changes” icon (shortcut key: Ctrl + Shift + E). Once it is turned on, changes that
you make in your document are highlighted and marked in a different color.

To deactivate the function, click on the icon again or use the shortcut key. Markings for changes will
remain in the document even after Track Changes is turned off. “Accept” or “Reject” changes to
finalize the document.
What do the markings in my document mean?
Marking What it means

Colored text with an The text has been inserted by the editor. If the insertion
94
underline is fine, please “Accept” the change to incorporate it in
your document. If not, “Reject” the change.
 (e.g.my friend)

Colored text with a The editor has deleted the text. “Accept” the change to
strikethrough (e.g. ur) completely remove the deleted text from your
document. However, if the deleted text holds
significance in the context of your research, please
“Reject” the change to retain the deleted text.

How do I “Accept” changes?

Once you have confirmed the edited changes, select them and click on the “Accept” icon. All text
with a strikethrough (deletion) within the selection will be deleted and text with an underline
(insertion) will be incorporated into the document.

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Note that, if you want to accept all the edited changes in your document at once, you can click on
the arrow below the “Accept” icon and select “Accept All Changes in Document.”
How do I “Reject” changes?
If you wish to reject any change, select it and click on the “Reject” icon. All the editor’s deletions
within the selection will be recovered whereas the editor’s insertions will be deleted.

Balloons on the right hand side of my document: what are they?

You will find two types of balloons in your document: comment balloons and formatting balloons.

Using comment balloons, our editors indicate changes that require your attention, i.e., changes
that they are not sure of or need your inputs on. Click inside the comment balloon to see exactly
which text in the document the editor is referring to.
Note that Editor soften insert comments like, “The meaning of this sentence was unclear” for
instance.
How do I delete balloons? 95
 To delete a comment balloon, you can right-click inside the balloon and select “Delete Comment.”
Similarly, you can right-click on a formatting balloon and select“Accept Format Change” to
incorporate the change or “Reject Format Change” to reject it.
How to check a word count in Microsoft word?
When learning to write a document in Microsoft Word, you will find an abundance of useful features.
Spell check, grammar help, and a find-and-replace-keyword option, that makes this popular word
processing software the industry standard at home or in the office. One feature the program offers
is the Microsoft Word Count. Using Microsoft Word Count can help your project stay on track by
counting words, paragraphs, and characters. The basic function of this feature is the ability to check
a word count, which is important when specific guidelines require you to write within a certain limit.

To check a word count in the various versions of Microsoft Word, follow all steps of our following
Activity.

Activity 2.9
1. Launch the Microsoft Word program. Open a new document by selecting "New" at the top left of
the page in the toolbar. Typically, Word Count is set up to run automatically. Look at the status bar
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

at the bottom of the work space. Next to the page counter, you should see the word counter. It
should read "Words: 0 of 0," or "0/0," depending on your version of Microsoft Word.

2. Type a word in the document. Look down at the word count and you'll notice that it counted the
word you just wrote. It should now say "Words: 1 of 1" or "Words: 1" depending on your version of
Microsoft Word. Write a few more words. Now you should notice those words have been counted as
well. If you stopped at 3 words, for example, Word Count should now say "Words: 3/15" or "Words:
3."
 Continue typing to add words to the document, frequently checking the word count status.
With each new word, the word count should rise.

96
3. Find a word's numerical placement.

Place the mouse cursor over a word

somewhere in the document.
Highlight the word by clicking on

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

it to determine its numerical
position in relation to the others.
Microsoft Word Count will
display a word count such as,
"Words: 58 of 161," for example.
The number 161 represents the
total word count and 58 is the
word that you highlighted.

4. Open the Microsoft Word Count pop up box in "Review." You should have a list of statistics.
You have the option of checking the "include footnotes and endnotes" preference in the box,
which counts all the words in your document. Uncheck this box if you only want to count the body
text of your Microsoft Word document.
 Refer to the Word Count box when you need to know the amount of sentences,
paragraphs, characters, or pages.

97
 Chapter III: The internet and e-mail:

3.1 Computer Network concepts

A computer network is a group of computer systems and other computing hardware devices
that are linked together through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light
beams, to facilitate communication and resource-sharing among a wide range of users.
Networks are commonly categorized based on their characteristics.
Advantages of Networks

File Sharing The major advantage of a computer network is that is allows file sharing
and remote file access. A person sitting at one computer that is connected
to a network can easily see files present on another computers, (if you have
the permission).

Resource Sharing Resource sharing is another important benefit of a computer network. For
example, if the school has 50 students, each student having a computer,
without network, they will need 50 modems and 50 printers if they want to
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

use those resources at the same time. A computer network, on the other
hand, provides a cheaper alternative by the provision of resource sharing.
All the computers can be interconnected using a network, and just one
modem and printer can efficiently provide the services to all 50 students.

Low-cost Software A particular software can be installed only once on one computer in the
Network (the server) and made available across all connected computers at
once. This saves the cost of buying and installing the same software as
many times for as many users.

Flexible control A user can log on to a computer anywhere on the network and access his
files. This offers flexibility to the user as to where he or she should be
during the course of his routine. A network also allows the network
administrator to choose which user on the network has what specific
permissions to control a file.

Better Storage Since there is more than one computer on a network which can easily share
Capacity files, the issue of storage capacity gets resolved to a great level. A
standalone computer might fall short of storage memory, but when many
computers are on a network, the memory of different computers can be
used in such a case. One can also design a storage server on the network in
order to have a huge storage capacity.

98
 Disadvantages of Networks

Security Concerns One of the major disadvantages of computer networks is the security issues
that are involved.

Virus and Malware If even one computer on a network gets affected by a virus, there is a
possible threat for the other systems getting affected too.

Lack of Strength If the main file server of a computer network breaks down, the entire system
becomes useless.

Needs an efficient The technical skills and know-how required to operate and administer a
control computer network is considerably high.

Lack of Freedom Since most networks have a centralized server and dependent clients, the
client users lack any freedom whatsoever.

Classification of computer Network

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Networks may be classified
into a wide variety of
characteristics, such as
geographical areas, the
medium used to transport
the data (cables, telephone
lines, radio waves, satellites,
or infrared light beams),
benefit, or organizational
scope.

Classification of computer network according to geographical areas

PAN Personal area network

LAN Local area network
MAN Metropolitan area network
WAN Wide area network

99
 Personal Area Network
A personal area network, or PAN, is a computer network organized around an individual
person within a single building. This could be inside a small office or residence. A typical PAN
would include one or more computers, telephones, peripheral devices, etc.
If multiple individuals use the same network within a residence, the network is sometimes
referred to as a home area network, or HAN. In a very typical setup, a residence will have a
single wired Internet connection connected to a modem. This modem then provides both
wired and wireless connections for multiple devices. The network is typically managed from
a single computer but can be accessed from any device.
This type of network provides great flexibility. For example, it allows you to:
 Send a document to the printer in the office upstairs while you are sitting on the
settee with your laptop.
 Upload the photo from your cell phone to your desktop computer.
 Watch lessons from an online streaming service to your TV.
If this sounds familiar to you, you likely have a PAN in your house without having called it by
its name.
Local Area Network
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

A local area network, or LAN, consists of a computer network at a single site, typically one
of classroom or if a computer lab is connected to one or more switches is a good example of
LAN. A LAN is very useful for sharing resources, such as data storage and printers. LANs can
be built with relatively inexpensive hardware, such as hubs, switches, network adapters or
Network cables.
The smallest LAN may only use two computers, while larger LANs can accommodate
thousands of computers. A LAN typically relies mostly on wired connections for increased
speed and security, but wireless connections can also be part of a LAN. High speed and
relatively low cost are the defining characteristics of LANs.
LANs are typically used for single sites
where people need to share resources
among themselves but not with the rest
of the outside world. Think of a school
where everybody should be able to
access files on a central server or be able
to print a document to one or more
central printers. Those tasks should be
easy for student and staff working in the
same school, but you would not want
somebody just walking outside to be
able to send a document to the printer
from their portable computers.
If a local area network, or LAN, is entirely wireless, it is referred to as a wireless local area
100 network, or WLAN.
Metropolitan Area Network
Metropolitan area networks, or MANs, are large computer network usually crossing a city.
They typically use wireless infrastructure or Optical fiber connections to link their sites.
A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN, ranging from several blocks
of
Buildings to entire cities.
A MAN might be owned and operated by a single organization, but it usually will be used b
y
Many individuals and organizations. MANs might also be owned and operated as public util
ities or privately owned. They will often provide means for internetworking of local networ
ks.
Characteristics of MAN
 It generally covers towns and cities (50 kms)
 It is developed in 1980s.
 Communication medium used for MAN are optical fibers, cables etc.
 Data rates adequate for distributed computing applications.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Wide Area Network
Wide Area Network is a network system connecting cities, countries or continents, a network
that uses routers and public communications links.
The largest and most well-known example of a WAN is the Internet. WANs are used to
connect LANs and other types of networks together, so that users and computers in one
location can communicate with users and computers in other locations. Many WANs are
built for one particular organization and are private. Others, built by Internet service
providers, provide connections from an organization’s LAN to the Internet. WANs are often
built using leased lines. At each end of the leased line, a router connects to the LAN on one
side and a hub within the WAN on the other. Leased lines can be very expensive. Instead of
using leased lines, WANs can also be built around public network or Internet.
Characteristics of WAN
 It generally covers large distances (states, countries, continents).
 Communication medium used are satellite, public telephone networks which are
connected by routers.
 Routers forward packets from one to another a route from the sender to the
receiver.

