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A Parent's Guide to the Internet 

ΠWhat is the internet?
The Internet is a large number of computers all over the world linked together with cables. In most cases, each of these computers is also linked locally to a number of other computers, in a local network. It is possible for someone using one of these computers to access information on any of the other computers. This system was established by those working in Universities and Government organisations for the fast and efficient transfer of largely text-based information around the world directly from one computer to another. 
It is possible for other people, outside these local networks, to connect to the Internet by using standard telephone lines between their computers and those already connected to the Internet. A number of companies specialise in providing this service for a fee.

� What is the World Wide Web?
To make the appearance of information available through the internet more attractive, and to assist people in finding information more easily, it is now possible for special pages of information to contain text, colours, and pictures, sound and even video. These pages, collectively, make up what is known as the World Wide Web. Most of these pages include information on the location of other pages on the World Wide Web, and it is possible to follow up links between pages with similar or related content. Moving from one page to another, regardless of where in the world they might be located, is called browsing, or surfing the net or web. Many of these Web pages contain information that may be useful in the classroom, and it is presented in a way which is often easy to use.
 
A number of UK suppliers including BT and Research Machines (RM), offer schools the facility of keeping their own web pages on the internet. These school "home pages" might describe the school's activities to outsiders or explain project work that pupils are involved in.

Ž What is Electronic Mail (E-mail)
This is merely .a way of sending messages from one person to another via the Internet. Each internet user has a unique e-mail address (such as anybody@msn.com) and by sending a message to this address, the recipient can read the message the next time he or she connects to the internet. Internet e-mail addresses are usually provided along with a schools' connection to the internet and normally individual pupils will not have their own email address. 

� What are News Groups?
These are collections of messages written for public readership rather than addressed to an individual. Each collection, or group, of messages is about a particular subject or theme. Individuals can reply to these messages, and these replies are also public. In this way it is possible to track a multi-way conversation about an important issue of the day. At present there are more than 10,000 different topics available for discussion, from speclialist science research to support groups for asthma to fans of James Bond movies. Most of the press concern for pornography on the Internet refers to newsgroups but they are the easiest for school internet providers to police.

� What are the dangers of the Internet 
referred to in the media?
It is true that there is some material on the Internet that would be offensive to most people, such as pornography, racist and fascist material, and this can be accessed by children if using the internet unsupervised. The main educational providers try to 'filter' known offensive locations of material of this kind, but there is too much for this filtering to be very effective, and the locations change frequently. The only way to block access to this kind of material is to have a restricted range of pages available, in which case many of the advantages of the global and dynamic nature of the internet may be lost. It is a feature of the Internet that the information available is free. Increasing restrictions will undoubtedly lead to systems of charging for access to specific material, in addition to the other costs described. An alternative system is to educate pupils and encourage an acceptable use policy and partnership between home and school in dealing with the less savoury side of internet use.

� How can I get more information?
There are many magazines in newsagents that cater for beginners-advanced use of the Internet. If you have any specific questions please contact the school and ask for the IT co-ordinator.