After spending even a short amount of time surfing the Internet, you may come away with the paradoxical feeling that there is too much information available on the Internet, and yet it's difficult to find what you need or want. This is particularly true when what you are looking for is information about the Internet itself.

The Internet is a very self-reflective medium; much like Narcissus, it enjoys looking at itself. If you want graphic proof of this, go to any search engine and search for sites that contain the word "Internet." I did just this on Excite (a commonly used Internet search engine) and came up with 3,683,651 matches! When I refined my search to look just for Internet tutorials, I came up with 5,010 hits, a number which is a little more manageable, but just barely.

Where can you go to sharpen your Internet skills so that you can make the most effective use of your online time? To help you answer this question, I've put together a list of other, more general Internet Guides that you can choose from. In doing this, I looked for sites that took a variety of approaches to the subject. Let's face it, we all have different learning styles. Some of us like to make our way through mostly on our own; and some of us like to have our hands held a little bit. Hopefully, you'll find something here that works for you. And if not, you can look for the 5,000 or more tutorials that are NOT on this list. Email me at msosa@aaas.org if you know of a really great one that I've missed.

Maria Sosa, editor-in-chief, SB&F
 

"Back To School:" The Electronic Library Classroom 101
This is billed as a free electronic library classroom created by Ellen Chamberlain, Head Librarian, University of South Carolina Beaufort, and Miriam Mitchell, Sr. Systems Analyst, USC Columbia. It consists of 30 lessons and several addendum. This site is very comprehensive. If you are looking for a thoughtful, extended introduction to the Internet, be sure to give this a try.

Cyberspace Companion: Introduction to the Virtual Classroom
The Cyberspace Companion is an introduction to using computers in classes at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It contains tutorials for popular software programs such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, various web Browsers such as Netscape, Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, Lotus 1,2,3, Microsoft Excel, and operating systems such as Windows, Unix, and DOS. These are online tutorials which offer step-by-step instructions. While the tutorials are targeted to students at the university, but they can be used by anyone. The tutorials are well-written and the graphics are excellent.

Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial
The purpose of this site is to provide a platform for beginners to the Internet, the World Wide Web, and the Netscape browser. The site also recommends and explains effective search strategies applicable to any research interest. It also provides descriptive information on other search tools and strategies. It is hosted by the University of California, Berkeley.

The HelpWeb: A Guide To Getting Started on the Internet
This friendly guide is intended to help people who are just getting started on the Internet learn their way around. It's simply written and very easy to use. Just click on the buttons on the left to view a topic index that describes the subjects covered in that section of the Helpweb. Those who prefer a less structured tutorial can scroll through the Site Guide and select a topic of interest or search for a topic by a keyword.

The ICYouSee Home Page
This site was designed as a project of the Ithaca College Library to serve as a self-guided World Wide Web training page. Its primary purpose is to provide an introduction to the World Wide Web. Its secondary purpose is to offer a survey of interesting and useful places that are out there on the Web. Among the excellent features are: an easy-to-use glossary from which you can select terms from a chart and link to the explanation; a useful guide to different types of web sites; a problem-solving guide that explains the most common types of error messages you are likely to encounter; and a quiz to help you assess how much you've learned.

Librarian's Index to the Internet
After you've done your Internet introduction, surf this fantastic resource from Cals's Digital Library SunSITE service. Search or browse this huge subject index of Internet reference materials and you'll find links to several Internet Reference Desks. Topics range from the Arts to Women and cover both academic and general interest subjects. Highlights of this site include the Internet Information (including Graphics)and Internet Searching pages. Make sure to bookmark this one because the latest additions to the index are posted weekly in a "New this Week" section.

Understanding and Using the Internet/Beginner's Guide to the Internet
This site includes two resources from PBS. They provide a nice introduction to the Internet via links to useful sights and utilities. Included are access to helper applications such as Shockwave, Adobe Acrobat, and Quicktime for Windows. You can also read background articles and browse online transcripts of the PBS programs upon which these sites were based.

The WMHT/Troy City School 14 Internet Testbed Project
This Internet Guide was designed specifically for K-5 teachers by the by public broadcaster WMHT for teachers at Troy City School 14, located in the Capital Region of New York State. The authors decided that the best way to introduce K-5 educators to the Web was to show them what other elementary schools are doing on the Internet. Each stop along the CyberTrail includes a description of a Web site, and an explanation of why the site is a good example of an effective use of the Internet in K-5 education. Each stop also includes a direct link to the featured site. This one's a real winner.