Navigating the English 101 Course Web Site:

1. The Browser Toolbar

   Along the top of your screen, you will find several buttons and menu items for navigating the World Wide Web through the particular browser you are using. This is the browser toolbar, which is the control panel on your English 101 journey. Depending on your browser, the items on the toolbar will vary. Your browser is either Netscape or Internet Explorer (preferably Netscape 3.0 or higher). The toolbar for Netscape is shown below:

   

   It is important to explore the items on the toolbar--particularly the "Back" and "Forward" buttons that allow basic movement from page to page of this site (even though the English 101 site has been designed to provide smooth manuevering without the use of these buttons). If you need more information on how to use your browser in general to navigate the Web, click:

   or

   .

2. The "Main Frame"

   Look at the large frame on your screen. The "Main Frame" is your window for viewing the contents of the course, page by page. Place your cursor (the small, movable arrow) in the scroll bar (the thin bar at the extreme right of your frame) to move up or down, viewing the frame and all its contents.

3. The "Table of Contents"

   Look at the green buttons on the left of your screen. They will never disappear, although the words on them may change. The "Table of Contents" is your travel guide, allowing you to find your way to a variety of links both within the course Web directory and beyond. The links are grouped into three clusters:

   • "Course Orientation" familiarizes you with general information on English 101 before you begin the course.

   • "The Course" takes you directly to the course lessons and assignments the "Main Journey" and each of three "Side Trips."

   • "Online Tools" appears only with "The Course," offering direct links to the instructor, the Internet, the Rio Hondo Library, and other vital research and writing tools.

   Also included on the "Table of Contents" is a perpetual link to Rio Hondo College.

   Helpful Page Design Features

   A few features of each page can help you more skillfully navigate the course Web site.

   At the top of each page appears an image that signals which cluster of the course you are in: "Course Orientation," "The Course," and "Online Tools." Separate images also appear for each course unit: "Main Journey," "SideTrip 1," etc.

   At the bottom of each page appear two recurring questions: "Any questions or comments for Kenn?" and "Where do I go next?" The first question provides easy access to the instructor at any point. Don't be afraid to post a quick e-mail with your thoughts or concerns. Pay special attention to the second question: it will always tell you which page you should go to next to stay on track within the course sequence. Sometimes you are allowed to proceed only to the next page; at other times, you are given the option to maneuver freely among pages.

   You should never get lost on your trip down Highway 101--we mean English 101--if you pay attention to the signs!