Become net-savvy in six short weeks! Learn where the Internet came from, what makes it tick, and where it's headed. Learn advanced search techniques so that you'll be able to find fast answers to virtually any question. Build your own start page filled with the news and information that most interests you. Find out how to get free assistance with technical issues, travel planning and major purchases. Take advantage of cloud computing to freely create, edit, and collaborate with others on documents and spreadsheets; use the power of social networking to reconnect with old friends and share photos with other family members; keep your Internet knowledge up-to-date with the help of blogs, wikis, and social bookmarking; gain access to masterpieces of art and literature; entertain yourself and your family with free online games and videos; and find out how to best defend yourself against dangerous hoaxes, viruses, worms, and other forms of malware.

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Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

In the late 1950s, the Soviet Union achieved something truly astonishing--something that absolutely stunned the world. In this fascinating history lesson, you'll learn exactly what the Soviets did, and how their actions triggered the birth of the Internet. You'll hear the very same Soviet transmission--delivered at the height of the Cold War--that chilled Western scientists to the bone. You'll read the first message to be transmitted across the Internet (no, it wasn't spam), and you'll have an opportunity to view maps of both the early Internet and its present incarnation. By the time you finish this lesson, you'll truly understand how the Internet works, what it has to offer you, and how it moves information to and from your computer.

Friday - Lesson 02

In this lesson, you'll learn all about one of the most powerful tools the Internet has to offer: the World Wide Web. You'll learn where the Web came from and how it works. You'll know the difference between a Web server, a Web site, a Web address, a Web page, a Web link, and a Web browser. You'll become intimately familiar with the many powerful features of your Web browser, and you'll finally be able to decipher the meaning behind all those letters, numbers, colons, slashes, and dots you find in most Web addresses. You'll discover how to use bookmarks to keep track of your favorite Web resources, and you'll become adept at using shortcuts to get where you need to go with a minimum of effort.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Today, you will get an opportunity to build a personalized home page that will serve as the launching point for all your travels across the Internet, the first page you see when you start your Web browser. You'll customize this page until it suits your interests perfectly, filling it only with the news clippings, photographs, stock quotes, cartoons, sports scores, weather forecasts, and other snippets of information that most interest you.

Friday - Lesson 04

This lesson is a student favorite. There are more than three billion documents stored on the World Wide Web, and thousands more are being added daily. With that many pages, your odds of locating a single Web document by chance are worse than hopeless. This lesson will teach you how to filter out the garbage and dramatically improve your chances of instantly finding the exact information you need. You'll be able to distinguish a search engine from a directory, you'll know which tool is most likely to deliver the results you want, and you'll discover the secrets Internet search experts use to get the best possible results. If you can't find what you seek after this lesson, you can bet it isn't on the World Wide Web.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

Today, you'll learn how to defend your family, your computer and the information you wish to keep private from a variety of threats to your safety and sanity. You'll find out how to recognize and guard against hoaxes, scams, and phishing expeditions, and you'll understand the difference between viruses, worms, and other dangerous forms of malware.

Friday - Lesson 06

Have you ever felt like looking up an old classmate, a former co-worker, a neighbor who moved away, or a long-lost relative? Does the fast pace of today's world make it difficult for you to stay in touch with your dearest friends? Want to share and comment on photographs with family and friends? Want to get together with people who share similar interests? Interested in expanding your circle of professional contacts? Ever wonder what a close family member is doing right now? Well, the Internet can certainly help with all of that! In today's lesson, we're going to explore one of the Internet's hottest topics: the social networking phenomenon.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

If you're anything like me, you may have a nagging suspicion that some of the most fascinating things on the Internet are hidden in places where you'd never even think to look. That begs a question: how do we find the most interesting sites the Internet has to offer if we aren't even aware that they exist? That's a very good question, and one today's lesson on social bookmarking will help answer.

Friday - Lesson 08

The World Wide Web has granted ordinary folks (like you and I) with the power to share our thoughts, opinions, and advice with thousands, if not millions, of other people. As a result, the Web is literally exploding with sites dedicated to the collection and dissemination of user-generated content. These second generation Web sites--which are sometimes collectively known as Web 2.0 sites--actively encourage our participation. This is a broadly democratizing event that seems to have no precedent in human history. Today, we'll explore several Web 2.0 sites you can use to help plan a vacation, make a wise purchase, or get help with a nagging technical problem.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

In this lesson, we'll continue with our exploration of Web 2.0 by exploring Wikis--highly informative, encyclopedia-like knowledge sites that have been developed almost entirely by volunteer contributors. You'll also learn about blogging, a new and fast-growing phenomenon with the potential to completely change the way we use the Internet. You'll explore some of the most popular, useful, and fascinating blogs on the Internet, and you'll understand how you can use blogs to save time, learn new skills, make better investment decisions, discuss important issues of the day, cultivate friendships, and more. You'll even get a few tips on creating and publishing a blog of your very own with no investment other than your time.

Friday - Lesson 10

The Internet is a literal treasure trove of art, literature, and entertainment. Inerested in fine art, sculpture, or architecture? Today, you'll learn how the Internet can help you bring crystal-clear images of the world's masterpieces directly into your home. Love to read? Find out how to freely access and read classic literature from the comfort of your laptop. Bored? Find out how to treat yourself to the finest and most entertaining games and videos the Internet has to offer.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Are you weary of the never-ending stream of software fixes, updates, and new version releases? Tired of lugging important data files back and forth from home to school or work? Do you regularly collaborate with others on important documents, spreadsheets, or images? Today, you'll learn how a relatively recent Internet phenomenon known as cloud computing could make it a snap for you to perform all of those tasks--and more--without breaking a sweat.

Friday - Lesson 12

The Internet is constantly evolving, and many surprising and life-changing new tools and capabilities are in the works. In today's lesson, you'll learn about some of the many exciting future developments that await us as users of the Internet.

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This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Craig Power.

Craig Power has worked in adult continuing education for more than 18 years. A UCLA graduate, he created custom accounting software for state and local governments; developed an online course delivery and marketing platform currently used by more than 1,500 colleges and universities in the US, Canada, and Australia; developed an interactive cellular biology video for the Los Angeles Unified School District; taught college-level information technology courses; started and grew a thriving small business; and served as an executive with a large academic publishing corporation.

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Requirements:

Internet access, e-mail, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

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Student Reviews:

• "Enjoyed the course very much. I took the course mainly to fill in my knowledge gaps of the Internet since I have had no formal training. It met this need well."
• "Great class. I really enjoyed learning and applying what I learned. Thanks."
• "I feel that this course is the best that I have taken for learning about the internet. I have taken two or three live workshops, but they were not nearly as beneficial as this online course. I could take my time reading the lessons and go back and even reread something that I didn't quite understand. The course gave me a chance to work at my pace. I would strongly recommend it to others as it was recommended to me."
• "I learned a great deal not only from the material but also from the interaction with the other students"
• "I learned a lot from this course. I came into it thinking I knew all of it and would be bored, but boy did you show me!!! Thank you for creating a great course."
• "I learned more than I expected. The information was very in-depth. I am more than pleased with the information covered in this course. I got more than I expected, but never felt overwhelmed by the way the information was presented."
• "I love the instructor's writing style, humor, knowledge of subject, and his vocabulary. Also, he seems to relate to a busy person. His lessons are informative and compact."
• "I really enjoyed the course. The instructor made the reading very easy and interesting."
• "I really loved taking this course and I’m looking forward to taking many other courses!"
• "I thought the course was great and the material was easy to understand and I learned quite a bit."
• "I thought this was an excellent course! I did know some of the information before I started, but what I didn't know I found to be very interesting! I really enjoyed this course and learned a lot from it!"
• " Mr. Powers is by FAR a great teacher. Although we have never met each other, I really feel we have become great friends. I someday hope to meet him in person as so to shake his hand."
• "The instructor, Craig Power has a very effective teaching method. The courses are fascinating."
• "This course was the first class I have taken on-line. I have acquired knowledge that will help not only at work but also at home. It was also a great deal of fun."
• "This is a well-written, interesting course that I found just right to squeeze in to my very busy schedule. The lessons were interesting, to the point, and very informative."
• "This was my first on-line class but will not be my last. I was sooooooo afraid to take an on-line class but you made it so easy for me. Thank you for opening a whole new way of learning for me."
• "Very interesting and thought provoking material."

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