Comp Lit Resources

On Line Resources for My Basic Computer/ Information Literacy Class

Spring 2006 term Last updated 03/23/2009

At this website are the resources I plan to use with my Basic Computer/Information Literacy Class. This site consists first of the following Internal Links. The External Links, further down on this page, refer to webpages on other sites, including another one of my own (Gordon) sites called Internet Lessons.

Internal Links (from this website)

This introductory page (no link here because you are already on this page)
Syllabus including the new additional material on (1) Internet Ethics and Security, (2) Intellectual Property, (3) Online Privacy and Communication from the SPC eCampus tutorial.
Computer Components, Terms, and other Basics
Terms and Study Guide for both Textbook-Reading and Class work
Help in coming up with definitions on the Terms handout
Homework assignment
Gordon's evaluation questions to help you determine if a site is appropriate for getting information you can use in your college research papers.
Class Project regular and Class Project advanced (The advanced project may be used by those students who enter the class already knowing advanced computer skills.)
Assessment Word practice exercise
Sample Annotated Bibliography
Bibliography worksheet
Graphics for Boolean operators: ants nails
Links for instruction, including tutorials, in Windows XP, Word, Excel, and Information Literacy

External Links (to other websites)

Internet Lessons from Richard Gordon's website
1. Selecting a Home Page
2. Newsgroups
3. Making notes from websites
4. Reference books
5. Search engines
6. Using search sites
7. Creating and organizing Favorites in Explorer
8. Deleting Favorites
Evaluating information in a website
1. Various universities give information on how to evaluate websites
  1. Anne Arundel Community College.
  2. Purdue University Writing Lab
  3. University of California at Berkely. Great charts in yellow giving questions to ask yourself and the significance of possible answers. Question 1, for example, ask "What can you learn from the URL [website address]?"
  4. University of Maryland offers a valuable, easy to use checklist.
  5. Connell University Library
  6. Ohio University Library
  7. University of Southern Maine -- use the evaluation criteria at this site to help you in writing your paragraph evaluating the website in the hands-on part of your final exam.
2. Using Network Solutions to help identify the person or organization who owns a website.
3. Sites to practice your evaluation skills: (1) Tension headaches from FamilyDoctor.org; (2) My Stress Headache (3) Comparing alligator and shark attacks (4) Publicity on alligator shark attacks hurting Florida's reputation (5) Outline of Saddam Hussein's biography (6) Article on Saddam Hussein by Ben Andrews
Plagiarism
1. Professor uses computer to identify cheaters (from St. Pete Times)
2. Website that detects plagiarism
3. Another site that helps teachers detect plagiarism
4. A model bibliography showing how to credit various sources, including those on the Internet.
How to use searchers
1. Boolean searches from the University at Albany (NY) Libraries
2. Boolean searches not necessary for the average user
3. Dogpile advanced search using Boolean operators
4. Google advanced search
5. Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet
6. Search Engine Watch shows how to use search engines most effectively.
7. Selecting the best search engine or directory to use for your needs.
8. Recommended by April H. How to choose a search engine or directory.
9. Using Boolean operators from the Franklin & Marshall Library
10. How to select the best search engine for your purpose; includes search engines using Boolean operators; from the Universities at Albany Libraries
11. Lycos advanced search
12. Search engine watch tips
13. Yahoo search options
Searchers
1. Search engines recommended by our textbook publisher Course Technologies
2. Gordon's list of search engines
3. Florida's Public Library System. If you have a library card from any library in the state of Florida, you can use the barcode number on your card to get access to all kinds of informaton not available to the general public by using a search engine like Google or Yahoo.
4. Web Searching Tips from Search Engine Watch.
  Easy to sign up for newsletter sent to you by e-mail, giving latest information on search engines. See the Free Newsletters Join box in the right column of this page.
5. Maps and driving directions from Mapquest and Maps On Us
6. Abbreviation and Acronyms (ex. MLA)
7. Hundreds of search engines from Ability
8. AllTheWeb
9. AMA doctor finder (look up doctor's credentials)
10. Old issues of the St. Petersburg Times, FL.
11. Ask Jeeves
12. Dogpile
13. Findspot
14. US Government documents
15. Go
16. Google
17. Invisible web: Searching for information not picked up by regular search engines
18. Lexibot (free trial use but will cost you if you decide to keep using it)
19. Sites recommended by librarians
20. Lycos
21. NetLibrary books (can read full text of books on the Internet)
22. New York Times on its Navigator site provides search links for its reporters
23. People search from Yahoo (help find long lost friend or relative)
24. Look up businesses -- their addresses and phone numbers; from Switchboard
25. Using Who/Where, look up people and businesses
26. Job search -- use Boolean searches to find Ohio jobs
27. Yahoo
28. Deep Web Searches. Go way beyond the information you can reach through popular search engines like Google or Yahoo.
Deep Web Search Engines (databases, catalogues, and references not usually reached by regular search engines
1. Complete Planet
  1. Tutorial for Internet searching designed by Complete Planet
  2. Help and FAQs about Complete Planet
2. Northern Light
3. Gateway for Library Catalogs
4. Profusion
5. Searching the Invisible Web
From SPC (FL) website
1. Articles and best websites on all academic topics
2. Information Literacy: Online Tutorials from the SPC library.
3. Opening library page at SPC. Be sure to note the Top Links along the left side of the page, especially items 6 and 7, Citing Sources and Ebooks. Your best bet in locating the sources you need is to click on Search for Resources.
4. Search for resources at the SPC library
5. Search engines suggested by SPC library
6. Evaluating Internet sources
7. LINCC to find out if the college library has books on the subject you're interested in
8. MLA guide -- how to write up your bibliography for your reports; includes books, magazines as well as internet sites
9. MLA guide just for internet sources. Although not from SPC website, be sure to see the MLA guide, too, from the University of Wisconsin.
10. Finding newspapers -- full text; some require your user name and password
11. Finding periodicals (journals) -- again full text available; many scholarly, academic sources
12. Reference books including dictionaries and encyclopedias
13. SPC home page
From the publisher of our textbooks Course Technology
1. Article on the "deep web" -- the greater part of the web that is not reached by the average Internet user
2. Online companion -- mentioned in our Internet Research textbook as necessary to follow the textbook
Web sites suggested by Tech writer Jeanne Rodgers, St. Pete Times, Oct. 14, 2002
1. Teachers' guide for writing citations for electronic sources following the MLA format
2. Guide for writing research papers
3. Reference Desk. Includes almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias
4. Help with creating good research-paper topics
5. Step-by-step help with writing your research paper
6. The dictionary/thesaurus Merriam-Webster
7. Once your report is completed, you can use the tutorial to learn how to make a computer-assisted presentation to your class or employer.

