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Multimedia and Other Tools

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION..............................................................4What’s in This Book.......................................................................................5Working With the Activities............................................................................5Conventions...................................................................................................6Before You Begin...........................................................................................7Equipment and Software You Will Need.........................................................7For More Information.....................................................................................8

WORKING BETTER IN WINDOWS 98...............................9Getting Started..............................................................................................9Exploring Windows 98.................................................................................11

The Desktop.............................................................................................11Windows...................................................................................................12Moving, Sizing, and Organizing Windows..................................................13Dialog Boxes.............................................................................................14Identifying File Box Features....................................................................15Pointing and Clicking................................................................................16

Working with Menus and Commands...........................................................17Benefiting from Help and Windows Explorer................................................20

Using Find.................................................................................................20Using Help................................................................................................21Using Windows Explorer...........................................................................23

Putting it Together.......................................................................................24

USING THE DESKTOP...................................................25Before you Begin.........................................................................................25A Desktop to Fit Your Style..........................................................................25

Browsing is Simple....................................................................................27Finding What You Need When You Need It..................................................29

1 In and Out of the Classroom with Windows 98


Customizing the Start menu.....................................................................29Creating Shortcuts to Files and Folders....................................................29Starting Programs Automatically..............................................................31

Favorites......................................................................................................32Changing Display Settings...........................................................................33Organizing Files and Customizing Folders....................................................34Adding Programs to the Taskbar..................................................................36Creating User Profiles..................................................................................36Accessibility Features..................................................................................38Putting it Together.......................................................................................40

GETTING CONNECTED..................................................41What is a Network?......................................................................................41Connecting to the World Wide Web.............................................................42Navigating the World Wide Web..................................................................43

Toolbars....................................................................................................43Explorer Bar..............................................................................................44Status Bar.................................................................................................44

Finding Information on the World Wide Web................................................45Subscribing to a Web Page..........................................................................46Adding Active Content Items.......................................................................48A Word About Security.................................................................................51Using Outlook Express.................................................................................51

Sending a message..................................................................................52Attaching a file to a message...................................................................53Receiving and reading a message............................................................54Adding e-mail addresses to the address book..........................................55

Discussion Groups.......................................................................................57Putting it Together.......................................................................................57

MULTIMEDIA AND OTHER TOOLS.................................59Multimedia Features....................................................................................59Plug and Play...............................................................................................60Using the Computer with a Television.........................................................60Scheduling Regular Maintenance.................................................................60Setting Up the Update Wizard.....................................................................62Putting it Together.......................................................................................62

LEARN MORE ABOUT IT................................................64Teaching Tips..............................................................................................64Accessibility Resources................................................................................66



Working Better in Windows 98

This section will show you some concepts of Windows 98 and Windows based software programs including how to use the mouse and how to work with windows. If you are already familiar with using Windows 95, you may want to simply review this section, concentrating on the Teach Better! ideas. If you are new to the Windows operating system or are upgrading from Windows 3.1, you may want to supplement this section with the Discover Windows 98 online tutorial and the Getting Started guide that came with your Windows 98 software. And if at any time you want more information about a topic, remember to use the Windows Help system. For more information about using Help, see the end of this section.

Getting StartedWindows 98 will help you work better by making your computer run faster and more reliably. Windows 98 supports the latest multimedia and communications technologies. With a fully Web integrated user interface, it brings the global community to your classroom.

It might seem ironic, but one of the first things to know about Windows 98 is how to exit Windows and shut down the computer when you are finished using it. Your shut down options are available from the Start menu. Depending on how your computer is set up you may have the following options:

Log Off—choose Log off if you want the computer to remain on but don’t want other users to have access to your personal user profile.

Shut Down—choose Shut down when you want to completely turn off power to your computer.

Stand by—an option available with computers that have Advanced Power Manager (APM) or ACPI built in. Stand


What you will do:

Work with the mouse

Work with menus and commands

Work with windows

Work with Help and Windows


by saves energy and lets you come right back to where you were working.

Restart—choose Restart when it is necessary to exit Windows, but when you want to keep using the computer. For example, when you install new hardware or programs, you will often be prompted to restart the computer for certain settings to take effect.

Restart in MS-DOS Mode—choose this option if you want to use MS-DOS® based software that will not run with the Windows operating system. Sometimes it is also necessary to reboot in MS-DOS mode to troubleshoot system problems.

Exiting Windows and shutting down the computer

1. Save any documents you have been working in and then close any programs that are running. (If you are using Stand by, save your documents, but you can leave your programs running.)

2. Click the Start button to open the Start menu.

3. Click Shut Down to turn off or restart the computer. Or, click Log Off if you want the computer to remain on but don’t want other users to have access to your personal user profile. (For more information about user profiles, see section two, “Introducing the Windows 98 Desktop.”) The Shut Down Windows dialog box opens.

4. Choose Stand by, Shut down, Restart, or Restart in MS-DOS Mode, and then click OK.

5. If you chose Stand by, the computer will appear to shut off.

If you chose Shut down, wait for Windows to show the message “It is now safe to turn off your computer,” then you can turn off the computer.

If you chose Restart or Restart in MS-DOS mode, Windows will exit and then automatically start again. You may be prompted to log in again if that is part of your system’s configuration.

Sometimes, due to system or program errors, your computer might “hang,” that is, it will be running but you will not be able to use any commands, you might not even be able to use the mouse pointer. If this happens and you are unable to shut down Windows as explained above, try pressing CTRL + ALT + DELETE. This will open a dialog box that can help you shut down the program that is causing the error, or shut down the computer if necessary. Be careful, by shutting down the computer in this way, you can lose any unsaved information your were working on. This should only be done


If the computer is not shut down properly, Windows 98 will automatically run the ScanDisk program at the next startup to help prevent hard drive errors. For more information about ScanDisk, see the section “Multimedia


if you are unable to shut down Windows from the Start menu.



Exploring Windows 98As an educator, you might believe that sometimes the best way to learn something is to explore. As you are getting to know the Windows 98 operating system, feel free to do just that. The following pages explain some of the things you will find in Windows 98.

The Desktop

In Windows 98, the main screen is called the desktop. This is your work area. Just like the top of a real desk, this one changes depending on what you are doing. You can also customize it to fit your needs and personality (more about this in the section, "Using the Windows 98 Desktop”). The following illustration shows the Windows 98 desktop.


Quick Launch toolbar Use these icons to start Internet Explorer, start Outlook Express, minimize all open windows,

Taskbar When a window is open but not active, an icon for the window appears here. Quickly switch between open windows using the icons.

Time Clock Displays the current time set in the computer. Change the time and date by double-clicking here.

Start button Click to open the Start menu, your one-stop access to many of the features of

Channel Bar Obtain instant access to any of more than 3,000 active Web pages with this active channel

Icons Double-click one of these icons, or shortcuts, to open a program or folder.


Windows

When you open something on your computer like a program, a document, or a Web browser, it appears on your desktop inside a window. There are two types of windows—program windows which contain a program, such as Microsoft Word, and document windows which contain documents inside a program window. You can have several documents open in one program window, for example you can have more than one Microsoft PowerPoint presentation file open at a time within the PowerPoint program window. The following illustration shows the parts of a typical window.


Status barShows you information

Title bar Changes color when the window is active.

Menu barContains menus for the program. Click on the menu names to display the menus and their commands.

Horizontal Scroll barClick at a point in the scroll bar to move the scroll box, instead of

ToolbarAvailable buttons depend on the program you are using

Document window

Scroll boxDrag the box left or right (up or down on the vertical bar) to see information which doesn’t fit in the

Scroll arrowClick to move through the document

CornerResize the window by dragging from the corner.

Minimize buttonWindow becomes an icon

Maximize buttonWindow fills the entire desktop

Restore buttonSmaller than maximized but

Close buttonCloses document, or

Scroll boxDrag the box left or right (up or down on the vertical bar) to see information which doesn't fit in the window.

Horizontal Scroll barClick at a point in the scroll bar to move the scroll box,


Moving, Sizing, and Organizing Windows

Once you are familiar with the parts of a window, it is easy to use several windows at once so that you can accomplish more than one thing at a time. You can search the Internet and import text or pictures into a Word document; or, you can figure grades with an Excel spreadsheet, and write memos in Word Pad all while you are reading your e-mail. The following are some tips for moving, sizing, and organizing windows that you have open on your desktop at the same time:

Move—Use the Title Bar to move a window around on the desktop. Click on the title bar, and while holding down the mouse button, drag the window to a new location on the desktop. This is helpful when you are using more than one program at a time and need to see them both simultaneously, such as when you are editing a picture in Paint and then want to import the picture into a Word document.

