So far in this unit you have learnt how to use CD-ROMS and the Internet. You have also learnt how to use search engines to research, select and evaluate assets from a range of digital sources. Your final task will be to work in groups and, utilising online collaboration and email, investigate e-communication and Internet safety and create, for a chosen audience, a poster, leaflet or booklet based on the theme of ‘e-communication’.
E-mail
E-Mail is ‘Electronic mail’. It is a method of sending messages from one computer to another via a communications link eg the Internet. To send or receive emails you need special software called an ‘email client’. An example of an email client is ‘Microsoft Outlook’. This is the software that we use in school.
To start using email choose: Start - Email. When you have opened your email you will have a view similar to that shown below.
How to send an email
Below is an example of an email. To write an email you first click on the ‘New’ button in Outlook. Study the steps below on how to send an email.
Note: To choose a recipient you would normally click on the 'To' button and then be able to search a list of the user names fo others. As you pupil you are not able to do this. To send an email to another person within school you need to know their username. For example if a pupil has a username 'fbloggs123' - you could send them an email by using the following email address - fbloggs123@c2kni.net.
Rules for sending email
You need to be aware of the following simple rules when sending email:
- All email use must be appropriate to educational curriculum activity. Email must not be used for personal messages.
- Only school Email accounts can be accessed – use of non-school web based email is prohibited.
- You are responsible for any email sent or forwarded.
- Material of an offensive nature must not be sent. If such material is received by email your teacher must be informed at once.
- Do not open attachments from people you do not know or that you suspect may contain viruses. If in doubt about an email inform your teacher.
- Failure to follow these rules will result in internet and email access being removed. Your head of year and parents will also be informed
Are there any other rules we should follow for 'acceptable' online behaviour whilst using e-mail?
For this task you need to compose an email to your teacher:
- Your ‘subject line’ should be ‘My first email’.
- In the body of the email you should explain how you sent the email.
- Finally spell check your email and send it to your teacher – the teacher will tell you the email address to send it to.
By completing this task you can achieve the following levels:
