The Internet, the Web, hardware, software, e-mail, downloading ... for many young people without computer access, it's a techno-speak jumble out there. But if they don't learn the language, they'll be left behind as the future takes off without them. As more and more new jobs—and existing ones—depend on computer literacy, the gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" will be more clearly defined. It's undeniable: to bridge that gap, a young person must become computer literate.

Once your school or community center is wired, how can you help teens to get the most out of the Internet? Use ideas that were developed for the teacher's guide to "Computers: Get Plugged In!", a special from In the Mix, a PBS show for teens. The activities can help educators show teens that computers are easy to learn, fun to use and a key to their success now as well as in the future.

Getting Online

• Where can students get free access to computers and/or the Internet? Make it a class project to find out!
• Facts about the famous abound on the Web. Assign each student a celebrity or historical figure and have them search the Web for biographical information.
• Using that free computer access list, have students to sit down with a family member or friend who's unfamiliar with the Internet. Have them give a "lesson" in navigating the Web and write about their experience.

Getting the Facts
Did you know ?

• 66 percent of students in grades 1-12 use a computer at school.
• President Clinton has promised that 100 percent of all classrooms and libraries in the U.S. will have computers access by the year 2000.
• In 1996, 58,000 teenagers aged 16 to 19 held part-time, computer-related jobs-compared with only 4,000 a decade ago.
• According to Vice President Al Gore, 60 percent of new jobs created by the year 2000 will require "advanced technological skills".

Computers on the Job

• As a class, create a list of jobs one encounters in daily life and brainstorm ways in which computers might help each. Ask students to research whether each job does indeed use computers, and how.
• Many creative fields have become dependent on computer software, such as Adobe Illustrator for graphic design, Quark for publishing and Photoshop for art and photography. Ask a professional who uses such software to speak and demonstrate their skills to the class.

Thinking Beyond High School

• Ask students to research a field or career they have considered pursuing. Have each student keep a log of Web sites visited and onsite or e-mail information uncovered. Then have them share their experience and results with the class.
• Ask students to research information on a college they're interested in or have heard of. Provide them with a list of facts they should retrieve, for example, the school's address, student population, strong academic departments, extra-curricular activities, sports teams, application deadlines. Again, can they get any information through e-mail inquiries?

How About Web Design!

• Get a basic book on HTML and web design, and/or invite an experienced designer to visit the class to explain the basics of HTML. Ask students to find a Web page that they like and save it to a file, which, when viewed or printed out, may display how the page was written in HTML. Ask students to identify the different elements that went into creating the page.
• As a group, create a hypothetical (or actual) Class Web Page. Discuss what content might be included and what contribution each student might make. What graphics or photos should be added? What other Web pages should be linked to this page?

More Connections
World Wide Web Search Engines:

• Yahoo!
• Infoseek
• Hotbot

Career Information Web Sites:

• Careers
• Great Info

College Information Web Sites:

• Collegenet
• Great College Town
• Collegiatenet

Financial Aid Information Web Sites:

• U.S. Department of Education
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• FinAid!

Web Page Design Sites for Beginners:

• Writing HTML
• HTML 101
• HTML Crash Course
• Beginner's HTML

Newsgroup Search and Access:

• Liszt Newsgroups
• Infoseek Newsgroup Search

Computers: Get Plugged In! carries one-year off-air taping rights and performance rights; check local PBS listing for airtimes. This and other more In the Mix videos are also available for educators to purchase; cost is $59.95 (plus $4.00 for shipping and handling), and includes performance rights and a printed copy of the complete discussion guide. To order, send a check or purchase order to In the Mix, 114 E. 32 Street, Suite 903, New York, NY 10016.