Resize—Customize the size of a window with the resize pointers. You can drag the window’s borders to make the window larger or smaller. To try this, open Notepad from the Accessories submenu (on the Programs menu). Move the pointer over to the right edge of the window. The pointer will change to a resize pointer, a short line with arrows at both ends. Hold down the left mouse button and drag any part of the window's edge to make the window wider. Or, drag the window from the corner to resize the height and width at the same time.

Organize—When you right-click on the taskbar, a menu appears. This handy menu contains commands for cascading and tiling windows, and for minimizing all open windows. To try out these features, open a few accessory programs such as Word Pad, the calculator, and Paint, and then right-click an open space on the taskbar and choose Cascade Windows or Tile Windows Horizontally.


Don’t forget about the Desktop button on the Quick Launch toolbar. If you have several windows open and can’t see the desktop, but you want to open something from a desktop shortcut, click this button to minimize all of your open windows and show the desktop.


Dialog Boxes

Dialog boxes pop up on your screen when Windows or a Windows based program needs information, requires you to confirm an action (such as deleting), or has an alert or other information. Dialog boxes look a bit like windows, but don’t have all the features of windows. For example, they have title bars, but not toolbars. You can move them but not resize them. You can close them but not minimize them. Most dialog boxes are intuitive, usually asking for a simple Yes, No, or OK. Some are more complicated, especially those used for changing settings.

Several Windows 98 dialog boxes you use to change system settings are subdivided into tabbed categories, like a "real" file folder or card file. This allows you to make multiple changes from a centralized location on your computer. Each tab has a heading which categorizes the information on that tab. Click on the tab to change from one to another. The following illustration shows the Date/Time Properties dialog box.


Drop down listClick the arrow to open a list of options to select from.

Tabs

HelpChanges the pointer into a question mark. Click on an object for an explanation of it.

OK buttonClick to close the dialog box and change settings as indicated.

Cancel buttonClick to close the dialog box without changing any

Apply buttonClick to change setting but not close dialog box.

CheckboxSelected when checked. Click to check or to clear check mark.

CloseTitle bar


Identifying File Box Features

Another typical dialog box is the file box. This box opens when you choose the Open or Save As command on the File menu of most Windows programs.


Folder treeClick the arrow to browse folders and

File View Buttons Allows easy access to folders or functions. Buttons vary

Up one level buttonClick to go to the folder one level higher than the

Document type field Shows the file format in which the document will be saved (Save as dialog box) or of the documents displayed (Open

File name field Use this field to select or type a name of a file you are saving (Save as dialog box) or want to open (Open


Pointing and Clicking

In Windows 98, the mouse is the tool you will most often use to navigate through the operating system and perform tasks. There are five basic actions you perform with the mouse: point, click, double-click, right-click, and drag.

To point the mouse, simply position the on-screen mouse pointer over an object. Sometimes when you point to an object and “hover” over it, a small box called a tool tip will appear that contains a description of the object. When you point to some objects, the mouse pointer changes shape, alerting you to the fact that you can perform some kind of command. For example, when the pointer turns into a hand with a pointing finger, you are pointing to a clickable item such as a hyperlink. A hyperlink is text or a picture that you can click to jump to another location. A two-headed arrow allows you to resize an object.

Click means to press the left (primary) mouse button. When you click an object you make it active. Double-click means to press the left mouse button twice quickly. Right-click means to press the right (secondary) mouse button. To drag an object with the mouse pointer, point to the object and press and hold down the left mouse button. When you have moved the object to where you want it, release the mouse button to “drop” the object.

To make the mouse comfortable for you and your students to use, you can adjust the speed of the mouse pointer, adjust the mouse for left-handed users, and make the pointers larger or smaller. You can also show the trail of the pointer, which is helpful if you are using the computer with a projection device. For those who cannot use a mouse, keyboard alternatives are available through the Accessibility Wizard.

To Adjust Mouse Settings1. Click Start to display the Start menu.

2. Point to Settings and then click Control Panel from the submenu.



3. Double-click the Mouse icon to open the Mouse Properties dialog box.

4. Click either the Buttons tab, Pointers tab, or Motion tab. Adjust the settings and then click Apply.

5. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Working with Menus and CommandsA menu is a list of commands or instructions that tell your computer to perform an action (such as opening a program or saving a document). The main menu associated with Windows 98 is the Start menu. Most software programs will have their own menus that you will become familiar with as you use the program. You will usually find these menus at the top of the program window in an area called the menu bar. In Windows 98 you will use menus, cascading menus, submenus, and shortcut menus. The following illustrations show some of the kinds of menus and their parts.


Pointers tabChange the look of pointers. Make them larger for easier

Button configurationChange settings for left-handed

Test areaHandle on the box demonstrates the double-click

SliderClick on the speed indicator and, while holding down the mouse button, drag it to

Motion tabShow pointer trails and adjust tracking speed.


Later in this book you will learn how to add items to the Start menu, such as other programs or documents you use every day. The following are descriptions of the commands on the default Start menu:

Run—opens the Run dialog box. You can type in the name of a program, folder, document, or Internet resource and Windows 98 will open it for you. There is also a Browse button to help you find what you want to open.

Settings—opens a cascading menu with commands to open the Control Panel folder, Printers folder, Taskbar Properties dialog box, Folder Options dialog box, and Active Desktop commands.

Documents—quick access to the last 15 files that you have opened, as well as a shortcut to the My Documents folder.

Favorites—opens a cascading menu, which helps you quickly access your Web page subscriptions, Active Channel subscriptions, and My Documents folder.

Programs—opens the Programs menu which contains shortcuts to the software programs on your computer or that are available on your computer network including Windows Explorer and the Windows 98 Accessories.

For information about the Shut Down command, see the beginning of this section. For information about the Find command and the Help command, see the end of this section. Depending on what other types of programs you have on your computer or network, you might have additional commands on the Start menu.


You can cancel any menu (close it without choosing a command) by clicking anywhere outside of the menu.

If an arrow follows a command on a menu, pointing to that command opens another menu called a cascading menu.

Start buttonClick to open the Start menu.


There are some other symbols, called indicators, that you will sometimes find on menus. The following is an illustration of the View menu in Microsoft Word 97 showing the kinds of indicators you will find on program menus.

In Windows 98 and software programs that run on the Windows operating system, there are also shortcut menus which you open by right-clicking an object or area on the desktop or in a program window. The commands available on a shortcut menu depend on the location of the pointer when it is clicked. For example, the Windows 98 desktop shortcut menu allows you to create shortcuts and arrange shortcut icons as well as customize your Active Desktop.


ButtonIndicates which of several related options is selected

CheckboxIndicates that a command is selected.

UnavailableCommands that appear “grayed out” are not available for the task you are doing.

EllipsesIndicates that a dialogue box opens and additional information is required before the command is

Menu barClick on the menu name to display the menu.


Benefiting from Help and Windows ExplorerWindows 98 includes several tools to help you find things you need on the computer and an excellent online Help system that has information for all levels of users, from those exploring Windows for the first time, to those who need access to detailed technical support.

Using Find

If you need a file or program located on your computer or network, but you cannot remember its name or location, use the Find File command. Click the Start button, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders. When you choose this command from the Start menu, the Find dialog box opens.

From this dialog box, you can find the file or program based on several types of search criteria, such as the file format (type), a partial file name, or words in a file. The more specific you can make the search, the faster the search results are displayed. For example, if you know the document you are looking for is a Microsoft Word document, it contains the word "vitae," and it is on your computer, you could choose "*.doc" from the dropdown list for the Named field, type "vitae" in the Containing text field, and select your hard drive in the Look in field before pressing Find Now to start the search. When the search is completed, a list of files and folders matching your criteria appears in the field at the bottom of the Find dialog box:

Open the files or folders in this field by clicking on the file or folder (double-click if you are using Classic style). You can also



right-click the file or folder for more options, such as printing it (for files), moving or copying it, or deleting it.

The following options are also available from the Find command on the Start menu:

Computer—search for another computer on the network by name.

On the Internet—launches the Web browser so that you can search the Internet. For more information about finding information on the Internet, see the section “Getting Connected.”

Using Microsoft Outlook™—opens the advanced Find dialog box for the Microsoft Outlook messaging and collaboration client. If you use Microsoft Outlook to schedule tasks, meetings, appointments, and other items, you can search for an Outlook item from this box.

People—opens your personal address book if available.

Using Help

When you have questions about Windows 98, you can quickly and easily find the answers in the Windows 98 online help file on the Start menu. Once you have chosen the Help command, the Help dialog box opens:

In the Help dialog box, you can search for information using one of three tabs:


TroubleshootingClick here to access the troubleshooting

Toolbar

Tabs

Accessibility information

Getting Started guideThe online version of the Getting Started


The Contents tab—Use this tab to find information as you would in a book's table of contents. This tab displays Help information that is organized to look like chapters in a book. Each "chapter" appears with a book icon next to it. If you click the book icon, the pane displays the subheadings in that chapter.

