When I go shopping I get excited (especially when I have $$ to spend). Whether I go to a mall or a department store my routine is the same. I get out of my car, open the front door and start on my spree. There are so many options. I window shop until something interests me. When I see something I like, I walk into the store and investigate. Once in awhile, I have a very specific need - get a key made - and will search in a directory for stores that provide what I need. What I especially like about shopping, is that the merchants create inviting displays that show off their wares. The mall itself is created to help me get through it in an enjoyable fashion, and it is constantly changing to meet the needs of its customers. My biggest problem is that I spend too much time at the mall because there are simply too many options.
The World Wide Web (WWW) is the Internet Mall. Like a mall there are many different resources - documents, pictures, movies, songs and speeches. Just like shopping you have to start somewhere. My mother's favorite mall is Beechwood Place (Saks is there). My favorite beginning point on the Internet Mall is the Common Knowledge home page. Once here I begin exploring. The WWW uses a hypertext format. This means that any word or item that is hot (highlighted) points to an address on the Internet that provides information. If you select the word or picture that is hot, you will immediately be transported to that resource and view the information. Imagine, you're at the mall and shopping for shoes. You go to the directory, push a button next to the word loafer and you are automatically taken to a store where loafers are sold.
The biggest problem is finding what you want. Just as in a shopping directory or yellow pages, the resources on the WWW are searchable. Using one of a number of popular search engines (the WWW worm or the Web Crawler), you can type in the subject of interest and you will be provided with a number of locations on the Net where these resources are available. These are all in hypertext, meaning that you can choose anyone and the link will transport you to the resource itself.
Note: To access the WWW you will need a few items. First, you will need a viewer (think of this as a car that gets you to the mall). If you are dialing up to the Internet and using a text based menu, the viewer you will use is called LYNX. If you are accessing the Internet from a network or via a SLIP connection, there are many different viewers - Mosaic, WinWeb, Netscape, and Cello. These viewers allow you to travel across the Net, set book marks in interesting locations, view documents and images, save and print important information that you find. One drawback to the WWW is that due to its integrated nature (text and graphics), you will need a fast computer and modem to take full advantage of this hypertext environment.
The currency used on the WWW is not $$$, it is time. The items purchased are not material, but are valuable resources for the classroom. Some stores I like and some I never visit. If I want to buy the really impressive stuff at the mall I need lots of money and a big car to take it home in. If I want to get the real impressive stuff on the Web, I will need a powerful computer, direct access to the Internet, a WWW viewer and lots of bandwidth. However, once I am there I can shop till I drop.