3.2 General introduction to internet

WAN is the largest Network, actually WAN is Internet. The development of this centenary is
based on sharing knowledge, information, Skills or working together. Do you think there is a
room, people from different corners of the world can meet to work together? Discuss
together? No, but with internet is possible. Today the world is like a village where people 101
can visit each other easily. Where people can have the same market, same hospital, same
 Schools etc. Internet is the answer of world connectivity. Is a store of everything so be
carefully because internet is a village of good and bad people.
3.2.1 Internet concepts:
The Internet is a huge collection of computers around the world, these computers are all
linked together, and they can “talk” to each other, sharing information. If your computer is
connected to the Internet, it can connect to millions of other computers, in many different
parts of the world. With internet we can do a lot of in now day like: E-mail, Obtain
information, Entertainment (such as games, radio and reviews of movies.), Discussion
Groups (chat rooms), Online Shopping, Services such as online banking, telemedicine etc.
World Wide Web (WWW):

The World Wide Web is a part of the

Internet, The World Wide Web, also known
as the Web, is made up of millions of
documents called web pages. Web pages
can include text, pictures, video and sound.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

World Wide Web Most organizations on the Web have sets of

pages, which are linked together.

Web Site:

These sets of pages are called websites. You

can use the Web to get up-to-date
information about almost any subject. To
access the World Wide Web, you need to
use a web browser.

A browser:
A browser is a software program that allows users to access and navigate the World Wide
Web. The mostly used web browser are Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla
Firefox
What is Internet Service Providers?
An Internet Service Provider can be compared to a long distance phone company where a
monthly fee is paid, the computer dials up the ISP, and the ISP connects the customer to the
network. Examples of ISPs: MTN Rwanda, Tigo, Airtel, Comcast, suddenlink, EarthLink
What is different between Internet, Intranet and Extranet?

102
 COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

3.2.2 History of internet

The Internet is believed to have originated with the U.S. government, which began building
a computer network in the 1960s known as ARPANET. In 1985, the U.S. National Science 103
Foundation (NSF) commissioned the development of a university network backbone called
National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET). The NSFNET was soon connected to the
 Computer Science Network (CSNET), which linked Universities around North America, and
then to the European Network (EUnet), which connected research facilities in Europe. Finally
the system was replaced by new networks operated by commercial Internet service
providers in 1995. The Internet was brought to the public on a larger scale at around this
time. By 2011, 30 percent of the world's population was using the Internet.
Use of the internet in daily life

The impact of the Internet on our life is obvious and cannot be suspended. It is used in almost
each and every domain of business. How difficult our life would have been if there was no
Internet.
There is a big influence of technique on our daily life. Electronic devices, multimedia and
computers are things we have to deal with every day. Especially the Internet is becoming
more and more important for nearly everybody as it is one of the newest and most forward-
looking media and surely the medium of the future. The Internet changed our life
enormously, there is no doubt about that. There are many advantages of the Internet that
show you the importance of this new medium.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

First we have to make a differentiation concerning the usage. You can use the Internet at
home for personal or you at work for professional usage. Let’s come to the first. To spend a
part of our day on the Internet is for many people quite normal. They use this kind of medium
to get information about all kinds topics. Maybe some of them are interested in chatting,
probably they are members of a community. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it.
Even if you want to have very specific information, you will find it in a short time.
Normally, you often have to send a letter, than you have to wait for the reception of the
reply, or you have to make some telephone calls and so on. In any case, the traditional way
is the longer one.
Note: in brief you can use the internet for Information, Business and advertising,
Education, Communication and Networking, Entertainment, Use of internet in medicine,
Other Popular Uses like Banking transactions and Online shopping.

Use of the internet

For Information There are news websites, social networking websites, websites that
provide information and websites of various businesses and
organizations. These websites are updated frequently to provide
information to the user. You can find everything of anything on the
web just by browsing through a few websites. You can also use emails,
blogs, chat, social networking websites and communication software
for sharing your information with the world. It has made access to
information cheaper and easier and this is its most common use.
104
 Almost all the businesses these days have websites, through which
Business &
Advertising they promote and advertise themselves. This medium these days has
been used widely for promotional campaigns. Not only promoting
your business but you can also effectively advertise your event or any
cause on this medium. There are many businesses that depend on the
Internet for their survival like stocks and call centers, to name a few.
It has promoted faster access to necessary information which
strengthens the business processes.

Education
It also is a popular medium used by students. Many students use it
for educational purposes, like for finding study material or for
applying to some school, college or university. It is now a virtual world
and all the applications are done online through the website of the
concerned educational body. Students use websites for these and
many other purposes like checking exam results, exam schedule,
application procedure to any course, etc. Students also take the help

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

of the Internet for project help and for obtaining the required images.
Everything is a click away from us.

The use of the Internet for networking is very popular among all age
Communication
& Networking groups. There are many good social networking websites that are
used by people for communication. These websites provide an
effective and easy platform that facilitates interaction. It is widely
used as a means of communication through means like networking
websites, chat websites, blogs, etc. Through these websites you can
also share your photographs with your near and dear ones. It is widely
used by job seekers for job applications and job searching. Facilities
like video conferencing has made it possible to conduct interviews
online.

Entertainment Another popular use of the Internet is for entertainment. Facilities

like listening to online music, downloading music and movies provides
a platform for entertainment. There are plenty of other ways through
which you can entertain yourselves. You can play online games, view
sports matches, or watch videos of your choice. It is a trusted means
of entertainment for these kinds of purposes and is extensively used
for the same.

Use of internet in With continuing advances in information and communication

medicine technology, the applications of computers in medicine have increased
105
rapidly, and have the potential to revolutionize healthcare. And, the
 Internet, with its powerful penetration and scalability, has become an
increasingly popular medical information resource.

Other Popular It is popularly used for banking. Almost all the banking transactions
Uses are possible through this medium. Apart from these common uses, it
can also be used for shopping. Online shopping is very popular among
masses and on the Internet you can buy anything and get it delivered
at home. There are also many people who use it to work from home.

3.2.3 Methods Used to connect to the internet.

Methods Description
Dial-Up
Dial-up has the advantage that it can be used by a wide range of
customers because it is a very cost effective method of getting Internet
access. If you already have a telephone line (SIM Card), then you only
need to get a modem. Dial-up is popular for people who don't have a
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

very large budget for Internet service because it is a perfectly usable

Internet service for people who only need the Internet for basic things
like checking email.
Dial-up, on the other hand, has disadvantages, only allows one use of
the telephone line at a time. So, if you need to use the Internet, no one
else can use that line to make phone calls at the same time. So, if you
don't have two lines in your home, one for Internet and one for
telephone use, dial-up is probably not a viable option.

Broadband
Broadband Internet refers to Internet service that makes use of the
available bandwidth to provide high speed Internet access. Unlike dial-
up, with broadband your phone line is not tied up. You can make a
phone call and be on the internet at the same time. With broadband,
you can watch live news and sport, download and share large files
quickly and shop or bank online more easily.
There are different ways to get broadband like fixed broadband, fixed
wireless and satellite connections or Mobile broadband connections.
 A fixed broadband connection is a permanent connection to
the internet. If you've got fixed broadband at home, you'll have
a broadband modem that you can plug a cable into. If your
modem's also a wireless modem, you'll be able to connect
wireless internet devices to your modem without using a cable.
106
 You can get a broadband internet connection by using either a
fixed wireless connection or a satellite connection. Once you
 have a broadband connection to your home, you might like to
set up a wireless router so you can connect several wireless
devices and use them in and around the home.
 You could also get the internet on a mobile broadband
connection where you plug a USB modem into your device or
wireless and use mobile phone towers to access the internet.
This can be useful if you need the internet when you're out and
about, or if you live in an area with good mobile phone
coverage.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Wi-fi Wi-Fi is a wireless broadband connection that allows you to connect to
the internet without using any cables. It’s particularly popular for use
with laptops because they can then be used in any room of the house.
Wi-Fi is also available in lots of public places, such as pubs, cafés, hotels
and even some buses!

Activity 3.1

Step 1: Open an Click on Start button>> All Programs then Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer

Step 2: reading Follow the following explanation of this section we will

continue our activity after.

This is one of internet browser comes with windows operating system. Your browser is 107
equipped with many useful parts to assist you in navigating through the Web.
The basic parts of the browser window are:
  Toolbar: contains useful buttons help you navigate the Web.
 Address bar: shows you the address of the current webpage.
 Content area: contains the web page itself. You may need to use the mouse to
scroll and view the entire webpage.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Buttons on the browser toolbar

Button Description

Back The Back button is very important. Each time you click ‘Back’, you will return
to the previous page.
108
 Forward The Forward button allows you to move forward through the pages and sites
you have previously visited. It becomes active only when you use the Back
button.

Stop Sometimes pages that are very large and complex can take a long time to load.
If you want to stop waiting and do something else, click stop.

Refresh The Refresh button allows you to reload the current page. If a page does not
load correctly for some reason (which sometimes happen), the refresh button
tells the browser to try to load the page again.

Home The Home button takes you to the home page at any time.

Search The Search button allows you to access a search engine. The search engine
enables you to search for information on the Web by typing in a word or
combinations of words.

Print The Print button prints the page you are reading, just like printing in a word

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

processor.

3.2.4 Visiting websites

To navigate through pages on the web, you can follow links on web pages, or you can type
the address (if you know it) in the address bar.
Comeback to our Activity 3.1
Activity 3.1(continuation)
Step 3: web address On address bar of your web browser, enter the following web
address (http://www.yahoo.com/)
Step 4: Clicking on 1. Move the mouse pointer on top of the colored words or image
links link.
The arrow changes to a pointing hand.
2. Left-click once.
The screen will change to show the new location you are
viewing. If you have changed to a new website, the address of
the new site will appear in the address bar at the top of the
screen.
3. Left-click on the green Back arrow button on the top of the
screen tool bar.
Step 4: Navigating to 1. Click in the Address bar.
a known address 2. Select the text that is there.
3. To delete the text, press the Delete key on the keyboard, so
that the address bar is blank for you to type the new
address. 109
 4. Type the address of the site you want to visit (for example
www.google.com) and click on Go or press the Enter key on
the keyboard.

The Google site will load. Take care to type the address of the site correctly, if you make
even one mistake, the page will usually not load.

Common mistakes when typing in addresses:

• Misspelling words
• Leaving out the www’s
• Leaving out the dots
• Putting spaces in between the words.
Web address, Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
A URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, specifies a unique address to a resource on the Internet.
A resource can be a specific Web page, a document, or an image.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

The way Internet addresses end gives you some idea about the site you are visiting.
 Commercial addresses end in “com” (for example www.amazon.com);
 governmental addresses end in “gov” (for example www.whitehouse.gov);
 organizational addresses end in “org” (for example www.pbs.org);
 educational addresses end in “edu” (for example www.uab.edu); and
 military addresses end in “mil”(for example www.army.mil).
To type in a URL in the address bar, click one time inside the address bar. The address that
is currently on the address bar should be highlighted in blue. To enter another URL simply
start typing the URL. The old URL will disappear once you start typing.
Activity 3.2

Step 1: Open the internet browser

Step 2: Entering the search question Advanced level education in Rwanda

3.2.5 Deciphering Search Engine Results

A search engine results page displays a lot of different information; in fact, you may not even
be aware of all the different types of results you get. From vertical search engine results to
110 related news stories to suggested spellings, the results page offers all sorts of ways for you
to dig deeper into a subject.
In the previous activity, we tried to search for advanced level education in Rwanda. After
going to Google and typing your search query into the box, you’re presented with a results
page. The results page contains many different listings containing the keyword, or search
word, (advanced, level, education, in, Rwanda), sorted according to what Google thinks is
most relevant to you. The following figure shows a Google results page.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

111
 Search Links to the vertical search engines, the specialized ones that narrow
Verticals your search into a specific type of result, such as news or images.
Clicking one of these links takes you to a results page with only news or
only images.

Search Box The box where you type your search query. In this case, it’s roses.

Sponsored The paid ads. Note how some of them relate to a specific geographic
Links location near you. This is thanks to the local vertical search engine.

Pagination Links to the additional pages of results.

Organic The listing results from a general search of Google’s index, with
Results algorithms applied to determine relevance.

Before the internet, conducting research for school, work or out of curiosity involved a set
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

of encyclopedias and a trip to the library. However, we now live in an age where information
is readily accessible from your computer.
There is lots of information available on the internet, but it is important that when using the
internet for research you assess the credibility of the web pages you are looking at.
Just because something is published on the internet does not mean it is reliable or accurate:
it is very easy to publish things on the internet.
Here are some tips to help you assess the credibility of webpages:

 Check at the date the website was published to decide how current your information
is.
 To decide whether your source is reliable check the name of the organization that
supplied the information on the website - Is it an educational institution (i.e., .ac or
edu extension)? A government agency (i.e., .gov)? A commercial supplier (i.e., .com)?
A non-profit organization (i.e., .org)? Government, university, or professional
organizations may be more objective than a business wanting to sell products.
3.2.6 Search engines
As we have seen in above activity we can define a search engine as a program that searches
for and identifies items in a database that correspond to keywords or characters specified
by the user, used especially for finding particular sites on the World Wide Web .

Advantages and disadvantage of search engines.

Search engines provide some popular ways of finding information on the Internet. There is
112 a wide variety of search engines and features. Some search engines are on specific websites,
allowing visitors to the site to search for specific words or phrases. Others are broader in
scope.
Advantages are: variety of sources for information, Precision and Organization while,
Disadvantages are: Search engine show way too much useless on our screen and those who
use search engine frequently may become lazy.
Advantages
Variety: An Internet search can generate a variety of sources for information.
Results from online encyclopedias, news stories, university studies,
discussion boards, and even personal blogs can come up in a basic Internet
search. This variety allows anyone searching for information to choose the
types of sources they would like to use, or to use a variety of sources to
gain a greater understanding of a subject.
Precision Search engines do have the ability to provide refined or more precise
results. Putting quotations marks around a set of words will bring up results
with the exact same words, excluding others. Some search engines, such
as Google or Yahoo, enable you to specify the type of web sources to be
searched. Being able to search more precisely allows you to cut down on

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

the amount of information generated by your search.
Search engines within a website allow you to search information only on
that website, filtering out information from other web sources and giving
more precision in a user's search for information.
Organization Internet search engines help to organize the Internet and individual
websites. Search engines aid in organizing the vast amount of information
that can sometimes be scattered in various places on the same web page
into an organized list that can be used more easily.

Disadvantages

Firstly Search engine show way too much useless on our screen. Sometimes you even
cannot find anything useful from searching results. It wastes us much time to
pick up useful information from seas of searching results.

Secondly Those who use search engine frequently may become lazy. Every time they
meet difficulties they just go for search engine. They even do not spend a little
time to think of them. I think those are not good habits we had better get rid
of. Lastly search engine may bring people to various pornographic websites.
Those websites are especially harmful for children. And search engine have not
found the best way to keep those evil websites from kids now.

Categories of Search Tools

At present, we find it useful to describe the kinds of intermediate search tools available to 113
you in four categories. You use different strategies to find and exploit the potential of the
tools in each class:
 Types of Search Tools Characteristics Examples

Search Engines (&  Full-text of selected Web pages Search Engines

Meta-Search Engines)  Search by keyword, trying to match recommended:
exactly the words in the pages
 No browsing, no subject categories 1. Google,
2. Alta Vista
 Databases compiled by "spiders"
3. Advanced Search,
(computer-robot programs) with
4. Northern Light Power
minimal human oversight
Search,
 Search-Engine size: from small and
5. Alltheweb
specialized to 90+ percent of the
• Meta-Search Engines:
index able Web
 Meta-Search Engines quickly and 1.Go2Net/MetaCrawler,
superficially search several 2.Ixquick,
individual search engines at once
and return results compiled into a 3.Copernic,
sometimes convenient format.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

4.ProFusion Search ,
Caveat: They only catch about 10%
of search results in any of the 5. SavvySearch
search engines they visit.

Subject Directories  Human-selected sites picked by • Recommended:

editors (sometimes experts in a
subject) 1.Gayle
 Often carefully evaluated and kept 2. Group,
up to date, but not always --
frequently not if large and general 3. Librarians' Index,
 Usually organized into hierarchical
4. Infomine,
subject categories
 Often annotated with descriptions 5. Yahoo!,
(not in Yahoo!)
 Can browse subject categories or 6. About.com,
search using broad, general terms 7. AcademicInfo
 NO full-text of documents. Searches
need to be less specific than in • There are thousands
search engines, because you are not more
matching on the words in the pages
you eventually want. In Directories Subject Directories on
you are searching only the subject practically every topic you
categories and descriptions you see
in its pages. can think of.
114
Specialized  The Web provides access through a Locate specialized
search box into the contents of a databases
database in a computer somewhere
Databases (The  Can be on any topic, can be trivial, by looking for them in
commercial, task-specific, or a rich good
Invisible Web) treasure devoted to your topic
Subject Directories like
the

Librarian's Index, Yahoo!,

or AcademicInfo; in
special

guides to searchable

databases; and sometimes

by keyword searching in

general search engines

Web Portals  The latest marketing tool of the  My Yahoo!

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Internet  Snap.com
 Include services such as custom
news, free web-based email,
directories, and search engines,
including Excite and Yahoo!, and
Snap.
 Many of the other web directories
and Search Engines double as
portals.
Tips on how to input internet searches for quicker results
Example Rule
Clinton, trump Use a comma between unrelated capitalized proper names.
“user interface” Use double quotation marks around words that should appear next to each
other.
[WWW search] Use brackets around words that should appear near each other in any
order.
Education + ICT Use a plus sign in front of a required word or phrase.
Teaching -What Use a minus sign in front of a word or phrase you do not want to appear in
the search result. (The example on the left indicates Teaching but not what
teaching)
Other Suggestions:
 Identify common words that are important to your search:
Example: for reference to the month of May; type May not may
 Use a comma to distinguish capitalized names or phrases from one another:
115
Example: Bill Gates, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Las Vegas
 Use quotation marks and hyphens to identify a phrase:
Example: best “laser printer” or best laser-printer
  Use brackets around terms that should appear in the same area of a document:
Example: [weather San Jose current forecast]
 Try not to over specify a search-you might miss relevant documents:
Useful: “black and white personal laser printers”
More useful: “personal laser printers”
3.2.7 What is Email?
Email, short for Electronic Mail, consists of messages which are sent and received using the
Internet. While there are many different email services available that allow you to create an
email account and send and receive email and attachments, I have chosen to focus this class
on the services available through Gmail because is free and is more popular email service
available.
Advantages
1 It's fast. Most messages are delivered within minutes – sometimes seconds – around
the world without the inconvenience and cost of using a postal service. In fact, postal
service is often referred to as "snail mail" by email users.
2 It's personal. While the nature of email is informal, its efficiency is an excellent
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

substitute for telephone conversations.

3 You can think through your response. Like a letter, you can type your reply and make
changes before sending.
4 The sender and the receiver don't have to be working at the same time. Email avoids
problems such as telephone tag or trying to contact someone in a different time zone.
5 Email makes it easy to keep a record of your communication. You can save and refer
to later copies of the emails you send as well as those you receive.
6 You can reach a lot of people at once. It is possible to send one message to hundreds
of recipients at once, or you can send a private message to one individual.

Disadvantage
1 Junk Mail (also referred to as spam). This is as annoying in email as it is with traditional
mail. Most email services now filter incoming mail and sort email messages that are
most likely advertisements or scams into a folder called “spam.”
2 Friendly spam. Try not to forward unnecessary messages to friends who may not
appreciate hearing the latest list of “Top Ten Things…”
3 Ads. The reason you can get free email services like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail is because
of advertisements. You pay the price of having to click around them to read your mail.
4 Misinterpretation. Email arrives without tone or facial expressions, which can lead to
misunderstanding.
5 Email messages can be passed on to others. You should always count on the
possibility of your message ending up in the inbox of someone it wasn't intended for.
6 You can hide behind email. It's tempting to use email instead of facing a person when
you have to deal with an unpleasant situation. It's best to talk to a person face-to-
116 face under these circumstances.
Don’t use email for:
1. Long or complicated messages
Sometimes it's more effective to speak to someone in person or on the phone. It can be
difficult to effectively write down a complicated message in email format.
2. Questions that require a lot of clarification
If a message is going to require several exchanges back and forth to make sure it is
understood, more direct communication is best.
3. Delivering indiscreet, sensitive, or private information.
While your email account is personal, keep in mind that, while rare, passwords have
been stolen and there are ways for interested parties to intercept information. Do not
send your social security number, credit card number, or bank account information in
an email if it can be avoided.
4. Angry exchanges
6. Things you should say in person

Creation of an email account.

Let together follow the following instruction to open a new email account in Gmail.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1. Connect to the Internet by double-clicking the Internet Explorer or Firefox desktop icon.
2. Go to the Gmail site by typing gmail.com into the address bar at the top of the screen,
and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
3. You should see a screen that looks like this

Make sure “Remember me on this computer” is

Unchecked whenever you log in

Click on the Create an Account link at the bottom of the

box
4. Complete all starred information in the form, beginning with the Get Started section.

117
 Desired Login Name: Keep in mind that your Gmail Login Name will become your email
address so choose carefully! When you type in your selection, a box will pop up that will ask
you to check the availability of your Login Name. Because there are so many people who use
Gmail, sometimes you might have to try a few before finding one that is available. Common
email addresses are: firstname.lastname OR firstinitial.lastname. People often choose to use
their name if they will be using this email address for professional purposes.
Tip: Your Login Name/email address doesn't have to be your given name. With email, you
can, for example, choose something that is related to your occupation or interests.
For example, you might want to be umutoni@gmail.com. If you find that name is already
taken, you could always add some numbers after it to make it more unique. If you were born
in 2003, you could be umutoni2003@gmail.com. Don’t use the same words/numbers you
plan to use in your password though!
Password: You will also need to select your password. Make sure your password is
something that you can remember, but no one else can easily figure out! Don’t ever share
your password with anyone else. To protect your password, it's a good idea to change it
periodically.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Tips for creating a secure password

Include punctuation marks and/or numbers.
Mix capital and lowercase letters.
Include similar looking substitutions, such as the number zero for the letter 'O' or '$' for
the letter 'S'.
Create a unique acronym
Include phonetic replacements, such as 'Luv2Laf' for 'Love to Laugh'.

Things to avoid
Don't use a password that is listed as an example of how to pick a good password.
Don't use a password that contains personal information (name, birth date, etc.)
Don't use words or acronyms that can be found in a dictionary.
Don't use keyboard patterns (asdf) or sequential numbers (1234).
Don't make your password all numbers, uppercase letters or lowercase letters.
Don't use repeating characters (aa11).

Tips for keeping your password secure:

Never tell your password to anyone (this includes significant others, roommates,
parrots).
Avoid writing your password down (unless you have problems remembering, then keep
it in a safe place!).
Never send your password by email.
Periodically change your password (e.g., every six months).
Do not save your password in your internet browser (your browser will likely ask if you
118 wish to save the password) – other people who use your computer will be able to log in!
For now, write down your Google Login Name and password. This is crucial because you will
NOT be able to access your email without them, but keep this piece of paper in a safe place!
5. If you forget your password, the next section of the form makes it possible for you to
retrieve it.

Here you can select a

question that Google can
ask you to verify your
identity. That way, your
password won't be given
out to someone trying to
break into your account.

6. The next portion of the form is simply another security measure. Type the code into the
box as you see it on your screen.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

7. Finally, you have to agree to the Terms of Service. Read through the text, and then click
"I Agree."

Congratulations, you now have an email account! Remember that your email address is
your Google Login Name directly followed by "@gmail.com."
Managing your email in Gmail 119
Once you have set up your email account, you can check your mail anywhere that you
can access the Internet. This is how it is done:
 1. Connect to the Internet by double-clicking the Internet Explorer or Firefox desktop
icon.
2. Go to the Gmail site by typing gmail.com into the address bar at the top of the screen.
3. Type your Google Login Name and Password into the box on the right.
4. The next page will show you the number of new messages in your Inbox

5. The inbox is where all of your incoming messages are stored. Click on the subject of
the
Message to open and read it. We will go into more detail regarding Receiving and
Reading
Messages in a later section.
Composing and Sending Messages
To create a new message, click the Compose button on the top left side of the screen.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

The compose screen is a blank message form featuring the following at the top:

From: Is your email address, or the address sending the email.

To: Is where you type the email address of the person(s) to whom you wish to
send the email.
Subject: Is a brief summary of the subject of your message. It is important to include
a subject
line because it will benefit the recipient by allowing them to see what your
email is about before
they open it. It is especially helpful if you are sending email to someone who
might not
Add CC / To add secondary addresses to your email, click on these links and additional
Add BCC: boxes will appear.
 Add CC: “CC” stands for "carbon copy." This box allows you to "copy"
a person on an email that you are sending to someone else. The
person who’s email address is in the “To:” box will be able to see the
120 email address of anyone who is CC’d.
  Add BCC: This is for "blind carbon copies." If you send a copy of an
email to someone by putting their address here, the recipients in the
To: and CC: boxes will not be able to see that person's address.
You can enter multiple recipients in all three address boxes. Separate the addresses with a
comma and a space. Example: umutoni2003@gmail.com, agasaro2020@gmail.com, the box
where you actually type your message is easy to spot because it's the largest one in the
window. Click inside to start typing. If you want to change the appearance of your text, you
can use the formatting toolbar at the top of the box. The formatting options are similar to
those used in Microsoft Word.

Once you have completed your message, send it by clicking on the Send button at the
bottom of the window.

IMPORTANT: You cannot cancel a message once you have sent it, so make sure you want to
send the message before you click Send. By default, Gmail saves the messages you send in
your Sent Mail folder so you have a record of what you sent and when. You can find your

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Sent Mail folder in the sidebar on the left side of the page.
Attaching a file to your message
You can attach files to your email messages. This feature allows you to send pictures,
documents and even sounds.
To attach a file, first you need to do the same things you do to compose a message.
1. Click on Compose.
2. Type the address
3. Type the subject
4. Type the message
When you finish typing your message, click on the Attach a file link directly below the Subject
box.
This opens the Attachment window:

121
 1. Click on the down arrow of the "Look in:" drop-down menu to find the file on your
computer.
Click on the file you wish to attach and click Open. If you have more files to attach, repeat
these
steps before moving on to step #2.
2. Gmail will automatically attach the files to your message. This may take a little time,
depending on the size of your file. Once the file is attached, you'll see the name and size
displayed underneath the Subject box.
Click Send to send the message.

Receiving and Reading Messages

As we went over earlier, when you log into

Gmail, the number of new or unread
messages is indicated in parentheses next
to the word “Inbox” in the left-hand
navigation column.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

By default, email messages are viewed in

the Inbox. New messages are in bold font.
To view your message, click on the subject
to open it.
Once you have read your message, you have
several options.
Replying to the message: Selecting this option
will include the original message at the bottom of
the email and automatically address the
messageto the person who sent it to you. You can
then add text to the existing message and delete
portions of the original text if you wish before
sending your reply to the original sender (kind of
like replyingto a letter and including the original
letter in your new envelope).
Click on the Reply button to reply only tothe
sender. Or click on the arrow on the Reply button
and select Reply to allif you prefer to send the
message to all recipients of the original message.
Forwarding the Message: This feature copies the message you are viewing for delivery to
another email address. You can't see the original message but you can add text at the
beginning
of the message before sending it.
122 Deleting a Message: When you click on this option, the message you are viewing is moved
to the Trash folder. Gmail does not automatically delete messages in the Trash folder right
away, so you must enter the trash folder by clicking on it in the left navigation bar, select
messages you wish to delete, and then click the Delete Forever button in order to delete
messages permanently.
Assigning Labels: You have the ability to organize your email with labels. Several of these
labels have already been created for you. To create labels of your own, click the Labels
button at the top of the Inbox, then click Manage Labels. You can create as many labels as
you want and assign colors to each individual label. Change colors by selecting the small
square to the left of the label in the Inbox view. This allows you to color code your messages
and view them by each label category.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Moving Messages: Messages can be moved to folders by
selecting them in the Inbox, and selecting a location using the
Move To menu.