The Index tab—Use this tab to find information as you would in a book index. As you type a keyword or part of a keyword, the one in the list that is closest to what you are typing is highlighted. You can continue typing more of the keyword to define it more specifically, click the selected keyword in the list to display it, or click one of the keyword subentries (if they exist) in the list to display it. If you click a keyword and more than one topic uses it, a list of the topics appears. When you choose one, its contents are displayed in the right pane.

The Search tab—Use this tab to search for information on a broad topic.

The Help window also contains a toolbar with the following buttons:

Show/Hide—shows or hides the left pane of the Help window.

Back and Forward—like the back and forward buttons on the Web style standard toolbar and the Internet Explorer Web browser, moves back or forward through topics you have recently visited.

Options—a menu of commands including Refresh, and Print.

Web Help—opens a topic from which you can link to Microsoft’s Online Technical Support Web site.

Another great feature of the Windows 98 Online Help system is the troubleshooting wizard. Troubleshooting wizards walk you through a problem you might be having one step at a time by asking you questions and offering information and possible solutions. You will find the Troubleshooting Wizards on the Contents tab. Click on Troubleshooting and then click Windows 98 Troubleshooters and select from the list of available wizards. The following illustration shows the first screen of the print troubleshooting wizard.


Windows 98 comes with a screen magnifier accessory to help make the computer accessible for people with visual impairments. To learn more about the magnifier open Help. On the Contents tab click Using Accessibility Features. Click Using Microsoft Magnifier, and then choose a topic.


Using Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is the comprehensive organization and management tool for Windows 98 files and folders. Using this tool, you can view all the files and folders on a selected drive (such as your hard drive, your floppy disk drive, or a network computer), open the file or folder, move and copy them, rename them, delete, print, and use files on other locations on the network.

You may want to display the Windows Explorer icon on your office toolbar or your desktop for easy access to this tool, which you will probably use often. However, you can also access Windows Explorer by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, and clicking Windows Explorer. The following illustration shows the Exploring window in Web style (the Exploring window will look slightly different if you are using Classic style). Learn more about web style and Classic style in the next section “Using the Desktop.”:


Click on the option that is most like your situation and then click Next. The wizard will continue to guide you through troubleshooting your problem and offer solutions.


With Windows Explorer it is fast and easy to open, move, create and organize your files and folders. And with Windows 98 and Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can even browse the Web from the Exploring window (just click Internet Explorer in the left pane, your default home page will open in the right pane and the URL will appear in the Address bar). In the next section, “Using the Desktop,” you will learn how to create folders and organize your files in them.


Left pane you see all of the available drives and folders. If a drive or folder has a plus sign next to it, it means the drive or folder contains subfolders. Click the plus sign to

Right paneyou see the contents of the selected drive or folder. This includes all of the subfolders you can see in the left pane, but it also includes all of the files on that level of the drive or folder. (Files


Putting it TogetherNow that you are familiar with the basic features of Windows 98 and how to use them, you can try the following ideas and activities in and out of the classroom:

Adjust the mouse to a slower setting for younger children and those just learning how to use the mouse.

Teach students to use the features of dialog boxes and give them a pop geography quiz at the same time. Use the World Clock as appropriate in lessons.

Remember to use Windows 98 Help whenever you need more information. Windows-based programs also often have their own online Help.

Use Windows Explorer for group editing or creative writing activities. Have students access papers to be edited from a group folder in Explorer.



Using the Desktop

One of the most exciting features of Windows 98 is its ability to integrate your computer with the Internet. Imagine the possibilities. Not only does this make navigating through your files and folders quicker and easier, but you can search the World Wide Web in the same window where you are browsing your hard drive, have news and other information delivered to you automatically, and view educational programming on your computer screen.

Before you BeginMany of the activities in this section require a network or modem connection to the Internet. See your network administrator or technology coordinator for help with this if necessary.

A Desktop to Fit Your StyleIn Windows 98 there are three ways to view your desktop and browse through files and folders.

Classic style—much like Windows 95 desktop view. You double-click items to open them and each item appears in a new window.

Web style—in this view you can browse your desktop and folders like you browse Web pages, by single-clicking items and using back and forward buttons. Items open in the same window rather than in separate windows.

Custom style—allows you to choose the options which make your computer easiest for you to use.


What you will do:

Choose a desktop style

Work in Web style

Create shortcuts to save time

Bring Web content to your desktop

Make the computer more accessible for people with disabilities

Create user profiles for each student


To select your desktop style6. Click the Start button to open the Start menu and point

to Settings.

7. Click Folder Options. The Folder Options dialog box opens.

8. Click Web Style, or Classic Style and click OK. Or, click Custom and then click the Settings button. Select the options you want and then click OK.

When you turn on Web style you will notice a few things that are new to the Windows operating system. First, files and folders appear as underlined hot links (look at your desktop shortcuts). When you point to them your cursor changes to a pointing hand indicating that you can jump to that item, just like hotlinks on the Web. Most Web style folder windows will look different too. To try out Web style, open the My Computer folder and point to the C drive icon. You should see a description of that object (the C drive) under the My Computer title. And if you point to a graphic file, you see a thumbnail, or miniature, of the picture.



Browsing is Simple

You can display customizable toolbars at the top of a window to make browsing your computer and the Internet simple. Windows 98 automatically knows which toolbar buttons to display based on the kind of information in the window. The following table explains the available toolbars.

Toolbar Use to

Standard

Display buttons for common commands such as copying, pasting and deleting, changing views, and moving back and forward.

Address Bar

Open Web pages, programs, folders, and documents. The address bar usually shows your current location (the path or Web page URL). You can change location by typing in a new path or URL.

Links

Create custom links to frequently used Web pages.

Desktop (taskbar only) Put your desktop shortcuts on the taskbar.

Quick Launch (taskbar only)

Contains buttons to open frequently used programs such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Add your own shortcuts here as well.

To show toolbars9. To show the Standard, Address and Links toolbars, click

the My Computer icon.

10. Click the View menu.

11. Point to Toolbars. Click the toolbar you want to show. A checkmark appears next to a toolbar that is displayed. To hide a toolbar, click it to clear the checkmark.

Many programs, like Microsoft Word, will also have their own toolbars that will appear under the Menu bar in the program window. These toolbars are usually shown by selecting them from the View menu.



You can also customize the taskbar by adding toolbars.

12. To show the Address, Links, Desktop, or Quick Launch toolbars on the taskbar, right-click a blank area of the taskbar. The taskbar shortcut menu appears.

13. Point to Toolbars. A checkmark appears next to the name of a toolbar that is displayed. To hide a toolbar, click on its name to clear the checkmark.

14. Click anywhere outside the menu to cancel or close it.

Some toolbars may be quite long, if, for example, if you have a lot of desktop shortcuts. To scroll through items on the toolbar, click the arrows. To show more of a toolbar on the task bar, point to the sizing bar. When the pointer becomes a double arrow, drag the sizing bar to show more or less of the toolbar. The following illustration shows the Desktop toolbar.


Sizing bar Shortcut icon

ArrowIndicates additional shortcuts exist.


Finding What You Need When You Need ItYour computer should help you teach better, not take up time that you could be using to plan lessons and interact with students. Is there a program or accessory that you use frequently but is inconveniently buried in three tiers of cascading menus? Or maybe there’s a file you open all the time, like an electronic gradebook that you could open directly from your desktop. In the following activities you will learn how to create shortcuts on the desktop and on the Start menu for the programs and other files that you use the most.

Customizing the Start menu

The Start menu is one of the most accessible places on your desktop. You use it all the time, and the Start button is almost always visible no matter what else you are doing. You can customize your Start menu by moving program icons or personal files or folders onto it.

Pick a program or accessory from your Programs menu. For example, perhaps you use the Calculator accessory several times a day and would like to get to it with only a click. Position the mouse pointer over the program icon and click and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the program to the Start menu. When you drag the pointer you will see a gray box called a ghost which represents the program icon. As you move the pointer on the Start menu, you will see a black locator bar that shows you where the program will be placed if you release the left mouse button. Release the mouse button at a convenient place on the Start menu. Once you move a program or accessory to the Start menu, it no longer appears in your Programs or Accessory menus. Click anywhere on the desktop to close the Start menu.

Creating Shortcuts to Files and Folders

You can create a shortcut to any program, file, or folder. You may want to create a shortcut for the word processing program you use, or for a folder that you use frequently. These shortcuts can be placed on your desktop or Start menu for easy accessibility.


If you are using a Microsoft suite of programs like Microsoft Office, you might already have a shortcut bar on your desktop with buttons to some of your programs.


To create a shortcut15. To move a file or folder to the desktop or Start menu,

first open Windows Explorer (do not maximize the window).

