Student Resources—746

Use a Database
A collection of facts stored in a computer
and sorted into different fields is
called a database. A database can be reorganized
in any way that suits your needs.
Learn the Skill A computer program that
allows you to create your own database is a
database management system (DBMS). It
allows you to add, delete, or change information.
Take time to get to know the features
of your database software.
■ Determine what facts you would like to
include and research to collect your
information.
■ Determine how you want to organize the
information.
■ Follow the instructions for your particular
DBMS to set up fields. Then enter
each item of data in the appropriate field.
■ Follow the instructions to sort the information
in order of importance.
■ Evaluate the information in your database,
and add, delete, or change as necessary.
Use the Internet
The Internet is a global network of
computers where information is stored and
shared. To use the Internet, like the students
in Figure 17, you need a modem to
connect your computer to a phone line and
an Internet Service Provider account.
Learn the Skill To access internet sites
and information, use a “Web browser,”
which lets you view and explore pages on
the World Wide Web. Each page is its own
site, and each site has its own address,
called a URL. Once you have found a Web
browser, follow these steps for a search
(this also is how you search a database).
Technology Skill Handbook
Figure 17 The Internet allows you to search
a global network for a variety of information.
■ Be as specific as possible. If you know
you want to research “gold,” don’t type in
“elements.” Keep narrowing your search
until you find what you want.
■ Web sites that end in .com are commercial
Web sites; .org, .edu, and .gov are nonprofit,
educational, or government Web
sites.
■ Electronic encyclopedias, almanacs,
indexes, and catalogs will help locate and
select relevant information.
■ Develop a “home page” with relative ease.
When developing a Web site, NEVER post
pictures or disclose personal information
such as location, names, or phone numbers.
Your school or community usually can host
your Web site. A basic understanding of
HTML (hypertext mark-up language), the
language of Web sites, is necessary. Software
that creates HTML code is called authoring
software, and can be downloaded free from
many Web sites. This software allows text
and pictures to be arranged as the software
is writing the HTML code.
TECHNOLOGY SKILL HANDBOOK 773
Bob Daemmrich
Technology Skill Handbook