Receiving an attachment: When you receive a message with an attachment, a paper clip
appears next to the subject of the message in your inbox.
Click on the subject of the message to open the email. At the bottom of the message, you
will see a box that lists the attachments.

123

This email has a MS Word document attached to it called Sample.doc.

 If you click on the Download link, Gmail will download the attachment to your computer.
A box will pop up and ask you if you would
like to open the file, or if you would like
to save it to a disk:
To open the file, select Open With, and
then click the OK button, and the
program that runs this type of file (such
as Word) will open the attached file.
To save the file to your computer, select
Save File. If you choose this option, you
won't get to see the contents of the file
first.

IMPORTANT: Never open an attachment if you don't know the person who sent it. This is
the most common way computer viruses are sent. Do not open a file that ends in .exe unless
you already know what it is and why you're receiving it. If you think any attachment – even
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

from someone you know – looks suspicious, do not open it.

Additional features Gmail

Address Book
The Address Book feature allows you to keep track of email addresses, which can sometimes
be hard to remember. To access your address book, click on the Contacts link on the left side
of the screen.
Adding addresses: To add an address, click on the New Contact button.
You can add as little or as much
additional
Information about each email
address as you prefer. Keep in mind,
however, that if you add the name
of the person associated with the
email address, it will be easier to
look up later since email addresses
don’t always contain the person’s
name. Email addresses are
automatically added to your
Contacts list whenever you reply to
an email, so there’s no need to add
a contact manually if you
correspond with that person
124 frequently.
Looking up addresses: Once an email address is saved in your address book, you can look it
up
 When sending an email. If you can't
remember the email address off
hand, just click on the Contacts
button on the left side of the page
to access your address book.
Otherwise, just start typing the first
Letter or two of the person’s email
address or name, and Google will
suggest email addresses for you.
Calendar
Gmail also has a calendar that you can use to keep track of your schedule. To access it, click
Calendar at the top of the screen, and then simply click anywhere in the calendar to create
and edit an event. You can create multiple calendars, and can even color code them. For
more information, click the Help link in the top right corner of the screen.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

125
 Chapter IV: Presentation Programs:
Getting Started
There are three features that you should remember as you work within PowerPoint
2007: the Microsoft Office Button, the Quick Access Toolbar, and the Ribbon. The function
of these features will be more fully explored below.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Presentations: A presentation is a collection of data and information that is to be delivered

to a specific audience. A PowerPoint presentation is a collection of electronic slides that can
have text, pictures, graphics, tables, sound and video.
4.1 New Presentation
You can start a new presentation from a blank slide, and template. To create a new
presentation from a blank slide:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
 Click New
 Click Blank Presentation

126
To create a new presentation from a template:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
  Click New
 Click Installed Templates or Browse through Microsoft Office Online Templates
 Click the template you choose

Save a Presentation

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

When you save a presentation, you have two choices: Save or Save As.
To save a document:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
 Click Save

You may need to use the Save As feature when you need to save a presentation under a
different name or to save it for earlier versions of PowerPoint. Remember that older
versions of PowerPoint will not be able to open PowerPoint 2007 presentation unless you
save it as a PowerPoint 97-2003 Format. To use the Save As feature:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
 Click Save As
 Type in the name for the Presentation
 In the Save as Type box, choose Excel 97-2003 Presentation 127
 Add Slides
There are several choices when you want to add a new slide to the presentation: Office
Themes, Duplicate Selected Slide, or Reuse Slides.
To create a new slide from Office Themes:
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Select the slide immediately BEFORE where you want the new slide
 Click the New Slide button on the Home tab
 Click the slide choice that fits your material

128
4.2 Themes
Themes are design templates that can be applied to an entire presentation that allows for
consistency throughout the presentation. To add a theme to a presentation:
 Click the Design tab
 Choose one of the displayed Themes or click the Galleries button.

To apply new colors to a theme:

 Click the Colors drop down arrow
 Choose a color set or click Create New Theme Colors

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

To change the background style of a theme
 Click the Background Styles button on the Design tab

129
 4.3 Working with Content
Enter Text
To enter text:
 Select the slide where you want the text
 Click in a Textbox to add text

To add a text box:

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Select the slide where you want to place the text box
 On the Insert tab, click Text Box
 Click on the slide and drag the cursor to expand the text box
 Type in the text

Select Text
To select the text:
 Highlight the text

Copy and Paste

To copy and paste data:
130  Select the item(s) that you wish to copy
 On the Clipboard Group of the Home Tab, click Copy
 Select the item(s) where you would like to copy the data
  On the Clipboard Group of the Home Tab, click Paste

Cut and Paste

To cut and paste data:

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Select the item(s) that you wish to copy
 On the Clipboard Group of the Home Tab, click Cut
 Select the items(s) where you would like to copy the data
 On the Clipboard Group of the Home Tab, click Paste
Undo and Redo
To undo or redo you’re most recent actions:
 On the Quick Access Toolbar
 Click Undo or Redo

Formatting Text
Change Font Typeface and Size
To change the font typeface:
 Click the arrow next to the font name and choose a font.
 Remember that you can preview how the new font will look by highlighting the text,
and hovering over the new font typeface.

131
 To change the font size:
 Click the arrow next to the font size and choose the appropriate size, or
 Click the increase or decrease font size buttons.

Font Styles and Effects

Font styles are predefined formatting options that are used to emphasize text. They
include: Bold, Italic, and Underline. To add these to text:
 Select the text and click the Font Styles included on the Font group of the Home tab
or
 Select the text and right click to display the font tools
Change Text Color
To change the text color:
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Select the text and click the Colors button included on the Font Group of the Ribbon,
or
 Highlight the text and right click and choose the colors tool.
 Select the color by clicking the down arrow next to the font color button.

132
WordArt
WordArt are styles that can be applied to text to create a visual effect. To apply Word Art:
 Select the text
 Click the Insert tab
 Click the WordArt button
 Choose the WordArt
To modify the styles of WordArt
 Select the WordArt
 Click the Format tab for the Drawing Tools
 Click the WordArt Fill button, the WordArt Outline button, or the Text Effects button

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Change Paragraph Alignment
The paragraph alignment allows you to set how you want text to appear. To change the
alignment:
 Click the Home Tab
 Choose the appropriate button for alignment on the Paragraph Group.
 Align Left: the text is aligned with your left margin
 Center: The text is centered within your margins
 Align Right: Aligns text with the right margin
 Justify: Aligns text to both the left and right margins.

Indent Paragraphs
To indent paragraphs, you can do the following:
 Click the Indent buttons to control the indent.
 Click the Indent button repeated times to increase the size of the indent.
Text Direction
To change the text direction:
 Select the text
 Click the Text Direction button on the Home tab
 Click the selection

133
 Adding Content
Resize a Textbox
To resize a textbox:
 Click on the textbox
 Click the corner of the box and drag the cursor to the desired size

Bulleted and Numbered Lists

Bulleted lists have bullet points, numbered lists have numbers, and outline lists combine
numbers and letters depending on the organization of the list.
To add a list to existing text:
 Select the text you wish to make a list
 Click the Bulleted or Numbered Lists button
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

To create a new list:

 Place your cursor where you want the list in the document
 Click the Bulleted or Numbered Lists button
 Begin typing
Nested Lists
A nested list is list with several levels of indented text. To create a nested list:
 Create your list following the directions above
 Click the Increase or Decrease Indent button

Formatting Lists
The bullet image and numbering format can be changed by using the Bullets or Numbering
dialog box.
 Select the entire list to change all the bullets or numbers, or
Place the cursor on one line within the list to change a single bullet.
 Click the arrow next to the bulleted or numbered list and choose a bullet or
numbering style.
134
4.4 Graphics
Adding Picture
To add a picture:
 Click the Insert Tab
 Click the Picture Button
 Browse to the picture from your files
 Click the name of the picture
 Click insert
 To move the graphic, click it and drag it to where you want it

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Adding Clip Art
To add Clip Art:
 Click the Insert Tab
 Click the Clip Art Button
 Search for the clip art using the search Clip Art dialog box
 Click the clip art
 To move the graphic, click it and drag it to where you want it

Editing Pictures and Clip Art 135

When you add a graphic to the presentation, an additional Tab appears on the Ribbon. The
Format Tab allows you to format the pictures and graphics. This tab has four groups:
 Adjust: Controls the picture brightness, contrast, and colors
Picture Style: Allows you to place a frame or border around the picture and add effects
Arrange: Controls the alignment and rotation of the picture
Size: Cropping and size of graphic

Adding a Shape
To add shapes:
 Click the Insert Tab
 Click the Shapes Button
 Click the shape you choose
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Click the Slide

 Drag the cursor to expand the Shape
To format the shapes:
 Click the Shape
 Click the Format tab

Adding SmartArt
SmartArt is a feature in Office 2007 that allows you to choose from a variety of graphics,
including flow charts, lists, cycles, and processes. To add SmartArt:
136  Click the Insert Tab
 Click the SmartArt Button
 Click the SmartArt you choose
  Click the SmartArt
 Drag it to the desired location in the slide
To format the SmartArt:
 Click the SmartArt
 Click either the Design or the Format tab
 Click the SmartArt to add text and pictures.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

