Why do I need a browser?

Once you have parent permission, you can access the Web through a browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. The browser is the application responsible for allowing a user's computer to read and display web documents, another way to say this is it's the program that gets you on the Internet. Examples of browsers are Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Opera, Mozilla, and many, many others.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the language used to write web pages. A browser takes the HTML and translates it into the content you see on the screen. You will note your cursor turns into a pointing finger over some images or text on the page. This indicates a link to additional information and it can be either a link to additional web pages, email, newsgroups, audio, video, or any number of other exciting files.

For example, if you were to click on Pioneer Middle School , your browser would link to the Pioneer home page and that web page would open in your screen.

How do I navigate on the Web?

Menu bar

The menu bar, located at the very top of the screen, can be accessed using the mouse. When you hold down the mouse button over an item in the main menu, a sub menu is "pulled down" that has a variety of options. Actions that are in black can be performed, while actions that cannot be performed will be in gray or lightened. The submenus provide keyboard shortcuts for many common actions, allowing you to implement the functions faster than using the mouse.

Tool bar

The tool bar is located at the top of the browser; it contains navigational buttons for the Web. Basic functions of these buttons include:

Command	Function
Home	Opens or returns to starting page
Back	Takes you to the previous page
Forward	Takes you to the next page
Print	Prints current page
Stop	Stops loading a page
Reload / Refresh	Refresh Redisplays current page
Search	Accesses search engine

Location bar

The location bar, below the tool bar, is a box labeled "Location," "GoTo," or "Address." You can type in a site's address, and press the Return or Enter key to open the site.

Status bar

The status bar is located at the very bottom of the browser window. You can watch the progress of a web page download to determine if the host computer has been contacted and text and images are being downloaded.

Scroll bar

The scroll bar is the vertical bar located on the right of the browser window. You can scroll up and down a web page by placing the cursor on the slider control and holding down the mouse button.