Security: Keeping your computer safe from viruses and hackers

Scanning your computer to see if you need any Windows XP critical updates -- directly from Microsoft
Three steps for protecting your computer -- Use an internet firewall. Get computer updates. Use up-to-date anti-virus software. (All this information also from Microsoft.)
Use McAfee to see if your computer is free for viruses.
More than twenty Microsoft articles on computer security
Keeping your computer safe from viruses and hackers. Advice from Dell.

Using SPC Library on-line to find articles on security

Once you log on to our library site, click on Academic Search Primer under the Full Text Resources column at your left on the first webpage appearing after your log in.

On the next webpage that appears (EBSCO HOST DATABASE), check off Academic Search Primer, Business Source Elite, Primary Search, MAS Ultra-School Edition, and Military and Government Collection.

Next, click on the "continue" link at the bottom or top of this Ebsco Host Database page.

Now in the Ebsco search page, do a full text search for "Computer Security." Be sure to place this search phrase within quotation marks. You should now end up with links to many current articles on keeping your computer safe.

Spybot Search & Destroy. Free download of a program that will determine what files and programs have been placed on your computer (a) without your knowledge and (2) invading your privacy.
Ad-aware. Another free download program that does the same job as Spybot in #7.
Security Check: Find out from Symantec how vulnerable your computer is to hackers, viruses, and other destructive attacks on your computer and privacy. Another Symantec source free online check to make sure your computer is free of viruses and not vulnerable to other security risks.
Virus free? Test to determine if your computer is free of viruses.
Keeping your computer free from Adware and Spyware.
Yahoo's guide to online security including selecting and protecting your passwords.
Washington Post articles explains how deceivers are sending out emails tricking readers into giving away their bank account numbers, passwords, and other confidential information.