4.5 Slide Effects
Slide Transitions
Transitions are effects that are in place when you switch from one slide to the next. To add
slide transitions:
 Select the slide that you want to transition
 Click the Animations tab
 Choose the appropriate animation or click the Transition dialog box

137
 To adjust slide transitions:
 Add sound by clicking the arrow next to Transition Sound

 Modify the transition speed by clicking the arrow next to Transition Speed
To apply the transition to all slides:
 Click the Apply to All button on the Animations tab
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

To select how to advance a slide:

 Choose to Advance on Mouse Click, or
 Automatically after a set number of seconds

138
4.6 Slide Animation
Slide animation effects are predefined special effects that you can add to objects on a
slide. To apply an animation effect:
 Select the object
 Click the Animations tab on the Ribbon
 Click Custom Animation
 Click Add Effect
 Choose the appropriate effect
Animation Preview
To preview the animation on a slide:

 Click the Preview button on the

Animations tab

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Slide Show Options
The Slide Show tab of the ribbon contains many options for the slide show. These options
include:
 Preview the slide show from the beginning
 Preview the slide show from the current slide
 Set up Slide Show
Set Up Slide Show

This option allows you to set preferences for how the slide show will be presented. The
options include:

139
  Whether the
show will run
utomatically or
will be
presented by a
speaker
 The looping
options
 Narration
options
 Monitor
resolutions

4.7 Printing
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Print a Presentation
There are many options for printing a presentation. They are:
 Slides: These are slides that you would see if you were showing the presentation,
one slide per page
 Handouts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 9 per page, this option allows for more slides per page
 Notes Page: This includes the slides and the speaker notes
 Outline View: This will print the outline of the presentation
To access the print options:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
 Click Print
 In the Print Dialog Box, click the arrow next to Print what
 Choose the format and click OK to print

140
To print preview:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
 Place the cursor over Print
 Click Print Preview
 Click the arrow next to Print What to change print options
 To print from Print Preview, click Print

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To Exit Print Preview:
 Click the Close Print Preview button

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 Chapter V: Spreadsheets
Getting Started
There are three features that you should remember as you work within Excel 2007: the
Microsoft Office Button, the Quick Access Toolbar, and the Ribbon. The function of these
features will be more fully explored below.
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Spreadsheets
A spreadsheet is an electronic document that stores various types of data. There are vertical
columns and horizontal rows. A cell is where the column and row intersect. A cell can
contain data and can be used in calculations of data within the spreadsheet. An Excel
spreadsheet can contain workbooks and worksheets. The workbook is the holder for related
worksheets.
Ribbon
The ribbon is the panel at the top portion of the document It has seven tabs: Home, Insert,
Page Layouts, Formulas, Data, Review, and View. Each tab is divided into groups. The groups
are logical collections of features designed to perform function that you will utilize in
developing or editing your Excel spreadsheets.

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Commonly utilized features are displayed on the Ribbon. To view additional features within
each group, click the arrow at the bottom right corner of each group.

Home: Clipboard, Fonts, Alignment, Number, Styles, Cells, Editing

Insert: Tables, Illustrations, Charts, Links, Text
Page Layouts: Themes, Page Setup, Scale to Fit, Sheet Options, Arrange
Formulas: Function Library, Defined Names, Formula Auditing, Calculation
Data: Get External Data, Connections, Sort & Filter, Data Tools, Outline
Review: Proofing, Comments, Changes
View: Workbook Views, Show/Hide, Zoom, Window, Macros
Mini Toolbar
A new feature in Office 2007 is the Mini Toolbar. This is a floating toolbar that is displayed
when you select text or right-click text. It displays common formatting tools, such as Bold,
Italics, Fonts, Font Size and Font Color.

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5.1 Workbook
Create a Workbook
To create a new Workbook:
 Click the Microsoft Office Toolbar
 Click New
 Choose Blank Document
 Click Create

Save a Workbook
When you save a workbook, you have two choices: Save or Save As.
To save a document:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button 143
 Click Save
 You may need to use the Save As feature when you need to save a workbook under a
different name or to save it for earlier versions of Excel. Remember that older versions of
Excel will not be able to open an Excel 2007 worksheet unless you save it as an Excel 97-2003
Format. To use the Save As feature:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
 Click Save As
 Type in the name for the Workbook
 In the Save as Type box, choose Excel 97-2003 Workbook
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Open a Workbook
To open an existing workbook:
 Click the Microsoft Office Button
 Click Open
 Browse to the workbook
 Click the title of the workbook
 Click Open

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5.2 Entering Data
There are different ways to enter data in Excel: in an active cell or in the formula bar. To
enter data in an active cell:
 Click in the cell where you want the data
 Begin typing

To enter data into the formula bar:

 Click the cell where you would like the data
 Place the cursor in the Formula Bar

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 Type in the data
Data
Excel allows you to move, copy, and paste cells and cell content through cutting and pasting
and copying and pasting.
Select Data
To select a cell or data to be copied or cut:
 Click the cell

 Click and drag the cursor to select many cells in a range

Select a Row or Column
To select a row or column click on the row or column header.

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 Copy and Paste
To copy and paste data:
 Select the cell(s) that you wish to copy
 On the Clipboard group of the Home tab, click Copy
 Select the cell(s) where you would like to copy the
data
 On the Clipboard group of the Home tab, click Paste
Cut and Paste
To cut and paste data:
 Select the cell(s) that you wish to copy
 On the Clipboard group of the Home tab, click Cut
 Select the cell(s) where you would like to copy the
data
 On the Clipboard group of the Home tab, click Paste
Undo and Redo
To undo or redo your most recent actions:
 On the Quick Access Toolbar
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 Click Undo or Redo

Auto Fill
The Auto Fill feature fills cell data or series of data in a worksheet into a selected range of
cells. If you want the same data copied into the other cells, you only need to complete one
cell. If you want to have a series of data (for example, days of the week) fill in the first two
cells in the series and then use the auto fill feature. To use the Auto Fill feature:
 Click the Fill Handle
 Drag the Fill Handle to complete the cells

Modifying a Worksheet
Insert Cells, Rows, and Columns
To insert cells, rows, and columns in Excel:
 Place the cursor in the row below where you want the new row, or in the column to
the left of where you want the new column
 Click the Insert button on the Cells group of the Home tab
 Click the appropriate choice: Cell, Row, or Column

146
Delete Cells, Rows and Columns
To delete cells, rows, and columns:
 Place the cursor in the cell, row, or column that you want to delete
 Click the Delete button on the Cells group of the Home tab
 Click the appropriate choice: Cell, Row, or Column
Find and Replace
To find data or find and replace data:
 Click the Find & Select button on the Editing group of the Home tab
 Choose Find or Replace
 Complete the Find What text box

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 Click on Options for more search options

Go To Command
The “Go To command” takes you to a specific cell either by cell reference (the Column Letter
and the Row Number) or cell name.
 Click the Find & Select button on the Editing group of the Home tab
 Click Go To

147
 Spell Check
To check the spelling:
 On the Review tab click the Spelling button

5.3 Calculations
Excel Formulas
A formula is a set of mathematical instructions that can be used in Excel to perform
calculations. Formals are started in the formula box with an = sign.

There are many elements to learn in excel formula.

References: The cell or range of cells that you want to use in your calculation
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Operators: Symbols (+, -, *, /, etc.) that specify the calculation to be performed

Constants: Numbers or text values that do not change
Functions: Predefined formulas in Excel
To create a basic formula in Excel:
 Select the cell for the formula
 Type = (the equal sign) and the formula
 Click Enter

Definition
F (A2:A5) means to apply the function from A2 to A5.
F (A2:H2) means to apply the function from A2 to H2.
Calculate with Functions
A function is a built in formula in Excel. A function has a name and arguments (the
mathematical function) in parentheses. Common functions in Excel:
Sum: Adds all cells in the argument
Average: Calculates the average of the cells in the argument
Min: Finds the minimum value
Max: Finds the maximum value
Count: Finds the number of cells that contain a numerical value within a range of the
argument
To calculate a function:
 Click the cell where you want the function applied
 Click the Insert Function button
 Choose the function
 Click OK

148
  Complete the Number 1 box with the first cell in the range that you want calculated
 Complete the Number 2 box with the last cell in the range that you want calculated
IF function
Returns one value if a condition you specify evaluates to TRUE and another value if it
evaluates to FALSE.
Syntax
IF(logical_test,value_if_true,value_if_false)
Logical_test is any value or expression that can be evaluated to TRUE or FALSE.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Value_if_true is the value that is returned if logical_test is TRUE. For example, if this
argument is the text string "Within budget" and the logical_test argument evaluates to
TRUE, then the IF function displays the text "Within budget". If logical_test is TRUE and
value_if_true is blank, this argument returns 0 (zero). To display the word TRUE, use the
logical value TRUE for this argument. Value_if_true can be another formula.
Value_if_false is the value that is returned if logical_test is FALSE. For example, if this
argument is the text string "Over budget" and the logical_test argument evaluates to FALSE,
then the IF function displays the text "Over budget". If logical_test is FALSE and
value_if_false is omitted, (that is, after value_if_true, there is no comma), then the logical
value FALSE is returned. If logical_test is FALSE and value_if_false is blank (that is, after
value_if_true, there is a comma followed by the closing parenthesis), then the value 0 (zero)
is returned. Value_if_false can be another formula.
Example 1
1. The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

Example 2
The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet. 149
 Example 3
The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.
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5.4 Relative, Absolute and Mixed References

