The Educational Recources Information Center (ERIC) is a national information system designed to provide users with ready access to an extensive body of education-related literature. Established in 1966 and supported by the US Department of Education, the ERIC database is the world's largest source of education information, containing nearly a million abstracts of documents and journal articles. You can access the ERIC database on-line via the Internet or commercial vendors, on CD-ROM, or through the printed abstract journals. The database is updated monthly (quarterly on CD-ROM), ensuring that the information you receive is timely and accurate.
The ERIC system, through its 16 subject-specific clearinghouses, associated adjunct clearinghouses, and support components, provides a variety of services and products that can help you stay up to date on a broad range of education-related issues. Products include research summaries, bibliographies, reference and referral services, computer searches, and document reproduction. AskERIC is a free, personalized, Internet-based question-answering service for professional educators and anyone interested in the theory and practice of education.
Those who work with adult learners report that these learners do not seem to have a fear of computers nor do they need to be convinced of the importance and value of technology in the classroom. In fact, students need to know very little about computers to use computer software. As far as the keyboard is concerned, knowing how to use the enter key, the shift key, the space bar, and the tab key will enable them to get started. Students do not need to know how to type to use a computer. Just as students can learn grammar in context, they can learn how to type by using a computer.
Students who are unfamiliar with using a mouse will need to be shown how to maneuver it correctly including how to push down on the mouse to hold it steady and how the cursor moves along with the mouse on the screen. Students also should understand how to click on the menu bar to start, quit, and exit programs. Don't worry; you can't break anything. If you press the wrong keys, you'll just get an error message.
No one person is in charge of the Internet, it is organized chaos out there; it is constantly changing and growing. So the more you go on-line, the more you'll find out about what’s out there. Jump in and get your feet wet. The best way to learn is through hands-on experience.