BOSCO Uganda ICT Handbook

1

Battery Operated Systems for Community Outreach
Uganda
(BOSCO-Uganda)

ICT HAND BOOK (PART ONE)
SECTION II-TRAINING PACKAGE

(2012)
P.O. Box 200, Gulu, Northern Uganda, East Africa; E-mail: info@boscouganda.com ;

Website: www.boscouganda.com

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Contents
SECTION TWO-TRAINING PACKAGE ................................................................................... 3
Section IIA-Children Training Package ................................................................................ 3
Section IIB-General Training Package .................................................................................. 8
Chapter I: General Introduction ...................................................................................... 9
A. What is the BOSCO Intranet? ......................................................................................... 30
B. Navigating the Intranet ................................................................................................... 31
C. Creating a BOSCO Intranet account and username .................................................... 32
D. Making a Post on the Intranet forums .......................................................................... 35
E. Exploring the Intranet ...................................................................................................... 39
F Signing out ........................................................................................................................... 40
Chapter II: Web 2.0 Application ..................................................................................... 63
Chapter III: Office Applications……………………………………………………….. 96



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SECTION II-TRAINING PACKAGE
Section IIA-Children Training Package

SECTION IIA-CHILDREN TRAINING PACKAGE
Children learning the computer & the internet

1

2

Welcome Children!

1

http://www.just-commerce.net/2010/08/free-computer-online-tutorial.html

2

http://cartoonclipartss.com/cartoon-for-kids/


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5.1

Preamble

Children have a low attention span compared to youth and adults. This
package targets all categories of children both male and female; in and
out of school.
The package targets children of the age group 6-17 years. Depending on
the ICT knowledge levels, below are standard topics of focus;
 Computer games & the key board
 Drawing and coloring using the computer
 Letter and number writing using the computer
 Email
 Face Book
 Search Engines
 Photo taking (basic to motivate)

The trainer is expected to assess the training needs of the children before
carrying out any training by interactively and intrestingly asking the
children to say something (theory) and do something (practical) on each
topic.



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5.2

Application of the children package by the trainer
Use simple word and explanations
Be precise and concise
Each topic lasts one hour at most. Atleast 90% of the time should be
practical (hands on learning) by the children. The other time is to
introduce the children to the topic.
Make good use of audio and visual aids as much as possible.
Refer to the general training package and simply translate it



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5.3

Objectives: By the end of the training, the children should
be theoretically and practically familiar with:

A. Examples of computer types

Desk Top Personal Computers

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Palm top computer

Lap Top or Note book computer

B. Powering on and off the computer

3

http://cmrlskids.blogspot.com/2010/08/computer-classes-for-kids.html


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C. Examples of uses of the computer
Studying and Learning

Typing and storing important
information

5

4

Games & Play

Interacting with people connected to
the same local area through the
computer.

6

7

D. Uses of the internet
4

http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag0910/January10single/index.html

5

http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/tag/technology-for-learning/

6

http://www.seaviewprimary.ik.org/p_School_Clubs.ikml

7

http://www.sevensheaven.nl/imagedetails/illustraties/grafisch/mens-ict-communicatie/


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Group work & finding more

Interacting with other people in and

imporatant information

out of the country on personal and
development issues

8

9

Sending and receiving information

Private information finding and

for example through email

study

10

11

Section IIB-General Training Package

8

http://paodriscoll.ie/

9

http://www.peterdehaas.net/2009/04/index.html

10
11

http://bhav.edublogs.org/
http://bellettystephanieedm310.blogspot.com/


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Chapter I: General Introduction

6.1

Lesson 1:

BOSCO-Uganda Programme Expectations

Battery Operated Systems for Community Outreach Uganda (BOSCO-Uganda) was
established in 2006 under the umbrella of Gulu Archdiocese in Northern Uganda, with a
mission to “provide innovative Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) solutions using a collaborative and Internet approach to foster socioeconomic development and peace building in rural communities in
Northern Uganda”.
Programme Expectations

Community commitment
Identification. Interested communities are encouraged to express interest in writing.
Based on established assessment guidelines and tools, the selection is done.
Acceptance of applications (expressed interest) depends on the need and availability
of funds.

Accessibility: in terms of physical location, the site shouldn‟t be isolated. Expected
time of operation is average of eight hours per day and 5 days per week. Sites are to
be open even during school holidays. Collaboration between the schools and
communities is expected.
Security and maintenance. Maintenance is a key factor in supporting sustainability
and cost effectively running a site. The beneficiary group/community need to
demonstrate security assurance.



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Management capacity of a site
Development oriented sites , with evident interest in ICT and multiplier effect i.e.
passing on the skills through a Training of Trainers (Peer-to-Peer approach)
Day to day management of the site should be mindful of the different management
skills and issues to include: appreciating Diversity, Decision-making abilities,
Leadership skills, looking beyond prejudices/mind-set, Organizational skills,
Problem-solving skills, Sensitivity to cultural concerns and Team building.
The site should have clear goals/objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable and
time-Bound); and activities towards Community development. Clear strategy
towards attainment of set goals and objectives of the sites.
Have a defined management structure and policy to govern the centre.
Demonstrated ability and commitment to ensure continuity of the site even after
BOSCO-Uganda phases out (one year from time of installment)
Ability to report to BOSCO-Uganda using an agreed format-tool developed by
BOSCO-Uganda.

NB: give benefits of intranet, internet, on-line collaboration i.e. enhance education
through research, learning motivation, marketing and covering a greater audience,
news, saves time in terms of communication
Sustainability Tips
Political & Civil support: Close collaboration with the district and local governments.
This good relationship also means additional support.
Economic sustainability: By strengthening the capital base of the sites through
procurement of equipment, infrastructure is improved and communities/users able


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to come up with practical local response mechanisms through community dialogues
as lasting possible solutions; a destiny in their own hands for socio-economic
welfare. It is also more cost effective hiring out services than it is hiring.
Furthermore, our beneficiaries are trained in Web 2.0 collaboration literacy, a job
skill desired by various NGOs and civil sector organizations. Many organizations in
the field of public health and development, for example, are looking for trained
workers who can check the authencity of information, create online intelligent maps
about the outbreak of disease or hotspots of conflict. These are job skills that are
marketable for the 21st century and rely on local knowledge to produce the intended
results.