16. Right-click the file or folder and, holding down the right mouse button, drag the file or folder to the desktop or to a convenient location on the Start menu.

17. Release the mouse button. A shortcut menu appears.

18. Click Create Shortcut Here. An icon to the file or folder will appear.

You can also create a shortcut to a program on your desktop. Pick a program that you would like to create a shortcut for. Click Start and point to Programs. Position the mouse pointer over the program icon that you would like to place on the desktop. Press and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the program or accessory icon to a blank place on the desktop and release the mouse button.

To remove a shortcut19. Right-click on the shortcut icon that you want to delete.

A shortcut menu is displayed.

20. Click Delete. A message asking you to confirm the deletion opens.

21. Click Yes to move the shortcut to the recycle bin.

To rename a shortcut on the Start menu22. Click the Start button to display the Start menu.

23. On the Start menu point to Settings, and then click Taskbar & Start Menu. The Taskbar properties dialog box appears.

24. Click the Start Menu Programs tab, and then click the Advanced button. The Exploring Start Menu window opens.


You can easily arrange the shortcuts on your desktop. Right-click a blank spot on the desktop to display the desktop shortcut menu and then point to Arrange Icons and click an option.


25. The Start menu is selected in the left pane and the shortcut icons are displayed in the right pane. Right-click the shortcut you want to rename. A shortcut menu opens.

26. Click Rename. A box appears around the object name and the text is highlighted. Type the new name and press Enter. Click the Close button to close the window.

27. In the Taskbar Properties dialog box, click OK.

To rename a shortcut icon on the desktop, right-click on the shortcut icon to open a shortcut menu. Click Rename and type the new name under the shortcut icon.

Starting Programs Automatically

You can have your computer automatically run programs whenever Windows starts when you put a shortcut for that program in the StartUp menu. Maybe you have virus checking software that you want to scan your computer every time it starts, or you want your Outlook Express email to open first thing every morning when you turn on your computer. Be aware, though, that too many programs running at startup can slow your computer's performance.

To add a shortcut to your StartUp folder28. Move the pointer over the shortcut icon and press and

hold the left mouse button.

29. Drag the icon to the StartUp menu and release the mouse button.

30. To remove a shortcut from the StartUp menu, simply drag it to the Recycle Bin, or right-click the shortcut icon and then click Delete from the shortcut menu.

You might want to restart Windows 98 to test your new StartUp shortcut.



FavoritesSometimes you can have too many things out on your desk. Likewise, you might find that having a lot of shortcuts on your desktop starts to seem “cluttered.” On the Start menu you will find a command for Favorites. You can add four kinds of objects to this menu for quick and easy retrieval: files, folders, cascading menus and Web pages.

To add a file or folder to the Favorites menu

You can easily move a file or folder directly onto the Favorites menu:

31. Find the file or folder using My Computer or Windows Explorer.

32. Click the file or folder in the My Computer or Exploring window and, holding down the left mouse button, drag it to the Favorites submenu. (While you are dragging the file, point to the Start button and then to Favorites to open the Favorites submenu.)

33. The locating bar shows you where the shortcut to the file or folder will be displayed. Release the mouse button to place the shortcut on the Favorites submenu.

There is another easy way to add a shortcut to a file or folder from Windows Explorer:

34. Select the file or folder (if you are in Web view, don’t click the item, just move the pointer over it until it is highlighted).

35. Click Favorites on the Explorer menu bar.

36. Click Add to Favorites. The Add Favorite dialog box opens.

37. Click OK to add the item directly onto the menu. Or, you can place it in a folder in the Favorites menu.

38. To place the item in a folder, click Create in and then click one of the existing folders.

You can also create a new folder in which to place the favorite item:

39. Repeat steps 1 through 4 above to add a shortcut from Windows Explorer.

40. Click New Folder. The Create New Folder dialog box opens.



41. Type a name for the folder and click OK.

42. Make sure the new folder is selected and then click OK to place a shortcut to the item in that folder on the Favorites menu.



Changing Display SettingsPreviously you adjusted settings for the mouse to make it comfortable for your use. You can also change your display settings to fit your needs and your personality.

To change the display settings43. On the Start menu point to Settings.

44. Click Control Panel and then click Display. The Display Properties dialog box opens.

45. Click a tab to change the settings in that tab. The following tabs are available:

Background—choose an HTML document or picture for your desktop background. Several options are available automatically, or you can create your own.

Screen Saver—choose a screen saver and add password protection. Also set energy saving options for your monitor. Your school, district, or college or university may have rules about using password protection and you probably have some of your own. Remember to discuss with students the “hazards” of locking the instructor out of the computer system.

Appearance—choose a color scheme for your windows and desktop. Choose a high contrast color scheme for greater accessibility for those with visual impairments.

Effects—change the look and size of desktop icons.

Web—add active content items to the desktop. For more information about the Active Desktop and active content, see the section “Getting Connected.”

Settings—choose your color settings. Also add another monitor and view your desktop across both.

Many of the optional display settings are designed to make the computer more accessible for persons with disabilities. Be aware that you can enlarge icons and screen fonts and use high-contrast colors for those with visual impairments.


Play Better!

Find a picture on the Web that you really like? You can easily make it your desktop wallpaper. Right click on the picture and then click Set as Wallpaper.


Organizing Files and Customizing FoldersYou can organize files and documents on your computer just as you would in a filing cabinet. It is easy to create new folders to store your files or documents in and it is easy to move items from folder to folder.

For example, you have created a spreadsheet of grades for each of your students and you would like to put them all in the same folder on your hard drive.

To create a new folder46. Open Windows Explorer.

Make sure the hard drive (usually C:) is selected. Click File, point to New and click Folder.

A new folder will appear in the right side of the window with the title New Folder selected.

47. Type in a new title such as “Grades.” In Windows 98, you can use spaces, symbols, and numbers in your file and folder names.

48. Click View and then click Refresh. Your new folder will appear in the left side of the window.

49. You are now ready to move the individual spreadsheets into the “grades” folder. Right now they are stored in the My Documents folder.

50. In the left side of the window, click the folder where the files or documents are currently stored. The individual documents will appear in the right side of the window.

51. Click on a document, and then holding down the left mouse button, drag the document to the new folder and release the mouse button.

There are four ways to view the files in the right side of the Explorer window: as large icons, as small icons, as a list, or as a list with details including file size, type, and last date modified. You can select how you view files in Explorer from the View menu. You can also sort files by date, type, or size.


To move several files at the same time that are listed consecutively, click the first file you want to move and then, holding down the shift key, click the last file you want to move. All of the files in between will be selected and you can drag them all to the new location.

If you want to move more than one file, but they are not listed consecutively, hold down the CTRL

To learn more about using spreadsheets in education, see In and Out of the Classroom with Microsoft Office. In and Out of the Classroom is a series of free self-paced workbooks designed to help educators learn and use Microsoft software applications in the classroom and also as personal productivity tools. To view available titles and download individual workbooks,


To sort files52. In a folder window, such as in Windows Explorer, click

Views and select Details. This will display the files in the folder in a list with the file name, size, type, and last date modified.

53. Sort files by clicking the buttons at the top of the details columns. (The default arrangement is by name.)

Click Name to sort files in alphabetical order by name.

Click Size to sort files by file size, smallest to largest.

Click Type to sort files by type such as Application, Microsoft Word Document, or Video Clip. Files will be organized first by type in alphabetical order. Next, all files of a type will be listed together in alphabetical order by file name.

Click Modified to sort files by the date they were last saved, from most recent to oldest.

Eventually you may want to create a folder for each student’s grades. You can do this the same way you created the Grades folder. If you want each student folder to be a subfolder within the Grades folder, click the Grades folder in the Explorer window and then click File, point to New and click Folder to create a new student subfolder.


Views button

Address barShows the path to the file.

Left paneShows the folders on the selected drive. The “class” subfolder of the My Documents folder is open.

Sorting

Scroll bar


Adding Programs to the TaskbarThe Windows 98 taskbar includes a Quick Launch toolbar with buttons that start frequently used programs. The default toolbar has four buttons: Show Desktop, Launch Outlook Express, Launch Internet Explorer Browser, and View Channels. To save even more of your valuable time, in Windows 98 you can add additional buttons to the taskbar. Maybe you use the calculator accessory several times throughout the day. You can add a button for the calculator to the Quick Launch toolbar.

To add the calculator to the taskbar54. Click the Start button to display the Start menu.

55. Point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then point to Calculator.

56. Right-drag Calculator to the Quick Launch toolbar on the task bar. A locator bar appears.

57. Release the right mouse button when the locator bar is where you want the Calculator button to appear. A shortcut menu appears.

