Quite a few commands in the menus can be used to improve your Internet session
New - Select Window to open a new browser window. You can
also use the keyboard combination Ctrl + N (hold down Ctrl while you
tap N) Open - Use this option to open a web page on the Internet,
or one stored on your computer. However, IE can be used to open any
type of document stored on your computer; PowerPoint shows, Excel
spreadsheets, Word documents and many more. Edit With ... - Perfect for editing the WebQuest or WebGuide
templates. Some versions of IE are set to edit with Netscape Composer,
others are set to use MS Word. Save As... - IE has it all over Netscape with this option.
Choose Save As... and all images associated with the page are
saved in the same place as the web page text. Page Setup... - Use this option to change from Portrait to
landscape, add a header or footer, or change the margins. Print Preview... - See what the page will look like before
printing. Send - Send the page you are viewing, or the URL of the page,
by Email. Import and Export... - Use this option to Import favorites
you saved on a disk from another computer.
Copy - Copy highlighted images or text to paste into another
application; MS Word, PowerPoint or other applications. You can
also use the keyboard combination Ctrl + C (hold down Ctrl while you
tap C) Find (on This Page)... - You have done a search and know that
somewhere on the page you are viewing, you will find kudzu recipes.
Choose Find then type the word "kudzu", or even a part of the
word. You can also use the keyboard combination Ctrl + F (hold down
Ctrl while you tap F)
Toolbars - Choose this option to view, or hide,
the buttons, address bar or links. This is also the option to use
to customize the button toolbar. Status Bar - Choose this option to hide, or view, the gray
bar at the bottom of the browser window. Explorer Bar - This allows you to quickly open the Favorites
or History pane to the left of the browser window. Go To - Netscape users, this is the Go Menu. This opens a window
of the most recently visited web sites, listed in chronological order.
Use this choice to jump past a redirect page. Text Size - <sigh> I miss Netscape's almost infinite
range of text sizes. Oh well, use this menu to select one of five
text sizes. Full Screen - Use this choice, or the F11 key, to remove all
but the window content from your screen. Remember F11 to bring the
toolbars back.
Add to Favorites... - Netscape users, Favorites are Bookmarks.
Use this menu to add an Internet page to your favorites list. You
can also use the keyboard combination Ctrl + D (hold down Ctrl while
you tap D). I realize that keyboard shortcuts are usually spelled
out to the right of the menu choice, but this one works, just as it
does in Netscape. Organize Favorites... - This is the same as Netscape's "Edit
Bookmarks." Use this menu to delete listings, to move them into folders,
or to move them up or down in the list. Moving them is done by clicking
on a favorite, holding the mouse button down and then moving the mouse
pointer up or down in the list. This is known as clicking and dragging. Links - Placing a favorite in this folder then choosing Toolbars
and then Links from the View menu, places favorites on the browser
window. This is just like Netscape's Personal Toolbar.
Internet Options... - This is the only option in this menu
which I find appropriate for classroom use. The uses of Internet Options
will be described immediately below.
General Tab
Home page - The home page is the Internet location which is displayed
when you first launch Internet Explorer. It is also the page which is
displayed when you select the Home toolbar button. The best method
to follow is to have the web page open that you want to change to the
home page to. If the page is open, select Use Current, and the
change is made. Temporary Internet Files - In Netscape these files are known
as cache files. IE saves a copy of each page you visit. The next
time you attempt to visit that same page IE will look in the Temporary
Internet files first and will display the page quicker. History - Change the number of days that pages are kept in the
history or entirely clear the History list. If you use this feature
for classroom management, have students sign a log sheet whenever they
use the Internet. Compare their log-in time to the History to determine
inappropriate access. Colors... - Some backgrounds are absolutely horrible. The page
content may be good, but it might be impossible to concentrate on the
content. Select the Colors... button, deselect the choice to
Use Windows colors, then click on Background. Choose a
color which will allow you to see the page content. Another use of this
area is to set the hover color. Place a check mark in the "Use
hover color" box, then click OK. Close internet Options. Place
your cursor over a link and it turns red (unless you select a different
hover color). Accessibility - If changing colors at the Colors
button does not get rid of the horrible background, placed a checkmark
in the first box in the Accessibility pop up window, "Ignore colors
specified on Web pages." That gets rid of the background and overrides
all color instructions.
Contents and Index - If you have ever used the Windows help
menu, or MS Office help menu, you will feel right at home. Enter
a word to describe what you are looking for and read the answer. For Netscape Users - Whether you are switching from Netscape
Navigator or just want to use more than one browser, it's easy to learn
and use Internet Explorer with these tips. Tour - A step-by-step tour designed to teach new users the basics
of the Internet Explorer browser.
.
Task - When you think you have reviewed the
menus, take the following quiz. Record how many answers you get right on the
first try.
1.
You are writing a WebGuide lesson and plan to edit the
template you found online. Which menu do you select?
x
2.
You have found a page full of great information. However,
the background is absolutely horrible and you need to
replace it with a solid color before going on. Which menu do
you select?
x
3.
An annoying redirect page will not let you use the back
button. You don't want to lose the page you came from, so
you can't just close the window. There must be some way to
get around that redirect page. Which menu do you select to
find it?
x
4.
You have inherited a computer from another classroom and
the home page is set to go to Microsoft whenever you start
IE. "No disrespect intended, Mr. Gates, but I want a
different homepage," you have been heard to cry. Which menu
do you select to do that?
x
5.
You are a Netscape user, but you have found that the new
school you moved to uses nothing but IE. Some of the things
are so different you get confused. Surely IE has some tips
for Netscape users. Which menu do you look in to find those
tips?
x
6.
You did a search in AllTheWeb.com for "kudzu recipes."
The page you are viewing was number one on the search
results page, but you are having trouble locating the word
"kudzu.". Which menu do you select to help you find the
word?
x
7.
As a Netscape user you loved the Personal Toolbar. It was
so convenient! Now you have just discovered that if you put
sites in the Links folder it acts just like the Personal
Toolbar.. Which menu do you select to find the Links folder
of sites?
x
8.
These old eyes of mine are having trouble with the text
on some pages. I understand that you know how to make
the words larger on the page. Which menu do I select to
change text size?
x
9.
You think Little Johnny has been to some inappropriate
sites and want to check the History. But when you go there
you are overwhelmed by how much information you find. You
need to cut down on the number of days to keep pages in the
history listing. Which menu do you select?
x
10.
Wow! Where did the time go? You have been on the Internet
for hours and it is now time to close up shop. Which menu do
you select to close IE?