Collaboration at local level-strategic planning
Call the leaders (Village, Parish, Sub county levels) and brief them on the BOSCOUganda Program (Task by Local leaders)
Sharing work plans, budgets, activities etc (Task by both local leaders & BOSCOUganda/sites)

Sharing opportunities and participate in each other‟s activities (Task by both local
leaders & BOSCO-Uganda/sites)
Understand and appreciate the culture of the location before placing a site (Task by
BOSCO-Uganda)
Integrate BOSCO-Uganda/sites program into sub-county programs (Budgeting,
Maintenance, security etc) e.g. site ,management policy and link with sub county
council for enforcement and address financial aspects (Task by Local Leaders)


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Transition from BOSCO-Uganda Beneficiary to Partner
During the transition (After a year from time of installation, Sites) communities are to
be self-reliant and partnering with BOSCO-Uganda on a complimentary basis;
Building on each other‟s visions towards openness and peace building
Growth-development in a period of time expected in terms of training, equipment
attained
The partnership is to be cultural and mutually building.



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6.2

Lesson 2:

Introduction to the Computer

Tips for first time computer users
Introduction to computers e.g. what is a computer? Starting/turning off a
computer.
Hardware: - types and examples of computer hardware
Software: types and examples of software
Tips for first time computer users
Computers are designed to be easy to use. People who design computers try their
best to make them as easy to use as they can.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Making mistakes will not cause any permanent
problems and there are only certain circumstances that will cause deleted
files. Generally computers will double check with you before you can delete
anything
Computers make mistakes too. Computers will sometimes start doing strange
things; do not assume it is something you have done. Computers do so many
things at the same time that sometimes errors occur.
You can always turn the computer off and start again. If the computer is not
working properly or something is happening that you are unsure of, you can
always turn it off and start again.
The best way to get comfortable with computers is to use them. Using the
Internet and the World Wide Web can be an entertaining and informative way to
become comfortable with computers.
Introduction to computers
What is a computer?
An electronic device that accepts, processes, stores, and outputs data at high
speeds according to programmed instructions
Examples of computers


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Desktop personal computers

Laptop or notebook Computers

Palmtop Computers



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Mainframe computers

Supercomputers

Hardware
Hardware is the part of the computer which you can actually see and touch.



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System

Screen

Monitor

Unit
Speaker

Speaker

Keyboard

Microphone
Mouse

The CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The CPU is the brains within your computer. It performs most of the calculations
within the computer and is responsible for the smooth running of your operating
system (Microsoft Windows) as well as your application programs, such as wordprocessors, spreadsheets and databases.



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MEMORY
What is computer memory?
You can store data on your hard disk, while data which is being processed is
stored in RAM (Random Access Memory). Data which is stored on a hard disk
can be permanent, while data in RAM is only temporary. Normally when people
talk about memory in relation to a PC, they are talking about RAM.
Understand different types of computer memory such as: RAM (random-access
memory), ROM (read-only memory) and distinguish between them.

What is RAM?
Random Access Memory (RAM) is the main „working‟ memory used by the
computer. When the operating system loads from disk when you first switch on
the computer, it is copied into RAM. The original IBM PC could only use up to
640 KB of memory [just over half a megabyte), whereas a modern computer can
effectively house as much RAM as you can afford to buy, Commonly modern
computers are supplied with over 128 MB of RAM. As a rough rule, a Microsoft
Windows based computer will operate faster if you install more RAM. When
adverts refer to a computer having 128 Mbytes of memory, it is this RAM which
they are talking about. Data and programs stored in RAM are volatile (i.e. the
information is lost when you switch off the computer).


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Input and Output devices
Input Devices are equipment used to provide data and control signals to a
computer system. Examples include: -

 Keyboard

 Mouse

 Scanner

 Microphone



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Output Devices: deliver data that has been processed by the computer to the
user.

 Monitor

 Speakers

 Printer



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Software
The software is the collection of instructions which makes the computer work.
For instance, when you type in words via the keyboard, the software is
responsible for displaying the correct letters, in the correct place on the screen.
Software is held either on your computer‟s hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD or on a
diskette (floppy disk) and is loaded (i.e. copied) from the disk into the computers
RAM (Random Access Memory), as and when required.

Types and examples of software
Operating System
The operating system is a special type of program which loads automatically
when you start your computer. The operating system allows you to use the
advanced features of a modern computer without having to learn all the details of
how the hardware works.
Eg Windows (windows 98, 2000, xp, Vista, 7), Linux (Ubuntu, Redhat, Suse)
Application Software
An application program is the type of program which you use once the operating
system has been loaded into memory (RAM). Examples include word processing
programs (for producing letters, memos etc), spreadsheets (for doing accounts
and working with numbers), databases (for organizing large amounts of
information),

games

and

graphics

programs

(for

producing

pictures,

advertisements, manuals etc).
Security
What is information security?
This is a general term which covers all aspects of computer security. It covers
protection against viruses and hackers, password and access control policies as
well as procedures for the regular backing up of your data (to guard against


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computer failure).
Advantages of proactive information security
A proactive information security policy anticipates problems and attempts to
guard against future problems, as opposed to discovering a problem and then
trying to deal with the problem „on the fly‟.
Passwords
If your computer has a password which prevents other users from accessing it
then do NOT give this password to anybody else. Do not write the password on a
card and prop this up next to the monitor and above all do not attempt to hide
your access passwords on the underside of your desk (this is the first place most
criminals would look if trying to break into your system). Make sure you do not
forget your passwords; in many cases, data cannot be recovered once the
password is lost.
The Importance of shutting down your computer
When you are using a Windows based system it is important to remember that
just switching off the computer or losing power due to a power cut (power
outage) can cause loss of data.
To protect against this you should save your work regularly. Many programs have
a facility which automatically saves your work; say every 10 minutes (or any time
interval which you specify).
Some operating systems, such as the later versions of Windows 95 and also
Windows NT have a facility which will automatically detect that the computer
was not properly shut down the last time it was used. If this situation is detected,
then a special recovery program will be run which will attempt to fix any damage
caused by the power cut.
When using Windows 95 or Windows NT, you MUST always use the shutdown
command (located on the Start menu) to close down the operating system, before
switching off the power.


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Things to avoid
Dust
Drinking and eating over the keyboard
Heat, Cold
Moisture
Do not move the system while it is switched on.
Do not just switch the computer off at the mains. Follow the correct shutdown
procedure or data could be lost.
Do not place objects on top of monitors. This could block the ventilation holes
and cause it to overheat.
Do not place floppy disks near monitors. Monitors produce a strong
electromagnetic field, which can damage floppy disks.
What to do if the computer breaks down
If you are working within a large organisation, you should be aware of the
company‟s policy if the computer suddenly breaks down. Many large companies
have a special computer support department and you should make sure that you
know how to contact them in case of emergency.
In many smaller organisations, the situation is much less formalised. If you are
not qualified to make repairs on the computer, do NOT attempt to open the
computer case and investigate. This is especially true of the computer monitor,
inside are many components operating at VERY HIGH VOLTAGES, which can
kill. If in doubt, get a qualified technician to fix the problem.
Prior to contacting your computer support staff you may (if authorised by your
organisation) check that the various external components, such as the mouse,
keyboard, monitor and network connections are in fact properly connected to the
back of the computer. A very common complaint to support groups is that the
screen is not working. You may wish to check that someone has not inadvertently
switched off the screen, prior to ringing the support group. One of the more



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common reasons for a network not working is that someone (maybe an overnight
cleaner) has accidentally pulled the network cable out of the back of a computer.
What are computer viruses?
Viruses are small programs which hide themselves on your disks (both diskettes
and your hard disk). Unless you use virus detection software, the first time that
you know that you have a virus is when it activates. Different viruses are activated
in different ways. For instance, the famous Friday the 13th virus will activate only
when it is both a Friday and the 13th of the month.
BEWARE: Viruses can destroy all your data.
More Information:
 McAfee Anti-virus software http://www.mcafee.com
 Norton Anti-virus software http://www.symantec.com/avcenter
How do viruses infect PCs?
Viruses hide on a disk and when you access the disk (either a diskette or another
hard disk over a network) the virus program will start and infect your computer.
The worst thing about a computer virus is that it can spread from one computer
to another, either via use of infected floppy disk, or over a computer network. The
Internet allows you to access files from all over the world and you should never
connect to the Internet unless you have a virus-checking program installed on
your computer.
It is vital to keep your virus monitoring software up to date. Many anti-virus
programs, such as Norton Anti Virus allow you to update the program so that the
program can check for recently discovered viruses.
How to prevent virus damage
There are a number of third party anti-virus products available. The main thing
about your virus checker is that it should be kept up to date. Many companies
supply updated disks on a regular basis or allow you to receive updates
automatically via the Internet.



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To make a diskette read-only
If you are using 3 1/2” diskette (floppy disk), there is a notch which can be
opened or closed which may be used to protect the disk. To protect the contents
of the disk move the notch to the open position (you should be able to see
through the hole).
To password protect your computer
You can set a power-on password on your computer. The mechanism for setting
this will vary from one computer to another, and is determined by the makers of
the computer, rather than by Windows. The advantage of a power-on password is
that the computer will not boot to Windows until you supply the correct
password. This means that no one else can play around with your computer and
in the process accidentally infect it with a virus.
Turning on a computer
Ensure that all cables are plugged securely into the rear of the machine.
Make sure that there is no floppy disk inserted in the floppy drive.
Locate the power switch and turn the computer on.
After a few seconds, you should see something on the screen. If not, ensure that
the monitor is switched on.
You may be asked to supply a login ID and a password (your tutor should be able
to give you details about these issues).



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6.3

Lesson 3:

Introduction to the Key Board

Basics on computer keyboard

Esc
1. Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button.
2. In PowerPoint the Esc key will stop a running slide show.
3. On a web page with animations, the Esc key will stop the animations.
4. On a web page that is loading, the Esc key will stop the page from loading.
5. The keyboard combination Ctrl + Esc will open the Start Menu.
F1
By pressing this key will bring up the applications help menu. If you‟re working in an
application, If there is no open application F1 will open Windows Help.
F2
Choose this key to rename a selected item or object.
F3
Depressing this key will display the Find: All Files dialog box.
F4


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Selects the Go to a Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the
toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
F5
Refreshes the current window. In Internet Explorer, F5 will refresh the web page.
F6
Closes the document or the file in the active window.
F7
This key helps to correct our grammar/ wrong spelling errors
Print Screen/SysRq
Often abbreviated PrtScr, the Print Screen key is a useful key supported on most PCs. In
DOS, pressing the Print Screen key causes the computer to send whatever images and
text are currently on the display screen to the printer. Some graphics programs and
Windows, use the Print Screen key to obtain Screen Captures.
Tab
This key can be used to move forward through options in a dialog box.
Ctrl + Shift + Tab can be used to move backward through the options.
Ctrl + Tab allow movement from one open window to the next in an application
with more than one open window.
Alt + Tab display a list of open application windows. Keeping Alt depressed and
selecting Tab cycles through the list. Releasing selects the highlighted application
window.
Caps Lock
Locks the keyboard in "Capitals" mode (only applies to Alpha keys). The Caps Lock key
should be used with caution. Using ALL CAPS is a usability no-no as many have
difficulty scanning text that is ALL CAPS. Also, when sending email in all caps, this
could be misconstrued as shouting at someone.
Shift



