You Mean Google is not in My iPad?

This week I had a short discussion with my class about the Internet and what it is. While reading this article about a writer who spent a year not accessing the Internet. In that article, he writes about the conversation he has with his niece.

That was just the idea I needed.

I gathered my class onto the carpet and drew some pictures of computers on the whiteboard. I explained that when I was younger, [most] of the computers were isolated from each other.

Then I drew lines to connect the computers and explained that is basically what the Internet is, computers connected together.

Two excited students shouted out.

"It looks like a web!"

"It looks like a net!"

"Good observations," I said. "That is why those words are used when talking about the Internet."

My favorite part was when I was trying to explain again for the students who were not understanding what I was saying. I erased one of the lines and said when I disconnect my computer, or turn off WiFi I cannot access the Internet anymore. I become isolated. (These are not the words I was using by the way.)

Some students still did not understand.

So I opened Safari on the iPad and went to Google. I showed them that I am now connected to the Internet. But when I turn off WiFi, see? I cannot get to Google anymore.

You mean Google is not on the iPad!?

I also talked about hyperlinks and how they worked. My analogy was not very good, but if I were to do it again, I would bring them to the library. I would talk about how the library is like the Internet, and the books are like websites. All the websites have pages, like books.

Side note: Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net is the name of Homer Simpson's Internet start up company from a 1998 episode of The Simpson's called "Das Bus". When I was reflecting on the discussion I had on Friday with my class, this name is what came to mind.

For me, I use the connection of the Internet to, well, connect. I connect to information, content, and other people which would not be possible without hyperlinks.

Without hyperlinks, we would be isolated. (But I think there would be a different to hop from place to place.)

This is an interesting project: http://www.chromeexperiments.com/globe