Calling cells by just their column and row labels (such as "A1") is called relative referencing.
When a formula contains relative referencing and it is copied from one cell to another, Excel
does not create an exact copy of the formula. It will change cell addresses relative to the row
and column they are moved to. For example, if a simple addition formula in cell C1
"=(A1+B1)" is copied to cell C2, the formula would change to "=(A2+B2)" to reflect the new
row. To prevent this change, cells must be called by absolute referencing and this is
accomplished by placing dollar signs "$" within the cell addresses in the formula. Continuing
the previous example, the formula in cell C1 would read "=($A$1+$B$1)" if the value of cell
C2 should be the sum of cells A1 and B1. Both the column and row of both cells are absolute
and will not change when copied. Mixed referencing can also be used where only the row
OR column fixed. For example, in the formula "=(A$1+$B2)", the row of cell A1 is fixed and
the column of cell B2 is fixed.
Sort and Filter
150 Sorting and Filtering allow you to manipulate data in a worksheet based on given set of
criteria.
Basic Sorts
To execute a basic descending or ascending sort based on one column:
 Highlight the cells that will be sorted
 Click the Sort & Filter button on the Home tab
 Click the Sort Ascending (A-Z) button or Sort Descending (Z-A) button

Custom Sorts
To sort on the basis of more than one column:
 Click the Sort & Filter button on the Home tab
 Choose which column you want to sort by first

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 Click Add Level
 Choose the next column you want to sort
 Click OK

Filtering
Filtering allows you to display only data that meets certain criteria. To filter:
 Click the column or columns that contain the data you wish to filter
 On the Home tab, click on Sort & Filter
 Click Filter button
 Click the Arrow at the bottom of the first cell
 Click the Text Filter
 Click the Words you wish to Filter
 To clear the filter click the Sort & Filter button
 Click Clear

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 5.5 Charts or Graphics
Charts allow you to present information contained in the worksheet in a graphic format.
Excel offers many types of charts including: Column, Line, Pie, Bar, Area, Scatter and
more. To view the charts available click the Insert Tab on the Ribbon.
Create a Chart
To create a chart:
 Select the cells that contain the data you want to use in the chart
 Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
 Click the type of Chart you want to create

Modify a Chart
Once you have created a chart you can do several things to modify the chart.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

To move the chart:

 Click the Chart and Drag it another location on the same worksheet, or
 Click the Move Chart button on the Design tab
 Choose the desired location (either a new sheet or a current sheet in the workbook)
To change the data included in the chart:
 Click the Chart
 Click the Select Data button on the Design tab

To reverse which data are displayed in the rows and columns:

 Click the Chart
 Click the Switch Row/Column button on the Design tab

To modify the labels and titles:

152  Click the Chart
 On the Layout tab, click the Chart Title or the Data Labels button
 Change the Title and click Enter
Chart Tools
The Chart Tools appear on the Ribbon when you click on the chart. The tools are located
on three tabs: Design, Layout, and Format.
Within the Design tab you can control the chart type, layout, styles, and location.

Within the Layout tab you can control inserting pictures, shapes and text boxes, labels, axes,
background, and analysis.

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Within the Format tab you can modify shape styles, word styles and size of the chart.

Copy a Chart to Word

 Select the chart
 Click Copy on the Home tab
 Go to the Word document where you want the chart located
 Click Paste on the Home tab

5.6 Format Worksheet

153
Convert Text to Columns
 Sometimes you will want to split data in one cell into two or more cells. You can do this
easily by utilizing the Convert Text to Columns Wizard.
 Highlight the column in which you wish to split the data
 Click the Text to Columns button on the Data tab
 Click Delimited if you have a comma or tab separating the data, or click fixed widths
to set the data separation at a specific size.
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Modify Fonts
Modifying fonts in Excel will allow you to emphasize titles and headings. To modify a font:
 Select the cell or cells that you would like the font applied
 On the Font group on the Home tab, choose the font type, size, bold, italics,
underline, or color

Format Cells Dialog Box

In Excel, you can also apply specific formatting to a cell. To apply formatting to a cell or group
of cells:
 Select the cell or cells that will have the formatting
 Click the Dialog Box arrow on the Alignment group of the Home tab

154
There are several tabs on this dialog box that allow you to modify properties of the cell or
cells.
Number: Allows for the display of different number types and decimal places

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Alignment: Allows for the horizontal and vertical alignment of text, wrap text, shrink text,
merge cells and the direction of the text.
Font: Allows for control of font, font style, size, color, and additional features
Border: Border styles and colors
Fill: Cell fills colors and styles

Add Borders and Colors to Cells

Borders and colors can be added to cells manually or through the use of styles. To add
borders manually:
 Click the Borders drop down menu on the Font group of the Home tab
 Choose the appropriate border

To apply colors manually:

 Click the Fill drop down menu on the Font group of the Home tab 155
 Choose the appropriate color
 To apply borders and colors using styles:
 Click Cell Styles on the Home tab
 Choose a style or click New Cell Style

Change Column Width and Row Height

To change the width of a column or the height of a row:
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 Click the Format button on the Cells group of the Home tab
 Manually adjust the height and width by clicking Row Height or Column Width
 To use AutoFit click AutoFit Row Height or AutoFit Column Width

Hide or Unhide Rows or Columns

To hide or unhide rows or columns:
 Select the row or column you wish to hide or unhide
 Click the Format button on the Cells group of the Home tab
 Click Hide & Unhide

Merge Cells
To merge cells select the cells you want to merge and click the Merge & Center button on
the Alignment group of the Home tab.
156
The four choices for merging cells are:
Merge & Center: Combines the cells and centers the contents in the new, larger cell.
Merge Across: Combines the cells across columns without centering data
Merge Cells: Combines the cells in a range without centering
Unmerge Cells: Splits the cell that has been merged

Align Cell Contents

To align cell contents, click the cell or cells you want to align and click on the options within
the Alignment group on the Home tab. There are several options for alignment of cell
contents:
Top Align: Aligns text to the top of the cell
Middle Align: Aligns text between the top and bottom of the cell

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Bottom Align: Aligns text to the bottom of the cell
Align Text Left: Aligns text to the left of the cell
Center: Centers the text from left to right in the cell
Align Text Right: Aligns text to the right of the cell
Decrease Indent: Decreases the indent between the left border and the text
Increase Indent: Increase the indent between the left border and the text
Orientation: Rotate the text diagonally or vertically

5.6 Developing a Workbook

Format Worksheet Tab
You can rename a worksheet or change the color of the tabs to meet your needs.
To rename a worksheet: 157
 Open the sheet to be renamed
 Click the Format button on the Home tab
  Click Rename sheet
 Type in a new name
 Press Enter
To change the color of a worksheet tab:
 Open the sheet to be renamed
 Click the Format button on the Home tab
 Click Tab Color
 Click the color
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Reposition Worksheets in a Workbook

To move worksheets in a workbook:
 Open the workbook that contains the sheets you want to rearrange
 Click and hold the worksheet tab that will be moved until an arrow appears in the
left corner of the sheet
 Drag the worksheet to the desired location
Insert and Delete Worksheets
To insert a worksheet
 Open the workbook
 Click the Insert button on the Cells group of the Home tab
 Click Insert Sheet
To delete a worksheet
 Open the workbook
 Click the Delete button on the Cells group of the Home tab
 Click Delete Sheet

158
Copy and Paste Worksheets:
To copy and paste a worksheet:
 Click the tab of the worksheet to be copied
 Right click and choose Move or Copy
 Choose the desired position of the sheet
 Click the check box next to Create a Copy

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

 Click OK
5.7 Page Properties and Printing
Set Print Titles
The print titles function allows you to repeat the column and row headings at the beginning
of each new page to make reading a multiple page sheet easier to read when printed. To
Print Titles:
 Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon
 Click the Print Titles button
 In the Print Titles section, click the box to select the rows/columns to be repeated
 Select the row or column
 Click the Select Row/Column Button
 Click OK

159
 5.8 Create a Header or Footer
To create a header or footer:
 Click the Header & Footer button on the Insert tab
 This will display the Header & Footer Design Tools Tab
 To switch between the Header and Footer, click the Go to Header or Go to Footer
button

 To insert text, enter the text in the header or footer

 To enter preprogrammed data such as page numbers, date, time, file name or sheet
name, click the appropriate button
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 To change the location of data, click the desired cell

Set Page Margins

To set the page margins:
 Click the Margins button on the Page Layout tab
 Select one of the give choices, or

160  Click Custom Margins

 Complete the boxes to set margins
 Click Ok
Change Page Orientation
To change the page orientation from portrait to landscape:
 Click the Orientation button on the Page Layout tab
 Choose Portrait or Landscape.