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The obvious use of this key is to allow selection of capital letters when depressing
the alphabet characters,
Selecting the characters above other non-alpha keys.
Shift + Delete to permanently delete a selected item, bypasses the Recycle Bin.
Ctrl
Depressing the Ctrl key while clicking allows multiple selections. Holding the Ctrl key
down and pressing other key combinations will initiate quite a few actions. Some of the
more common ones are listed below.
Ctrl + A
Select All items
Ctrl + B
Add or remove bold formatting
Ctrl + C
Copy, places the selected/highlighted copy on the clipboard
Ctrl + I
Add or remove Italic formatting.
Ctrl + N
In most programs like Word, Explorer, publisher etc opens a New Document.
Ctrl + O
Open, brings up a browse dialog and allows you to select a file to open
Ctrl + P
Print
Ctrl + S
Save
Ctrl + U
Add or remove Underline formatting.
Ctrl + V
Paste, inserts the copy on the clipboard into the area where your flashing cursor is


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positioned or the area you have selected/highlight
Ctrl + W
Close, will close the document currently open.
Ctrl + Y
Redo last command. Many software programs offer multiple Redo's by pressing Ctrl + Y
+ Y + Y...
Ctrl + F4
Close a window in an application without closing the application.
Displays the Start Menu
Alt
Located on either side of the space bar. Holding the Alt key down and pressing another
key will initiate various actions. Some of the more common ones are listed below:
Space Bar
Insert a space between words. to put distance between elements. Using the space bar to
insert visual space works but would not be considered a best practice in page design.
Double spaces between sentences are no longer required. This is a carryover from the
days of fixed width fonts on a typewriter such as Courier, Orator, Prestige Elite, etc.
Enter
Creates a new Paragraph.
Is the same as ok
Backspace
While working with text, use this key to delete characters to the left of the insertion
point.
Home
Depress and hold the Ctrl key as you select Home to go to the first line of a document.
Page Up
In a browser window use the Page Up key to move up one full screen on a web page.


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Delete
While working with text, use this key to delete characters to the right of the insertion
point. This key can also be used to delete selected files. If you use the keyboard
combination Shift + Delete the item is permanently deleted, bypassing the Recycle Bin.
End
Depress and hold the Ctrl key as you select End to go to the last line of a document.
Page Down
In a browser window use the Page Down key to move down one full screen on a web
page.
Up Arrow
Navigate in a document to the line above.
Right Arrow
Navigate in a document one character to the right.
Down Arrow
Navigate in a document to the line below
Left Arrow
Navigate in a document one character to the left.
Num Lock
If you want to use the numeric keypad on the right end of the keyboard to display
numbers, the Num Lock key must be selected (usually a light above the Num Lock will
indicate that it is on



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6.4

Lesson 4: All about the Intranet

Please note that like any technology, the appearance of the intranet page keeps changing depending on
the actual needs realised. What is important is to study the steps as the approach is constant.

Goals of lesson: This lesson will familiarize the user with the workings of
the BOSCO internal network, also known as the Intranet.
Browsing the Intranet as a way of learning how to use a web browser
Creating a BOSCO Intranet user account, enabling posting in the message forums
Web 2.0 use: interacting with others via the Intranet message board

A. What is the BOSCO Intranet?
The BOSCO Intranet is a high-speed network that connects all BOSCO sites (e.g. Coope,
Pagak, Pabo, etc) to a single server, which is sort of a storage for computer files. This
server can be accessed through your computer's Internet browser. The Intranet is
exclusively made for the BOSCO users, and can thus that not be accessed by others
opposite the Internet, which is – as you'll learn later - free for all to use.
The BOSCO Intranet allows users to interact with each other online. We call this Web
2.0 collaboration. We use the term online to describe things that happen on either the
Intra- or Internet. So, if a person is online, it means that he does something on either


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one of these.
A tool for collaboration is the Forum. Users in Pabo can post a message on the Intranet
forum. A user in Pagak may then sign online and view this message and respond.
The BOSCO Intranet contains a whole lot more than the Forum. At the home page you
will, among plenty of other things, find educational resources in the BOSCO College,
movies in the BOCO TV and games, sport news and music in the entertainment section.
Furthermore the BOSCO Intranet home page has an M&E Tool installed, where surveys
designed for your voice to be heard are found. The Intranet is also the place to search, if
you are looking for contact information for those in the organization.
Task: Please turn on PC now and open the Web Browser on the PC.
The Web Browser is a program on your computer, that
makes it possible for you to use the Intra- and Internet.
More about this later, for now just click the Browser's
icon, shown to the right.

B. Navigating the Intranet
Task: Go to the BOSCO Intranet! If the page that appears when you have
open the browser is not the one shown at the picture, type bosco.home in
the address bar

Type bosco.home

to be taken to
the intranet

And, you will now be taken to the BOSCO Intranet home page (shown to the

right).
The first thing users should become comfortable with is the navigation of the page/site.


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You will notice that links appear highlighted in blue throughout the page. To go to a link
simply click on it.
Practical Exercise: Spend at least 10 minutes with a partner navigating the
BOSCO Intranet page. Feel free to click on any links and get a sense for the
content on the pages. This exercise will help you learn to understand the
functions of a web browser.

C. Creating a BOSCO Intranet account and username
Creating usernames and passwords is something you will often do while navigating
various Internet applications. A user name and password is often required for Internet
content that involves your privacy such as forums and email. The username is your
online identity. It is the name that other users will see and know you by. A username
should therefore be something that relates to your real name: For a man named John
Smith he might decide to have his username be jsmith, for example.
It is important that you create a username that you can remember as well as a secure
password that you can remember without writing it down.
A password is the key that can make you access your online accounts. They should be
kept secret and should be at least 8 “characters” long. A character is any letter or
number on the keyboard. For example John Smith might create a password with 4
random letters and four random numbers in it, or any other combination. You should
also have in mind that the password is case sensitive. It is extremely important that you
always remember your password, as you cannot access your online account without it.