58. Click Create Shortcut Here.

59. Drag the toolbar separator to the right if you cannot see all of the Quick Launch buttons.

Creating User ProfilesMany classroom teachers only have one computer in the classroom or use a computer lab that is shared with others in the school. With Windows 98 you can create profiles that are unique to each user. When that user logs on to the computer, the computer can bring up the following customized settings:

Desktop colors, backgrounds, and screen savers

Favorites

My Documents folder settings

Accessibility features

And you can create a password to protect personal settings and documents from other users. Remember though that allowing students to use passwords can create complications.



To create a user profile60. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click

Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

61. Click the Users icon. The Enable Multi-User dialog box appears.

62. Type your name and click Next. Each user will be identified by a different name.

63. In the password box, type a password, press TAB, and type the password again. You can add a password for only yourself if you do not want others to use passwords.

64. Click Next. The Personal Items settings box appears. Select one or more items to personalize.

65. Click the Create New Items To Save Disk Space option, and then Next.

66. Click Finish. You will be prompted to restart your computer. The new profile will not take effect until you restart the computer.

67. Click Yes to restart the computer. From now on, when you turn on the computer, you will be prompted to type your username and password.

68. Repeat these steps to create profiles for students, groups of students, or others who use the computer.



Accessibility FeaturesMicrosoft is committed to increasing accessibility to computers and their uses for all people including those with disabilities. In order to enable many of the Windows 98 accessibility options, you must use the Windows 98 CD-ROM to install the Accessibility Wizard.

To install the Accessibility Wizard69. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

70. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

71. Click the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box appears.

72. Click the Windows Setup tab. A list of available programs is displayed.

73. Select the Accessibility check box and click OK.

74. You will be prompted to restart your computer. Click Yes. Your computer will restart and the new settings will take effect.

After you install the Accessibility Wizard, you will find it on the Accessories submenu of your Programs menu. To start the Accessibility Wizard, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then point to Accessibility.

Click Accessibility Wizard. The Accessibility Wizard dialog box opens and guides you through the process of making the computer more accessible for users with disabilities.



Run the Accessibility Wizard from the Control Panel to enable any of the following features:

Feature: If you want to:

StickyKeys Use SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT by pressing one key at a time instead of in combination with other keys to perform a task.

FilterKeys Have Windows ignore brief or repeated keystrokes.

ToggleKeys Hear tones when pressing the CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, and SCROLL LOCK keys.

SoundSentry See visual warnings when your computer makes a sound.

ShowSounds Have programs display captions for the speech and sounds they make.

High Contrast Have programs change color scheme to a high contrast scheme.

MouseKeys Control the mouse pointer with the numeric keypad on the keyboard.

SerialKey Devices

Use an alternate input device for access to keyboard and mouse features.



Putting it TogetherNow that you have discovered the features of the Windows 98 based desktop, you can try the following ideas and activities in and out of the classroom:

Create folders for each of the subjects or class periods you teach. Each folder can contain:

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for grades.

Seating chart.

Assignments, worksheets, and tests.

Calendar of classroom activities and assignment due dates.

Test forms and answer sheets.

Create folders for each student to keep track of:

Contact with parents.

Records of conferences that have been held.

Records of turned-in assignments, or late and missing assignments.

Grades for each subject.

Use the scientific calculator. Create quizzes for students to take online using the calculator or scientific calculator. To open the scientific calculator, open the calculator from the Accessories menu and then click View and select Scientific. Refer to the online Help for instructions for using the scientific calculator.

Create shortcuts for programs that you or your students use frequently and place the shortcuts on the desktop, in the Start menu, or on the Quick Launch toolbar.

Allow students to create their own user profiles and personal folder:

Install the Accessibility Wizard from the Windows 98 CD-ROM so you can enable accessibility features for students with special needs.



Getting Connected

Chances are your classroom computers and the computer labs that you have access to are connected to a network through which you communicate with people throughout your school and the worldwide community. Even without a network, you can easily gain access to the Internet with a modem and an Internet Service Provider account or online service such as MSN™.

With Windows 98 it is now easier than ever to connect to the global community. Windows 98 provides you with everything you need to take full advantage of the Internet, including Outlook Express e-mail, FrontPage Express for creating your own Web pages, and the Internet Explorer Web browser.

What is a Network?A network is a group of two or more devices, such as computers, printers, and scanners, that can communicate and share files with each other. Devices on the network are often referred to as workstations, and each runs a networking program that enables the device to communicate with the other devices on the network and the server, a central computer that controls the network. (The server also stores files and programs and routes data between workstations, among other tasks.) In order to use the network, you are usually required to connect to it, or log on, using a user name and password. The software on the server verifies that the user name and password are correct, and then grants you access to the network and the information on it.

Once you are logged on to the network, you can store files, share them with other people, or use other network devices such as printers and scanners. For example, you can create a worksheet for students to access and complete online. You can also send e-mail to other people on the network if your network has an e-mail program installed. If your network server has an e-mail program and Internet software installed, you can send e-mail to people outside the network, like educators with whom you collaborate on research, and you can search for information on the World Wide Web. To connect to the World Wide Web, you must use the Internet


What You Will Do:

Learn about networks

Navigate the Web with Internet Explorer

Subscribe to Web pages

Add active content to your desktop

Use e-mail


connection on your network, or you must use a dial-up connection if you are not on a network or you are at home.



Connecting to the World Wide WebOne of the most prominent ways of doing research and communicating with other people is using the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is a collection of all of the Web sites available on the Internet. A Web site is a collection of Web pages in a given location, and it is often for a particular organization such as a company, an educational institution, or a non-profit group. The address, or URL, of the Web site will tell you what kind of organization has posted the site. The URL for a commercial site will end with .com, an educational institution with .edu, and a non-profit group with .org.

A Web page is a file that can contain text, pictures, and other multimedia. The Web is an exciting medium for students because it creates a dynamic and interactive learning environment. Web pages often contain links to other Web sites. A link is a word or a picture that, when you click on it, takes you to another place on that Web page, another Web page, or another Web site.

To connect to the World Wide Web using an Internet connection on your network, you must access the network and then open the browser on your computer. The Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 browser is an integrated component of Windows 98. When the browser opens, you see your default home page, from which you will always start your searches. You can go to other Web pages by clicking links on the Home page or by typing the address to a Web site in the Address bar, which is usually located at the top of the browser window.

To open the browser window and load a Web page

75. Click the Launch Internet Explorer Browser button on the Quick Launch toolbar located on the taskbar. The browser window opens. If you are using a dial-up connection, the Dial-Up Connection dialog box appears.

76. Connect to your Internet Service Provider if necessary by entering your username and password.



77. Once connected to the Internet, the browser will load your default home page. You will see the URL (uniform resource locator, otherwise known as a web address) for the Web site in the Address bar. The following illustration shows the MSN home page.

Navigating the World Wide WebYou have already discovered how easy it is to navigate through files and folders on your computer with the Web style desktop. Despite the vast amount of information on the World Wide Web, navigating it is just as easy. Each of the features discussed below will help you find what you need (and probably some unexpected surprises) on the Web.

Toolbars

With Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, you have the familiar Menu bar, Standard toolbar, Links toolbar, and Address toolbar. The following buttons are on the Standard toolbar:

Back and Forward—return to pages you have just visited. You can select from a drop down list of recently visited pages.

Stop—stop the computer from loading a page.

Refresh—reloads the current page.


Web page title

Toolbars

Address bar and URL

Internet Explorer Logospins when

Document window

Status bar

Scroll bar


Home—return to your default home page (the page that loads first when you start Internet Explorer.

Search—opens the Explorer bar so you can do a keyword search of the Web.

Favorites—opens the Explorer bar and displays your favorites folders, including Web subscriptions.

History—opens the Explorer bar and displays a list of all of the Web pages that you have visited recently. You can set your computer to delete this history at a regular time interval like every day, or once a week. You can also manually delete the history, just right-click on the day you want to delete and choose Delete.

Channels—displays the Active Channel™ Web content guide in the Explorer bar.

Full Screen—uses more of the desktop to display the page. Only the Standard toolbar is shown.

Mail—opens your e-mail program so that you can check for new messages, or email the page or a link to it.

Print—sends the current page to your default printer.

Edit—opens the current page in your Web page editor (such as FrontPage Express, the Web page editor that is a component of Windows 98).

Explorer Bar

When you click the Search, Favorites, History, or Channels buttons the Explorer bar will appear in the left pane of the browser window. The Explorer bar displays the contents of whichever button you have chosen. For example, the Search button will display the search engine of your choice. To close the Explorer bar, click again on the button you used to open it.

Status Bar

The Status bar at the bottom of the Internet Explorer window is a helpful way to keep track of what the browser is doing. The Status bar shows you the following information:

A description appears when you select a command from the Menu bar.

The target address (URL) appears when you point to a link.