5.9 Layout
Split a Worksheet
You can split a worksheet into multiple resizable panes for easier viewing of parts of a
worksheet. To split a worksheet:
 Select any cell in center of the worksheet you want to split
 Click the Split button on the View tab
 Notice the split in the screen, you can manipulate each part separately

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

Freeze Rows and Columns
You can select a particular portion of a worksheet to stay static while you work on other
parts of the sheet. This is accomplished through the Freeze Rows and Columns Function. To
Freeze a row or column:
 Click the Freeze Panes button on the View tab
 Either select a section to be frozen or click the defaults of top row or left column
 To unfreeze, click the Freeze Panes button
 Click Unfreeze

Hide Worksheets
To hide a worksheet:
 Select the tab of the sheet you wish to hide, Right-click on the tab, Click Hide

To unhide a worksheet:
 Right-click on any worksheet tab, Click Unhide, Choose the worksheet to unhide

161
 Chapter VI: Conclusion
6.1 General conclusion
The success of computers and internet in education or ICTs depends on how they are
introduced into the system. Here are some strategic options:
• ICTs may be used as an additional layer of educational input that leaves the current
system intact but adds hardware and software for enrichment. The problem here is
that both students and teachers may not take the additional materials seriously or
know how to relate them to the current program. Also, this may not realize the full
potential of, and consequently returns from, ICTs.
• ICTs may be treated as an integral part of the existing instructional system. This
strategy involves articulating learning objectives, translating objectives/standards
into teaching/learning activities, producing multimedia curricular materials, training
staff, establishing a distribution communication network, assessing learning
achievement, and evaluating the program. Here, ICTs are not a substitute for the
classroom setting; rather, they enhance the role of the teacher as facilitator and the
role of the student as learner.
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

• ICTs may be introduced through a parallel system such as distance education or e-

learning. This option may be used in situations where schools are not available or
cannot be provided, or where individuals cannot enroll in regular schools because of
lack of availability or for personal reasons, as in the case of working youth and
adults.
From an instructional architecture perspective, technology-enhanced materials may be
designed in one of three ways:
• They can be enrichment materials that are used in addition to existing materials at
the discretion of the teacher or learner, in the same manner as a library book is
used.
• They can be a structured multimedia program that covers a particular course—
similar to a textbook-plus that is used by all students in all schools in the same way.
Many publishers have evolved their textbooks into packages of printed (or digital) text
plus related slides, videos, audiotapes, and CDs.
• They can be multimedia modules that are constructed in a flexible way to serve as
building blocks of different curricula and teaching practices. Here, each module is
broken down into educational sub objectives to be met with specific technologies,
such as video, animation, simulation, real-life exploration, etc. Not only can the
modules be put together in different ways, the sub modules can be reconfigured to
form different versions suitable for different teaching styles and learning needs.
6.2 Enhancing Quality of Teaching
Teaching is one of the most challenging and crucial professions in the world. Teachers are
critical in facilitating learning and in making it more efficient and effective; they hold the
key to the success of any educational reform; and they are accountable for successful
162
human development of the nation and for preparing the foundation for social and
economic development. Yet, they are usually ill-prepared and left on their own to
understand and address the needs of students, parents, administrators, society, the
economy, and the past, present, and future.
Modern developments may have eased some teaching burdens, but they certainly have
not made life easier for teachers:
• The objectives of education have become more complicated. It is no longer sufficient
to teach a certain body of knowledge and skills. Teachers are expected to help students
to acquire higher levels of cognitive skills—problem solving, creativity, collaborative
learning, synthesis, and, above all, the skill to learn new knowledge and apply that
knowledge to new situations.
• Our understanding of the nature of learning has evolved. For learning to take place,
learners have to be active, learning has to be meaningful and authentic, and the
learning environment should be challenging but not stressful—all easier said than
done!
• Knowledge is expanding rapidly, and much of it is available to teachers and students
at the same time. This puts an unavoidable burden on teachers to continue updating
their knowledge and exposing themselves to modern channels of information.
• The social environment in many countries is making it more difficult for teachers to

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

manage classrooms and learning processes. Teachers’ authority is challenged and their
knowledge questioned continually. Students, in many instances, are becoming less
respectful and more belligerent, and in some extreme cases, teachers must function
in the face of physical threats and psychological duress.
• Information and communication technologies have brought new possibilities to the
education sector, but, at the same time, they have placed more demands on
teachers. They now have to learn how to cope with computers in their classrooms,
how to compete with students in accessing the enormous body of information—
particularly via the Internet, and how to use the hardware and software to enhance
the teaching/learning process.
Obviously, teachers cannot be prepared for these unfolding challenges once and for all.
One-shot training, no matter how effective and successful, will not suffice. A new
paradigm must emerge that replaces training with lifelong professional preparedness
and development of teachers, along the following continuum:
• Initial preparation/training that provides teachers with a solid foundation of
knowledge; proficiency in pedagogical, social, and organization skills; deep
understanding of the teaching/learning policies and materials they will deal with;
and broad familiarity with sources of educational materials and support. It is equally
crucial that candidates have a sophisticated grasp of continuous exploration,
assessment, and acquisition of new knowledge and competencies, according to
future demands.
• Structured opportunities for retraining, upgrading, and acquisition of new
knowledge and skills. Many professions require practitioners to renew certification for
practice. It is only logical for the critical profession of teaching to demand
recertification every two or three years based on evidence of professional upgrading, 163
and it is equally imperative for education authorities to ensure that opportunities
and facilities for such upgrading are available.
 • Continuous support for teachers as they tackle their day-to-day responsibilities.
The Potential
Implementing the emerging paradigm with conventional measures and techniques faces,
in most countries, insurmountable financial, organizational, and institutional obstacles.
ICTs may make the difference and can contribute significantly to all three components
of the continuum:
• First, ICTs and properly developed multimedia materials can enhance teachers’ initial
preparation by providing good training materials, facilitating simulations, capturing
and analyzing practice teaching, bringing into the training institution world experience,
familiarizing trainees with sources of materials and support, and training potential
teachers in the use of technologies for teaching/learning.
• Second, ICTs open a whole world of lifelong upgrading and professional
development for teachers by providing courses at a distance, asynchronous learning,
And training on demand. ICTs’ advantages include ease of revision and introduction
of new courses in response to emerging demands.
• Finally, ICTs break the professional isolation from which many teachers suffer. With
COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

ICTs, they can connect easily with headquarters, with colleagues and mentors, with
universities and centers of expertise, and with sources of teaching materials.
Specific Solutions
The above potential can be translated into a variety of ICT-enhanced interventions. Among
them are:
Multimedia and Videos for Training: Videos can serve an important role in microteaching,
demonstration of special instructional techniques, on-demand training, and uncorrupted
expert instruction—in contrast with the cascade model (whereby training flows down
through levels of less experienced trainers until it reaches the target group; in the process,
complex information tends to be lost).
Teacher Development Portal: Teacher development portals provide an integrated teacher
development program using the potential of ICTs. The portal can provide the resources,
tools, and platform for all three phases of the teacher development variety: initial training
at teacher training colleges, in-service training opportunities, and continuous teacher
support.
More specifically, a portal provides the following resources, tools, and collaborative
channels:
• Simulation and good practice. New technologies, both computer- and Web-based,
allow for simulation of specific skills through mini- and micro-lessons that can be
watched, manipulated, and tested. Also, demonstrations of real teachers in real
classroom settings, representing different subjects, approaches, and methodologies,
may be brought into the teacher education center without having to travel to
schools. More important, these good practices can be dissected, analyzed, watched
164 again, and assessed over time without disrupting an actual class.
• Multimedia modules. These are teaching/learning activities related to specific
pedagogical skills.
 • Resource materials, including solutions to common teaching problems, innovations
in teaching specific concepts, lesson plans, and links to other portals developed by
centers of excellence and professional organizations. The portal site not only finds and
links to these other sites, it also provides a special directory or search engine to help
users find what they want and avoid the rest.
• Moderated and unmodulated chat room, bulletin boards, discussion forums, and
virtual conferences.
• Synchronous and asynchronous online seminars on specific topics, using Webcasting
and audio technology.
• Free e-mail and personalized Web space.
• Free educational software for downloading.
• Policies and procedures can be posted on the portal for easy access by teachers and
administrators. This also allows revisions to be made inexpensively and distributed
immediately to all schools with Internet access. Furthermore, through the e-mail link,
teachers and administrators can provide feedback on the postings to policy makers.
• Resource teachers, assigned full-time or part-time, provide, through the portal,

COMPUTERS AND INTERNET IN EDUCATION

advice to classroom teachers about problems and best practices. They can also
prepare and provide supplemental lesson plans to capitalize on learning opportunities
created by new developments. Furthermore, resource teachers can help design
lesson plans and curriculum when textbooks and other traditional sources are
unavailable. The resource teacher can be available by e-mail, portal chat rooms, and
bulletin boards. Chat rooms and bulletin boards allow easy archiving and retrieval of
earlier queries and answers, which can substantially reduce the number of times the
resource teachers have to respond to similar inquiries.
Internet Resources for Teachers: There are thousands of Websites for educators which
provide assistance to teachers in a wide range of needs, including lesson plans, instructional
tools, student activities, and professional development opportunities. On internet there is a
list of Websites that are intended to provide assistance to a wide range of teachers in their
day- to-day classroom work.
6.3 Teacher’s online resources
1. Teachers pay Teachers
2. Bitesize ( GCSE = high school) GCSE./www.BBC.CO.UK/EDUCATION/LEVES/z98jmp3
3. PHET ( phet.colorodo.edu/en/simulation/circuit
4. http://www.nuffieldfoundtion.org
5. http://www.rsc.org
6. http://www.learner.org
7. https://www.terrificscience.org
8. https:///www.tes.co.uk/content/teaching-resources

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 References
Kyambogo University (2002), Technology for RWANDA Educators: Introduction to
computers and the internet Kampala. Connected Projects.

Rusten E. (2002), Using Computer in Schools-Digital opportunities for development.

Washington. AED

Fontaine, M. (2000) Computer Mediated Professional Development. Washington.

LearnLink.

Rudestine, N.L. (2004), The Internet in Education: A Close fit Wolff, L. (2003), Computers in
Secondary Education. Washington IADB
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