Task: All BOSCO users should now create an Intranet account.
Step 1: Go to the BOSCO Intranet homepage by typing the Intranet web address into
your browser's address bar (just above the cursor on the picture below) and pressing
enter on the keyboard. The address is:



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bosco.home
Your screen should
now look like this:

Step 2:

Click where
it says “Forum”



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Step 3:
This is Forum main
window.
We'll explore the
interface
later, for now,
just click “Register”

Step 4: This is the registration menu
Enter a username of your
choosing in this box.

Enter your Email address here

Calculate the math

Write your first name here
And your surname name here
Enter the name of your

BOSCO Site
Enter your password, and confirm
it, by entering your password
identically in the box below.
Finish by clicking “Register”



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Step 5:

Your account has now been created!

Practical exercise: Every user present should now spend a few minutes
on their own creating a BOSCO Intranet username and password. Users
should seek help from a partner.

D. Making a Post on the Intranet forums
Learning how to make a post on the BOSCO Intranet forums or blogs is very important
for helping your fellow community members collaborate and interact. This section will
first demonstrate the creating of a post and then users should be given ample time to try
to make posts under their usernames. When you access a online service, e.g. with a
username and a password, we normally describe the process as signing in.
Task: Sign in to newly created BOSCO Intranet account on the Forum
main page. (The Forum is accessed through bosco.home)



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You cannot make a post on the
BOSCO Intranet site without
being signed in.
Therefore:
Click Login and fill in your
username and password in
The popup window

Since this probably is the first time you are signing in, you'll be asked to fill out a
number of forms. For now, you can just leave them, but it would be a good idea to fill the
forms later. To skip the forms, just click at Return to Forum, in the dark box, placed in
the upper right corner.
As promised, we'll now take a deeper look on the Forum's main window.
Your username and the
Time of your last visit to
To the Forum

In this bar, you can logout
And click to change your

Profile settings

In this list, the
different subjects
are listed.
Below the name of

the subject, a small
description of the
content is given

The subjects of the Forum are used to organize the different subtopics, and make it
easier for you to find post from other users, that could be of interest to you. It is
therefore very important to post under the relevant subjects, when you have something
to say to others.


37

I'll now click “General” in the list of subjects to find out which subtopics that are listed
under this subject. Once again, we'll start by having a look on the interface.

In this bar, you see which

By clicking this,

subject you are

you can add a new

overviewing

topic to the forum

The already existing
topic are listed in

in this list. In the far
right, you can see
the author and time
for the last change
of the topic



38
You are now ready to explore the Forum yourself!
Practical Exercise: Users should now spend 15 minutes browsing and
reading the different forum topics
Practical Exercise: Each user should sign in to his/her account and make
a post under one of the forum subjects

You are now ready to compose the actual post!
Presuming that you have already signed in and clicked your way to the Forum, you
should:
Choose a forum subject to post in and click it.
Now choose either to contribute to an existing topic, or post a new one.
 A new topic is added by clicking “Add topic” - The place for it is
marked on the picture on previous page of this manual.
 To contribute to an existing topic, click the topic, and click “Post

reply”

in the upper right corner.
 Clicking it will make this page appear. Fill the “form” in order to

make

your

post.
Fill out the subject of your
post. The subject should

be brief and fully describe your
post
Write the body
(main portion)
of your text here.

When you are
done, click
“Post new
topic/reply”

Practical
Exercise: Users should spend 10-15 minutes with a partner posting on a


39
forum topic of their choosing. Be creative!

E. Exploring the Intranet
Let us start your exploring by having a look on the homepage, and the different features
on it. Turn to the Home page (Click at Home in the black bar)

On the Intranet, we have several categories, that as you know organize
the content. I'll briefly run through them:
BOSCO College: In the college, you'll find materials to educate yourself.
You'll both find the classic BOSCO computer training materials as well as
material for school education and and pages teaching life skills as for
instance how to be a good public speaker.
BOSCO TV: In this category, you'll find BOSCO's very own broadcasting service,


40
with both educational videos and movies for entertainment.
Entertainment: This is the place to go, if you wish to find things as the newest
results from the Premier League, games, music and audio books.
M & E: The Monitoring and Evaluation section (Referred to as M&E) is your
portal to give your advices on how to improve the organization. You'll find several
surveys here, all designed to help BOSCO to serve you well. Among the surveys,
there is especially one you, as a new member of the BOSCO family, need to pay
attention to: The Registration form.
Contacts: Contains contact information on the BOSCO staff and the VoIP
numbers for all sites.
Links: BOSCO has found some pages on the Internet, which we believe could be
useful for you. To go to the pages, just click at their pictures, this system is called
linking, and the pictures are called links.

Practical Exercise: All users should spend good time browsing as much
of the BOSCO Intranet page as they possibly can.

Begin from the

homepage and browse the links for: BOSCO College, BOSCO TV,
Entertainment, Forum, Contacts & Links.

Practical Exercise: All users should fill out the registration form. To do
this, you must be signed in, in the Forum. Being signed in, go to the M&E
menu and click at Registration. Simply fill out the form, and finish by
clicking Submit.

Signing out
Whenever you have finished your businesses on the Intranet, (Or another online service
where you've signed in) you should always remember to sign out, to protect your
privacy. Signing out is opposite signing in, and is like locking your account after using it.
There are two ways to sign out.


41
1st way:

If you are at the
Forum, just click
logout.
Logout is just yet
another term for
signing out.



42

2nd way of signing out:

You can also sign
out from the home
page. Just click
Log out in the

Bottom.