Status icons such as the security padlock and the printer appear on the right.



Finding Information on the World Wide WebThe amount of information on the Web is vast and can be overwhelming. Since there is no possible way to know every address of every Web site you might want to visit, your browser includes the capability to search for key words and phrases, just like the computerized catalogs at libraries.

Internet Explorer 4.0 has a Search button that, when clicked, opens a Search pane in the Explorer bar from which you can access several search engines. A search engine is a program on the Internet that allows you to search for the key words for a topic, or to search a broad category, such as science, for Web sites that interest you. When you type in a key word and start the search, the search engine finds the Web sites that contain the chosen key word. Key words can be very general or more specific. For example, you might search for "botany," which is very general, or "tropical plants" or "ferns" which are more specific. However, general key words will probably return a long list of Web sites; you may want to use a more precise key word to return a more focused list.

To search using a key word78. On the Standard toolbar, click the Search button. The

search pane opens on the left side of the window.

79. Click on the down arrow to the left of the Search provider box to display a list of search engines.

80. Click on a search engine name such as Yahoo. The Yahoo! search engine opens in the left pane.


Right PaneWeb page appears here when you click on a link.

Status bar

Yahoo! Search field and Search button

Left PaneSearch result links will appear here.

Explorer barSelect providerfrom the drop


81. Type a keyword or phrase in the search box. Use quotations if you want the search engine to search for the entire phrase, such as “carnivorous plants,” otherwise the search engine will return pages with any of the search terms in the Web site, or all sites containing “carnivorous” and all sites containing “plants.”

82. Click the Yahoo! Search button.

83. Yahoo! will return a list of Web site links containing the keyword or phrase. Click on any link that is of interest.

84. To view the Web site in the entire window, click Search to close the Explorer bar. Click Fullscreen to display the page in even more of the screen.

Subscribing to a Web PageAnother characteristic of the World Wide Web is that it is dynamic; information is changing all the time. Some Web sites are updated on a regular basis—weekly, daily, even hourly—while others may go for months without changing. You may find Web sites you will want to revisit when information has been changed or updated. If you want to be notified when something on a Web site changes, you can subscribe to the Web site. Unlike subscriptions to journals or periodicals, Web subscriptions do not cost money; they are only requests for notification when a site has been updated.

When you subscribe to a Web page, your browser checks the Web site, at an interval you choose, to see if changes have been made to the page since your last visit. If changes have occurred, the browser can notify you by e-mail and copy the page to your computer. You determine which options you want for each subscription.

To subscribe to a Web page85. In either Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer, open the

Web page that you want to subscribe to.

86. Click Favorites on the menu bar and then click Add to Favorites. The Add Favorites dialog box opens.



87. Choose an option. To subscribe to the web page, select one of the Yes options, depending on if you want to view the page offline.

88. Click the Customize button.

If you have not chosen to view the page offline, you have the option of receiving e-mail notification when the page is updated.

If you have chosen to download the page for offline viewing you can set the time intervals that you want the page to be downloaded and request e-mail notification.

89. Click the Create in>> button. The dialog box expands to show the available folders. Click on a folder to open it, or click the New Folder button to create a new folder to store the subscription in.

90. Click OK.

The page is stored as a link in the folder you have placed it in. When the page is updated, the link icon for the page will gleam red.



To update automatically or change a subscription

91. Click Favorites on the Menu bar and then click Manage Subscriptions. The Subscriptions window opens. Your subscriptions are listed in the right pane.

92. Click View and select Details to show the subscription details including last update time and next update time.

93. Select the subscription you want to update or delete by pointing to it (or click on it if you are using the classic style desktop).

To delete the subscription, click the Delete button. A dialog box opens. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

To update the subscription, click the Update button. A dialog box opens and displays the download progress. This box closes automatically when the update is complete.

To update all subscriptions at once, click the Update all button on the standard toolbar, or, click Favorites on the menu bar and then click Update All Subscriptions.

Adding Active Content ItemsActive content is information from the World Wide Web that constantly changes. When you choose the View As Web Page option for your desktop, the channel bar appears. The Channel bar is your “remote control” to active channels, Web sites which change content on a regular basis. You can choose from over 3000 active channels, and add icons for those you want to use on your channel bar.

You can search for active channels of interest to you and other active content from the Microsoft Media Showcase gallery.



To add an Active Channel to your channel bar

94. Click Channel Guide on the Channel bar. The Microsoft Windows Media Showcase opens.

95. Click the red Search button on the Media Showcase web page.

96. Follow the directions on the page to search for Active Channels and other media of interest to you.

97. Your search results will be displayed as logos on the left side of the window. Click on a logo to preview the active channel.

98. To add the channel to your Channel bar, click the blue Add Active Channel button.

To add active media to your desktop99. Click the Start button to open the Start menu.

100. Point to Settings, point to Active Desktop, and then click Customize My Desktop. The Display Properties dialog box opens with the Web tab displayed.


Note:If the channel bar is not on the desktop, click Start, point to Settings, point to Active Desktop, and click View as Web Page. If the channel bar still does not appear, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and click the Display icon. Click the Web tab, select Internet Explorer Channel Bar, and click OK.


101. Click New. The New Active Desktop Item dialog box asks you if you want to connect to the Microsoft Active Media Gallery on the World Wide Web.

102. Click Yes. You will need a network or dial-up connection to the World Wide Web to complete this activity. The Internet Explorer browser will open and load the Active Media Showcase web page.

103. Select your search criteria and enter a key word and then click the red Search button.


Try a search using the keyword “education” or another keyword which will search for active channels and active content that you can use in the classroom, such as National Geographic, science Daily Magazine, and Active Learning Projects.


104. The search results will be displayed as logos on the left side of the window. Click a logo to preview the active channel and active content item.

105. Click the orange Add Active Content button to add the item to your desktop. You can hide items you have added to your desktop from the Web tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Active content desktop items will update regularly while the computer is connected to the Internet through a dial-up or network connection.

A Word About SecurityThere has been quite a bit of discussion about privacy and security of information sent over the Internet. When you send information over the Internet, it might be passed through several computers before it reaches the recipient’s computer. If your information passes through another computer, it could be seen by someone other than the person you intended. When you are about to send information to the Internet Zone, a security alert message will open to remind you of this possibility.

Some companies conducting business over the Internet provide secure sites for people to transmit private information such as credit card numbers. When a site is secured, information that you send is encrypted and can’t be read by other people. If a site is secure, its address (URL) will start with “https.” Also, a padlock icon will appear on the gray Status bar at the bottom of the browser window.

Using Outlook ExpressElectronic mail, or e-mail is quickly becoming one of the most widely used forms of communication in the world. It is fast, convenient, and does not cost anything in addition to the normal charges associated with the Internet connection. Using e-mail, you can send a simple text message like a reminder about an assignments, or you can send a message with other files attached to it, such as a grade report created in Microsoft Excel or a worksheet created in Microsoft Word that a student may have missed. The message can also contain links to other e-mail addresses or Web sites, so you can send students Web pages that you want them to look at. With a microphone, you can even send voice messages!

Outlook Express is the e-mail program that comes with Windows 98. To open the program, click on the Outlook Express desktop icon or Quick Launch button. When you open Outlook Express, the left side of the window, called the Folder pane, displays the various folders in the program used to receive, send, and store e-mail messages. The right side of the window displays several shortcuts to the different tasks you can do: Read Mail, Read News, Compose a Message, Address Book, Download All, and Find People. The following illustration shows the Outlook Express window.



Sending a message

You can send a message to a person by typing in his or her e-mail address in the To box. Or you can use an address stored in your electronic address book. With Outlook Express you can also create e-mail messages on designer backgrounds called stationery.

To compose and send a message106. Start Outlook Express.

107. On the standard toolbar, click the Compose Message button and then click on a stationery type, browse for other or custom stationery, or click No Stationery to send the message on a white background. The New Message window opens.

108. In the To field, type the e-mail address of the person to whom you are sending the message. If you are sending to more than one person, type a semicolon (;) after the e-mail address.- or -Click the To button to open your address books. Select an address book, and double-click a name. The address moves to the To Message Recipients field.

109. Repeat step 3 to add more e-mail addresses to the To field.

110. To CC (carbon copy) someone (optional), click in the CC field. Type the e-mail address in the field, or click CC, choose an


Folder Pane

Shortcuts to tasks


address from one of your address books, and click OK. Repeat to CC other people.

111. To blind CC someone (CC someone without the other message recipients knowing the person received the message) (optional), click in the BCC field. Type the e-mail address in the field, or click BCC, choose an address from one of your address books, and click OK. Repeat to blind CC other people.

112. To add a subject line to the message, click in the Subject field and type a brief line regarding the subject of the message.

