Five years ago, when I first wanted to learn how to use the Internet, I decided that instead of taking a course I would use a much more efficient, tried-and-true method called “Ask an Eighth-Grade, Home-schooled Boy.” (While teaching in public and private schools, I had observed that boys were more likely than girls to hog the computers; working with home schoolers, I noted that many of them, especially the teenage boys, were quite computer-savvy).

Fourteen-year-old Sam was thrilled to teach me, but bored silly with the sites on the Internet I wanted to visit –Web sites about home schooling and about the history of education. He kept asking me if he couldn’t show me some more “exciting” sites with games and cool graphics! One hour later, I had a good grasp of how the Internet worked, how to navigate, and a glimpse of the amazing resources that are out there. (Thanks, Sam!)

If you are interested in using the Internet as part of your home-schooling program, there is some basic information you need to know, and there are safety issues to consider.

1. Obtain the right equipment. You will need:
     • A computer with a modem.

     • A phone line (You may want to obtain a second phone line specifically for the Internet connection if you plan to use      the Internet a lot in your home-schooling program. This will leave your regular phone line free for incoming calls.)

     • A subscription to Internet service from a local or national Internet Service Provider (ISP). Many people use regional or national ISPs, although I personally prefer my local ISP – no matter what goes wrong with my internet connection at any given time, the local ISP technical assistants can usually walk me through a solution. Large national ISPs rarely have such personalized service.

     • Virus protection software.

     • Browsers. You need an Internet browser to navigate on the Internet. Most new computers come with browsers          already installed. If your computer did not, or you want to upgrade to the newest version of a browser, you can go to the Web sites of the two most commonly used browsers: Netscape (http://home.netscape.com/download/index.html?cp=dju1) and Internet Explorer and download the browsers that you need.

     • A filter (see below).

2. Safety first. The Internet is a wonderful resource. It also has a very dark side. Without a filter, a child left unsupervised on the Internet can end up unexpectedly encountering violence, pornography, and worse. If you have an Internet connection in a home with children present, get a filter and use it. Even then, it is wise to keep the computer in a public area of the home, such as the living room or den, under adult supervision. Your local computer store can recommend an appropriate filter.