This is the end of the first lesson. Videos on the subject are available on the Intranet.



43

6.5

Lesson 5:

The Internet

Goals of lesson: This less will familiarize users with the Internet, and its
use as a basic resource, i.e. “Web 1.0” usage.
Navigating to URLs
Using search engines
Reading news articles online
A. What is the Internet?
The Internet is a global network of computers linked together by cables, radio signals,
and satellite relays. Using the Internet you can gain access to the World Wide Web
(often just called the Web), a collection of interconnected websites. The most basic use
of the Internet is the posting and viewing of web pages, online documents that contain
all sorts of information and link together.
There are countless websites available online, containing the answers to just about any
question you have. If someone knows something, there is probably a web page about it.
If you want to know something, the Internet is often the best way to find the answer.
You access the Internet with the same web browser you use to access the Intranet. The
backward and forward buttons at the top of the browser work the same as they do for


44
the Intranet and are invaluable tools to speed up navigation.

Task: Please turn on PC now and open the Web Browser on the PC.

B. Finding a Web Page
Every web page has a unique URL, also known as a web address. If you know the URL
of the page you want to visit, simply type it into the address bar at the top of the web
browser and press Enter. The figure below shows a sample URL typed into an address
bar. Note that your web browser may not look exactly the same, but it should be close.

Every web address is different but there are some common patterns. Most of them have
the form “www.sitename.com” where the site‟s name appears in the middle. The most
common ending is .com but there are others; .net and .org are common. Different
countries also have their own endings. For example, a site ending in .co.uk comes from
the United Kingdom and .co.ug from Uganda.
With such a breadth of possible web addresses it can often to be difficult to find what
you‟re looking for, but the next section will help you solve this problem.

Task: Navigate to www.google.com

C. The Search Engine (Google)
Since there are so many different websites you can never hope to find what you want on
your own by guessing the URL. To make the Internet more useful, web developers


45
create search engines. One of the most popular is Google (www.google.com). Search
engines are powerful tools that allow you to find web pages based on keywords.
A keyword is a term that describes that for which you are searching. For example, to
find a web page about the Manchester United Football Club, an appropriate keyword
would be “Man U”. Note that at the top of Google there is a list of buttons, one of which
says “images”. By clicking this link you can search the internet for pictures of your topic.

Practical exercise: Spend a few minutes exploring different websites using
Google searches. Remember to use the “back” button to
quickly return to Google.

D. Reading the News
One of the most important uses of the Internet today is accessing electronic news
articles. In fact, online news is so important that many traditional newspapers in the
United States are no longer printing paper copies. Every major newspaper in the world
is available using the Internet, although some require a subscription to read.

In

addition to newspapers, major international news outfits such as the BBC and CNN have
home pages where articles are posted.


46
You can find news online using Google. For example, if you want to read the Monitor
simply go to Google and type in the keyword “Monitor Uganda”. The very first link goes
to their website. The primary mission of BOSCO is to end isolation and increase
communication in northern Uganda. Reading the news, both Ugandan and
international, is absolutely essential to achieving this goal. Also recognize the value of
reading from several different news sources. A commitment to one may leave you
vulnerable to any bias it may exhibit.

Practical exercise: Use Google to find different sources of news and begin
reading some articles. Experiment with different keywords
to find the kind of news you want to read. Below is a list of
popular news sources.
Ugandan

International

New Vision (www.newvision.co.ug)

BBC News (UK) (www.news.bbc.co.ug)

Independent (www.independent.co.ug)

CNN (US) (www.cnn.com)

Monitor (www.monitor.co.ug)

International

Herald

Tribune

(www.iht.com)



(US)

47
6.6

Lesson 6:

Email & Internet Communication

Goal of Lesson:

This lesson will familiarize users with the use of

collaborative email. Gmail will be used because it allows for easy to use
collaboration tools, all within the same email account.
Signing up for an email account
Sending and receiving messages
Attaching documents and photos to messages
Using Gchat as a quick efficient way of communicating within the
email application

A. What is email used for?
Email has become the primary method of communicating in today‟s workplace. People
use email to send electronic messages to each other. Many people use it for keeping in


48
touch with friends or family. Businesses increasingly use it for sending official business
like memos, reports, and documents.
Emails can carry attachments to the main message. Attachments are usually documents
files or photos that accompany the main written message.
The BOSCO user will become familiar with the Google email service, called Gmail.
Gmail is the most advanced, easy to use, free email service on the web today.
Furthermore, users will be able to open an email account that allows a number of easyto-use collaborative communication services. The user will learn how to use Gchat and
Google Documents (later lesson).
B. Signing up for a Gmail account

Task: User should create a Gmail email account
Turn on the computer; open the web browser and type the following web address
into the browser: www.gmail.com

After typing the address, simply press enter on the key on the keyboard and
wait for the browser to take you to gmail.com



49
After the page loads, click on the “Create New Account” link at the bottom
right hand corner of the page

4) Choosing a password: Start filling in the requested information in the boxes. This
includes
1) First name
2) Last Name
3) Desired Login name
4) Choosing a “Security Question” and answer and
5) Word Verification



50
Tips: Your login name is also your email address. It should be something simple that
incorporates part or all of your real name. For example Okello Stephen might choose to
use: ostephen23 as his login name.
Click “Check Availability” to see if your suggested login name has already been
taken by another user
Choose a password that you can remember
Make sure it is 8 characters (numbers and letters) in length
When you have completed the form click “I accept. Create my account” at the bottom of
the page. If you have made a mistake Google will ask you to retype the information. As
soon as you click “Create my account” Gmail will open your email inbox.

C. Sending and Receiving Email

Task: At least two users should sign up for a Gmail account and proceed to
send and receive emails from each other
First user should go to www.gmail.com and sign into their Gmail account


51

After signing in, your inbox will load and eventually open. Click on the
“Compose Mail” link at the top left portion of your page.