113. Click in the blank field below the Subject field and type your message.

114. When you are satisfied with your message, click Send. The message automatically moves to your Outbox folder and you return to the main Outlook window.

115. If you are always connected to the network and Internet connection, your message is automatically sent. - or -Click Send And Receive to connect to the Internet connection and send the message.

When the message has been sent, it moves to the Sent Items folder. If the message cannot be delivered to someone, you will usually, but not always, receive an automatic reply letting you know who could not be reached and why.

Attaching a file to a message

Sometimes you need to add information to an e-mail message that would be too time consuming or inconvenient to retype in the message. For example, if you had a school newsletter you wanted to send to parents or a class schedule you needed to send to students, it would not be convenient to retype the information when it already exists in another document. In these types of situations, you can attach an electronic copy of the document to your e-mail message.

When you attach a file to an e-mail message, keep in mind that the recipient must have a program that can read the file. For example, if you attach a Word 97 file to the message but the recipient only has Word 7 or Corel WordPerfect, the recipient won't be able to open the attachment.



To attach a file116. In the Outlook Express program, address the e-mail

message. (See "To compose and send a message" above.)

117. Type a message in the blank message field below the Subject field (optional).

118. Position the cursor in the message field where you want to insert the file. This can be at the beginning, at the end, or anywhere in between.

119. On the Insert menu, click File. The Insert File dialog box opens.

120. Locate the file you want to attach. Click the file and click OK. An icon representing the file labeled with the file name appears in the message.

121. To insert other files, repeat steps 4 and 5.

122. Send the message as you normally would. (See "To compose and send a message" above.)

Receiving and reading a message

When Outlook Express receives messages, it stores them in your Inbox folder. The number next to the word Inbox on the left side of the window tells you how many messages are waiting for you. If there is no number, you have no new messages.

When you click the Inbox folder on the left side of the window, the contents of the folder are displayed on the upper, right portion of the window, which is called the Message List pane. The Message List pane shows the subject and author of the messages in the Inbox. If a message header is bold, that message has not yet been read. If the message header is not bold, the message has been opened.

The lower right portion of the screen is called the Message Contents pane, and it shows you a preview of the message selected in the Message List pane. This feature allows you to scan the message contents to see if and when to read that message. To preview the contents of another message, just click another message header in the Message List pane.

To receive and read messages123. Open the Outlook Express program.

124. If you are always connected to the network and the Internet connection, any messages sent to you are automatically received to your Inbox folder, and, if you have new messages, an envelope icon appears in the taskbar.


Organize your e-mail messages into customized folders, for example, by class.


- or -Click Send And Receive. The computer connects to the Internet connection and tries to retrieve your messages to your Inbox folder. (It also sends any messages in your Outbox folder.)

125. In the Folder pane, click your Inbox folder. If it has a number next to it, you have new or unread messages. New and unread messages appear in bold in the Message List pane.

126. To read a new message, click it in the Message List pane. The contents of the message are displayed in the Message Contents pane.

127. Double-click the message. The message opens in its own window.

128. When you are finished, you can close the message, and it remains in that folder.

You can also do other tasks with the message, such as delete it, reply to it, or save it to another location on your computer or the network. For information on these and other options, see the documentation that came with the Outlook Express program, or Outlook Express Help.

Adding e-mail addresses to the address book

If you frequently e-mail the same information to the same people, you can also build distribution lists. For example, you might build a distribution list of all the students in your class or all of the parents of the students, a list of conference participants for a conference you are organizing, or a list of other educators with whom you share a research interest. Then, when you need to e-mail something to everyone in the group, such as a permission slip, an agenda, or an interesting Web site link, you can choose the distribution list name from your address book instead of each address separately.

To add e-mail addresses to the address book

129. On the Tools menu, click Address Book.



130. On the File menu, click New Entry. The New Entry dialog box opens.

131. From the Select the entry type field, choose the type of address the new recipient has. If you do not know the type, choose Other Address.

132. In the Put this entry box, the In the radio button should be selected. From the list, select the address book to which you want to add the new address and click OK.

133. In the dialog box that opens, fill the fields with the appropriate information. (If you do not know some of the information, contact your system administrator.) When finished, click OK.

134. Repeat steps 2 through 5 to add more addresses.

135. When finished, close the Address Book dialog box.

To build a distribution list136. On the Tools menu, click Address Book.

137. On the File menu, click New Entry. The New Entry dialog box opens.

138. From the Select the entry type field, click Personal Distribution List and click OK. The New Personal Distribution List Properties dialog box opens.

139. On the Distribution tab, type a name for the distribution list in the Name field.

140. Click Add/Remove Members.

141. In the Show the names from the list, select the address book from which you want to copy addresses



into the distribution list. A list of the addresses in that book appears in the left side of the window.

142. To add a name to the distribution list, select it in the list on the left and click Members. The address moves to the right side of the window.

143. To remove a name, select it on the right side of the window and press DELETE.

144. Repeat steps 6 through 8 to add and remove other addresses in the list.

145. When finished, click OK. You return to the New Personal Distribution List Properties dialog box, and the members of the list appear in the window.

146. Click OK to close the dialog box. Then, close the address book.



Discussion GroupsAnother way to communicate with others in the global community is through online discussions. There are two types of discussions: real time and bulletin boards. In real time, discussions are interactive. You type messages that the other participants can immediately see and answer. “Chat rooms” are an example of real time discussions. Bulletin boards are ongoing postings that anyone can read and reply to at any time. News groups are an example of bulletin board discussions. You can find both chat rooms and news groups of interest to you through an online service such as MSN. You may also find discussion groups of interest as you search the Web. For bulletin board discussion groups that you find on the Web, you will be given directions to subscribe to a “list” by sending a simple e-mail message. You will then receive messages posted to the bulletin board in your e-mail. Bulletin boards are an excellent way to keep up with current discussions about topics of interest to you. You can find discussion groups on everything from Renaissance literature to bioethics to service learning. Encourage your students to subscribe to and post messages to appropriate bulletin boards; it is an excellent way for them to share the knowledge they are gaining in the classroom.

Putting it TogetherNow that you have learned how to communicate with the global community and bring the World Wide Web to your desktop, you can try the following ideas to get the most out of being connected in and out of the classroom:

To teach Internet searching skills, create a World Wide Web “scavenger hunt” on a relevant topic.

Share lesson plans with teachers from all over the world! There are several Web sites that catalog lesson plans for all grade levels and subjects. Two good ones are:

AskERIChttp://ericir.syr.edu/virtual/lessons

ENCARTA® onlinehttp://encarta.msn.com/schoolhouse/default.asp

Subscribe to the Microsoft Education Web page and be automatically notified when new information for educators about using Microsoft products and services in the classroom is added. While you are there, sign up to receive the Microsoft Education K-12 or Higher Ed newsletters through e-mail.

Have students observe and make calculations and predictions about local weather patterns. Find a weather map active content item to display on the Active Desktop.



Share your data with students in another geographic region through e-mail or a class Web page.

Have students participate in mock stock exchange games to teach economic principles. Students can track their stocks by placing a stock ticker active content item on the Active Desktop.

Encourage students to use Internet sources in their research papers. Discuss authority, authenticity, applicability and bias when using information from the Internet. Teach students how to attribute Internet sources in their papers. You may also want to discuss other issues associated with Internet information such as intellectual property rights, free speech, and censorship.

Search for online education journals of interest to you. Bookmark or subscribe to them.

Search the active channels for sites that can give you teaching ideas and help students learn more about your subject. You can then add the channels to your Favorites list, or subscribe to the active channels. Outstanding sites include:

Science—Discovery Channel at www.discovery.com

Geography—National Geographic at www.nationalgeographic.com

History—GeoHistory at www.geohistory.com

Current Events—The New York Times at www.nytimes.com

Technology News—Wired at www.wired.com/news

Use search engines to find information specific to a lesson you are teaching.

For example, if you are teaching a biology lesson on invertebrates, you can do a search on the term invertebrate to find fun and interesting sites, then direct your students to these sites when appropriate.

At Back-to-School Night, or when you meet parents for the first time, ask for their e-mail addresses. You can then communicate with parents and send them:

Calendars of classroom activities and assignment due dates.

Student progress reports.

Reminders about upcoming school activities, PTA meetings, and parent-teacher conferences.

Use e-mail to communicate with other teachers about staff meetings and other school activities. E-mail can be



read at the teachers' convenience and need not take away from teaching time.

Have students correspond through e-mail with students in another geographic location. Also encourage them to send e-mail to others they may not know, such as scholars who have published information about the students’ research paper topics, local or national political representatives, or favorite childrens book authors. Discuss e-mail etiquette and appropriate tone for different types of correspondence.




Windows 98 expands the multimedia capabilities of your computer, making it easier than ever to take advantage of exciting new educational software, use new hardware like scanners and digital cameras with your computer, and incorporate a wider range of audio and video files into your lessons and presentations.

