Web literacy for educators: summary of chapters 1 and 2

“ Web Literacy for Educators”: Summary of Chapters 1 and 2.
Chapter 1: “ Web Basics for Critical Thinking.”
Chapter 1 aims to promote the critical understanding of the structure of the Web, its punctuation, and its grammar. November defines the various terms used on the Internet. He starts with defining the Internet as “ a network of many different computers, all over the world, connected together” (7). Web browsers, which are software (computer programs) for fetching Web pages, call up Internet Protocol addresses, or IP Addresses. These addresses are in numeric form. However, IP addresses have a corresponding Domain Name which makes the Web sites easier to remember and navigate. A domain name has two or three parts. The first part is the domain name created and exclusively owned by the owner of the site. The second part is called the TLD, or Top Level Domain, and shows the category to which the site belongs, such as . com for commercial and . edu for educational. There may be an extension which refers to the country code, such as . au for Australia or . in for India. There may also be a third part, or subdomain. A Web Address is referred to as a Uniform Resource Locator or URL. Most URLs begin with www. which refers to the World Wide Web, a collection of millions of web pages stored on computers called servers. These pages are written in a computer language called HTML, or hyper-text markup language. When a URL is typed into a computer, the browser accesses the server which stores that page. The server sends the page to the browser and that required page appears on the computer screen. The home page of the site usually arrives first and contains the links, or connections, to other pages. November emphasizes the importance of checking the authenticity of a Web site by a clear understanding of the URL. Each slash in a URL stands for a deeper level. By truncating, or cutting, the URL the domain name and home page can be accessed. The site’s home page is the best source of information regarding the validity of the site.
Chapter 2: “ The Empowered Researcher.”
In Chapter 2, November focuses on understanding the different types of search engines, their workings and their ability to be manipulated. Search engines use automated browsers, or programs, called robots or spiders. These programs collect information from the Web. The information goes into a search engine database where it is indexed into smaller pieces of information. The keywords which are typed in a search are matched against the search engine database and the results are sent back as pages of links. Each search engine only searches its own database and not the entire Web. Search engines have their own different ways of searching. Search engines range from the general to specialty engines. November goes on to give examples of specific search engines designed for research, for young children, to search blogs, podcasts and other definite purposes. He warns that it is necessary to be aware of the fact that the ranking of search engine results is a very profitable business. This makes it important to know who controls the information on the Internet. Search marketing companies sell keyword search terms to the highest bidders. Marketers can bid for keywords regionally or internationally. These bidders then pay for every click on their site. Advertisers use this method to sponsor search results. Searchers must remain alert to the chance of sites on paid listings being biased and not providing top quality information. Even search results which do not fall under paid listings can be manipulated by tech-savvy Web page creators who have knowledge of the complex factors involved in the search engine process. November recommends that more than one search engine should be used in order to get the best results in any research.
Works Cited.
November, Alan C. Web Literacy for Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. 2008.
Print.