After clicking on “Compose Mail” enter the recipients email address in the “To” box;
make sure you enter the address correctly
Enter a subject in the subject box; a subject is a 1-5 word summary of your message,
for example, many people use the subject “Hello” or “Greetings” for messages to
friends
Enter the body of your message (the main text) in the large box. When you are
finished simply click “Send” at the bottom or top of your message screen.


52

Task: Other partner should open email inbox and receive messages from
users. Partner should then reply to those emails.
Sign in to Gmail inbox following steps above
Click on new message



53
After clicking on the new message, it will open. Simply read the message and then click
“Reply,” found at the bottom of the message

After clicking “Reply,” simply type your response and then press “Send” when you are
finished

Practical exercise: Members should practice sending and receiving email
messages to each other
D. Sending Attachments in your email
Attachments are used often in email.

An attachment is any document, photo,



54
spreadsheet, or other item that you “attach” to your main email message. For example a
student may send a teacher a regular email asking her about the exam scores. She might
reply back with a message and an attached spreadsheet document that shows the exam
scores. Attachments are used to send anything that is too big or long to fit in a regular
email message.
Attachments are so important today because it is the primary method that individuals,
businesses, and schools around the world send each other documents. People no longer
rely on the postal service to send reports and photos. They simply send them through
email, using attachments.

Task: User will sign into Gmail account and send a friend a message with
any document attached.
Sign into Gmail account
Click on “Compose mail” near top left of window
Fill out the “To” form with the recipients email address; fill out the subject form
Select a document to attach by clicking on the “Attach a file” link

When you click on “Attach a file” a window will pop up asking you to select a


55
document. You must find your document by searching through the folders in the
window. Once you find you document click on it once and then click the “Open” or
“Select” button at the bottom of the popup window.

Once you have clicked “Open” or “Select,” your document will begin uploading as an
attachment in your Gmail message. Just be patient while it uploads. You should
spend time writing the body of your email message while the attachment uploads.

Attachment uploading (see
progress bar)



56
When the attachment is finished uploading and you have typed your message,
just click send.
E. Email forwarding, Gchat, and other tools
There are other important functions that you should know about when using Gmail.
We‟ll discuss a few basic tools here that will help you stay organized and communicate
more effectively.
The first thing we‟ll discuss is how to forward email messages. Forwarding messages
allows you to send copies of a message from one person to a third party. For example, I
might receive an invitation sent from my brother and then proceed to forward it to my
mother.
Secondly, archiving old messages (as opposed to deleting them) will be discussed; and
finally, we‟ll talk about an innovative email tool called Gchat that allows you to send
messages to your contacts in “real time.”

Task:

User will practice forwarding a message from his/her inbox to

another user’s inbox
Sign into your gmail account
Click on and open an unread email message
After reading message, click on the “Forward” link found below the message



57
After clicking “Forward,” enter the recipients email address and then you might
also write some clarifying text in the body of the message, before pressing “send.”
Forwarding works especially well for attachments because once you receive an
attachment in an email message you will not have to upload it again if you choose
to forward it right away.

You can add your own
clarifying message here

This area is the forwarded
message (original
message) that you are
passing on to someone
else

Task: User will learn how to archive (save) old messages

Gmail uses a tool called “Archive” to allow users to save old messages. With
Gmail, you have tons of memory space so you never have to delete a message
(unless it is junk mail, e.g., advertising or a lottery ticket scam, which should
always be deleted to prevent viruses)
Archiving is simple: First open your gmail account by signing in; read your
unread messages. When you are finished just click “Archive” right above the


58
message.

Once you have clicked “Archive” the message will disappear from your inbox. However
it is not gone forever! You can find your old messages by searching for them.

Task: Search for your old archived messages within Gmail
To search for old messages that have been archived, just type the name of the
person who you sent the message to, email, address, subject, or anything else you
can remember that remotely pertains to the message in the Gmail search box;
then press the “Search Mail” button



59

After pressing “Search Mail” Gmail will show you the results of your search.
Simply browse the list to find the message you are looking for and click on it to
open. If you fail to find the message you are looking for, try refining your search
by using another search term

The message I was
searching for has
appeared!



60

Task: Users will learn how to use the Gchat application within Gmail
Gchat (aka Google Chat) is a simple application that allows you to chat instantly with
other contacts you have who are also online at the same time as you. This is preferable
to email at times because you are chatting with them in “real-time” rather than waiting
for a response back
Sign into your Gmail account or open your inbox if you already are signed in
On the left hand side of the window, near the bottom you‟ll notice a box with your
name in it with a green dot next to your name; the window should be labeled
“chat”
You‟ll have to add contacts to your Gchat list before you can chat with them; To
add a contact, click on the “Add contact” link in your Gchat window



61
After clicking on “Add contact” a pop up window will emerge; input the contact email of
those you would like to chat with and press “Send Invites”

If your contacts are online at the same time as you, you will see their name
appear in the Gchat menu with a green dot next to their name, signifying that
they are available.
To chat with them, simply click on their name
A popup chat window will appear in the bottom right hand side of your screen.
Begin typing in the box and press “Enter” on the keyboard to send your message



62

Messages from the other person who is chatting with you will appear in the
same place

Practical Exercise: Send partners emails with attachments and try to add
contacts for Gchat



63

Chapter II: Web 2.0 Application
7.1

Lesson 7:

An introduction to Web 2.0

Goals of lesson: This lesson will familiarize users with the concept of Web
2.0 and some of its applications.
Recognise the characteristics of Web 2.0
Get an introduction to Web 2.0 services
A. What is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is a term for a new way of using the World Wide Web. It used to be that the
Internet was used by individuals, companies, governments, or other organizations to
publish information on websites. These sites would then be visited by users who would
read what the author had to say. This pattern, using the Internet to retrieve data
published by a few, is now called “Web 1.0” usage. Today the focus of the internet is
shifting towards collaboration. Web 2.0 applications are those that promote user


64
created content. Major examples are blogs, wikis, and social networking sites.