Multimedia FeaturesWindows 98 supports the following multimedia features to help you create a dynamic, interactive learning environment:

DVD Player—Digital Video Disc puts an entire video onto one compact disc with higher quality and durability than traditional VHS tape. The DVD player also plays conventional CD-ROMs.

MMX—Today’s best educational software takes advantage of the latest in multimedia technology like Intel’s Pentium Multimedia Extensions (MMX) for faster audio and video. Windows 98 supports MMX technology.

Broadcast Architecture—You can install a TV tuner board which allows the computer to receive and display television distributed over the broadcast networks. The Windows 98 Program Guide lists television shows that are available. Windows 98 can also receive Enhanced Television programs which combine television with other information related to the program.

ActiveMovie™—Delivers high-quality video playback of many types of files including MPEG audio, WAV audio, MPEG video, AVI video, and Apple QuickTime video.

The Windows 98 Help system contains more information about these multimedia accessories and procedures for using them.


What you will do:

Use other devices (such as a scanner or printer) with your computer

Use a television with your computer

Schedule system maintenance


Plug and PlayPlug and Play technology makes it easy to share computer equipment between computers. A technology called Universal Serial Bus (USB), allows you to easily use additional hardware with your computer, and share it with others. Just plug it in and your computer does all the work of configuring it for use with the computer. Unplug it to allow other classroom computers to use it. Instead of having to buy a scanner for every classroom, you can arrange to share popular devices as your lessons require.

Using the Computer with a TelevisionOne of the newest technologies with exciting possibilities for education is the combination of the Internet and television broadcasting. With a TV tuner card installed in a computer, you can use the TV Viewer accessory in Windows 98 to watch broadcast programming in a window on the computer monitor. Organizations such as PBS are developing Enhanced TV which combines the features of a Web site, like articles, pictures, discussion groups, and everything else you currently find on the Internet with the television broadcast. With Enhanced TV, learning will continue after the program is over through Web based content about the program’s subject matter.

Scheduling Regular MaintenanceFeatures like System File Checker and Disk Defragmenter might not sound all that exciting, but what they can do for your system is. Windows 98 comes with a host of features that make your computer system work faster and more reliably. These features perform behind the scenes tasks like keeping track of files and repairing damaged files.

In the past, you probably relied on a technology coordinator or system administrator to help you with your computer system, and this person’s time was most likely in high demand. With Windows 98, you can use the following maintenance tools to “tune-up” your system.

Disk Cleanup—Removes temporary files to free space on your hard disk

Disk Defragmenter—Rearranges files on your hard disk so that programs run faster

ScanDisk—Finds and repairs problems with the hard disk

Using Maintenance Wizard, you can easily have your computer schedule and perform these tasks on a regular basis.



To schedule maintenance147. Click the Start button to display the Start menu.

148. Point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Maintenance Wizard. The Maintenance Wizard dialog box appears.

149. Click Express and then click Next. You are asked to pick a maintenance schedule.

150. Select the schedule you want. If your computer is usually left on at night, you may want to select the Midnight to 3:00 AM option so that maintenance does not disrupt you at a time when you will be using the computer.

151. Click Finish. Or, if you would like to perform maintenance immediately, select the When I Click Finish Perform Each Scheduled Task For the First Time checkbox, and then click Finish.

After you have scheduled maintenance, you can view the schedule by double-clicking on the Task Scheduler icon on the taskbar. You can also reschedule a maintenance task.

To reschedule maintenance152. Double-click the Task Scheduler icon on the taskbar

and then click the maintenance task you want to reschedule to open the appropriate task dialog box.

153. Click the Schedule tab. The current schedule is displayed.

154. Click the Schedule Task down arrow, and then click the new schedule choice.

155. Adjust the number in the Every box by typing a new number or use the arrows to adjust the number of days.

156. Click OK.



Setting Up the Update WizardWindows Update, Microsoft’s Web-based support accessory, keeps your computer up-to-date with additions and improvements to Windows 98, and offers a technical support option that helps you find answers to your questions.

To connect to and set up the Update Wizard

If your computer is not already connected to an online computer network, you will need to have your modem connected.

157. Click Start to display the Start menu.

158. Click Windows Update. Microsoft Internet Explorer's browser window opens and the Windows Update Web page is loaded. A message tells you that Windows 98 Update Wizard Directory Finder needs to be installed.

159. Click Yes. The Windows 98 Update Wizard Directory Finder is transferred to your computer and installed.

Putting it TogetherNow that you are more familiar with the multimedia capabilities of your Windows 98 operating system, you can try the following activities in and out of the classroom:

Use DVD technology to integrate short video clips from movies into your lesson plans.

Rhyming—show the clip from The Princess Bride when the giant Fezzig rhymes everything that Viccini says to him.

Inductive vs. deductive reasoning—show the clip from Young Sherlock Holmes when Holmes meets Watson for the first time.

History—show any of the America Rocks videos from the Schoolhouse Rock series.-Or-Show a clip from All the Presidents Men or JFK to show the social context of an historical event.

DNA—show the clip from Jurassic Park when the scientists find the mosquito with dinosaur DNA.

Inductive vs. deductive reasoning—show the clip from Young Sherlock Holmes when Holmes meets Watson for the first time.



Share a USB scanner with the other teachers in your department.

Use a digital camera to take pictures of each student. Have the students create a PowerPoint presentation about themselves to show at Parent’s Night.

Incorporate video images from Microsoft Encarta 99 into your lessons. For example, illustrate the difference between mitosis and meiosis by showing and comparing the video segments in Encarta.

Find audio and video files on the Internet that you can incorporate into your lessons.

Require students to give multimedia presentations of their research projects to the class.


Learn More About It

In this section, you’ll find additional resources for using Windows 98 in classroom activities and for making the computer more accessible, so you can work better, teach better, and get the most out of your new operating system.

Teaching TipsFor more Windows 98 classroom activities and teaching tips, refer to the following resources:

http://www.microsoft.com/education/

The Microsoft Education website is the primary means to communicate academic information, programs, and pricing to both Higher Education and K12 audiences. Also check out the Microsoft web site home page for links to other topics of interest to you:

http://www.microsoft.com

In and Out of the Classroom

In and Out of the Classroom is a series of free, self-paced training guides designed to help educators master Microsoft software applications. Titles include:

Office 97 Professional

Office 98 Macintosh Edition

Word 97

Excel 97

PowerPoint 97


FrontPage 98

Publisher 98

Preview these guides and download them from:

http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/learn.htm

Productivity in the Classroom

Microsoft Productivity in the Classroom is a series of free curriculum-based workbooks for K12 educators. Designed in partnership with Scholastic, these classroom-tested lesson plans integrate a variety of Microsoft software applications like Office 97, FrontPage 98, Encarta 99 Encyclopedia Deluxe Edition, and Internet Explorer 4.0 throughout a spectrum of K12 subject areas and grade levels.

Download individual lessons or entire workbooks at:

http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/curric/activity

Online tutorials for educators and students

These easy to use tutorials are designed to show educators and students how to use Microsoft software in the classroom. They were created in partnership with ACT360 Media (http://www.actden.com), leading developers of interactive, online courses for education. Tutorials are available for Internet Explorer 4.0 in the Classroom, Outlook Express in the Classroom, PowerPoint 97 in the Classroom, and FrontPage 98 in the Classroom. Check them out at:

http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/learn.htm


Accessibility ResourcesMany third-party hardware and software products are also available to help you make computers in your classroom easier to use and more accessible to all individuals. Microsoft has a catalog of accessibility products available on the Microsoft web site at http://www.microsoft.com/enable/catalog.htm.

Additional resources for accessibility include the following:

ABLEDATA, a database of accessibility products, is maintained by Macro International. The collection is available at:

http://tracecenter.org/tcel/index.html

The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison also produces the book Trace Resource Book and a compact disc entitled CO-NET CD providing the entire EBLEDATA database and other information that describe accessibility products. To obtain these products, contact:

Trace R&D CenterUniversity of WisconsinS-151 Waisman Center1500 Highland AvenueMadison, WI 53705-2280World Wide Web: http://tracecenter.org/Fax: (608) 262-8848

For information about locating additional programs or services in your area that may be able to help you, please contact:

National Information SystemColumbia, SC 29208Voice/text telephone: (803) 777-1782Fax: (803) 777-9557

Other web sites that may provide information about accessibility efforts and resources include the following:

CPB/WGBH National Center on Accessible Media at the following web site:

http://www.boston.com/wgbh/pages/ncam/ncamhome.html

WebABLE! at the following web site:

http://yuri.org/webable/index.html

Job Accommodation Network at the following web site:


http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/english/pubs/AccomodationIdeaList.htm