Task: Please turn on the PC now and open the Web Browser.
B. Wikipedia
On of the most important resources available in the world today, Wikipedia is a great
example of the power of Web 2.0 collaboration. A wiki, as will be seen later, is a website
that allows users to edit its content, and Wikipedia applies this concept in an online
encyclopaedia.
Anyone is allowed to edit the articles and add knowledge to its online database. The
benefit of this is that if someone knows something, there is probably a Wikipedia article
about it. There is likely no single source which holds more knowledge on this planet. On
the downside, however, the fact that anyone can edit it leaves the encyclopaedia open to
vandalism, where unscrupulous individuals edit articles to spread lies and rumours. In
order to combat this Wikipedia has teams of editors who look through articles and post
warnings where they think information might be biased or inaccurate, but ultimately it
is up to the reader to exercise caution.
With that caveat, however, Wikipedia is an excellent tool. If you want a question
answered, this is a great first place to look. In fact, many Google searches yield
Wikipedia as one of the first few results. The English language homepage of Wikipedia is
<en.wikipedia.org> and has windows for featured articles and news stories. On the left
side of the screen a search bar can be used to find articles of interest.

Search Bar



65

One important feature of these articles is they are filled with internal links; most terms
that are not in common usage are directly linked to their own article. For example, if
reading the above article about blue whales, if you do not know what a “baleen” whale is,
simply click the link and a whole new article will open up explaining the difference
between toothed and baleen whales. Additionally, at the bottom of many articles is a
section listing related articles that may be of interest.

Practical exercise:

Go to the English language Wikipedia homepage

<en.wikipedia.org> and search through some topics of
interest for 15 minutes.
C. Blogs and Social Networking
The word “blog” is a combination of the words “web log” and has seen a lot of usage in
recent years. Basically, a blog is a person‟s online journal where short stories and
articles can be published and accessed by others. News outlets, individual journalists,


66
politicians, and celebrities frequently have their own blogs to keep their followers posted
on news and events.
Blogging is not limited to famous people and large organizations and many regular
people have their own blogs. There are many tools available which allow people to create
their own blogs, for example Blogger <www.blogger.com> a popular choice. The BOSCO
Wiki can also be used to create your own blog, as will be shown later.
Social networking sites are some of the most important Web 2.0 applications. These are
sites that encourage the building of communities and interaction amongst friends over
the Internet. One popular example is Facebook <www.facebook.com> which offers a
suite of tools to communicate with friends including private, instant, and public
messages, photo sharing, and other options. Twitter <www.twitter.com> has also
become insanely popular as of 2009. A micro-blogging site, Twitter allows individuals to
post what they are doing or thinking in 140 character messages called “tweets.” Even the
President of the United States has a Twitter account. One other popular online
application is Flickr <www.flickr.com>, a photo sharing site that allows users to post
pictures they have taken for the world to see.
STEP 1:

Getting started with Blog

When you are done from www.blogger.com
you can sign in using your Google account or click
Follow the logo of Blogger at your left hand side,



67
Then follow create a blog. It‟s free and Get Started as below

Create a Google Account

Retype email address and enter password,
type password again, here you type again your password
display name, the name you want to be displayed as Username
Email notification, If you wants notification be send into your E-mail then click
the check box


68
Gender selection, you click at the arrow and make selection
Birthday , You start with date of birth, month of birth and Year of Birth
Word verification, You enter words for verification in the box provided that keeps
on changing

Acceptance of Term by clicking the check box and click continue in the orange arrow

STEP 2: NAME BLOG
Then you name your blog by typing in the box the Blog title as desired
It will then prompt you to a Gmail account you have open



69

From here now you can change your templates or choose to change later by customizing
for this purpose I am choosing the second one that is Simple and then press continue.
To load next page that display as below

It will display that “Your blog has been Created; We‟ve Just created a blog for you. You
can start posting now
Or customized how your blog looks they are all linked and written in blue print
underlined as well. There after click Start Blogging in the Orange arrow



70

Then afterwards the new page will appear with icons arranging from posting,
Comments, Settings, Design, Monetise and Stats

Then follow posting and you

will see New Post below it is Title with box to type in the title of the blog and you have
the window of a Word –like features for typing or texting your document where you can
edit, put in bold, under line, italic, change font type and sizes and so forth. And under
Comments, you can check the comments and SPAM (Unwanted mails) and delete
them or remove contents and Settings you can make necessary changes and save the
changes and under Monetise it is free, simple way for Blogger users to earn money by
displaying targeted Google ads on their blog like Blog way “The more you blog, the more
content you have to monetise, so start blogging away!”



71

After typing your blogs or text and editing the way you want it to be, you can now
PUBLISH POST, SAVE or PREVIEW the document



72
After clicking on PUBLISH POST it will load and bring you a new page saying
Your blog post published
Successfully!
From here you can either View Post or if need arises of changing it you can Click Edit
post|Create a new post.
Why are Blogs so important?
These are reasons why your Blog is the most important piece in your Social Media
strategy but not limited to the following below.
1. Content Is King!
Your Social Media credibility is tied to the amount of content you provide. To
have a significant Social Media presence you must have a certain amount of
content. Blogs are a fantastic tool for creating lots and lots of relevant content.
Each time you add a post you increase your Blogs content creating a
smorgasboard of relevant content that Google and other search engines love.
Generally the more posts you have the higher your Blog will rank and the more
Social Media traffic you will get.
2. Desperately Seeking Answers
Searching for answers is one of the top 3 main reasons why people use the
Internet. People use the search engines to find the answers to their most pressing
questions. This is gives you, the Blog owner a fantastic opportunity, by making
sure that your Blog contains the answers to the most searched questions in your
content you will attract traffic. Blogs that have content designed to answer the
most pressing questions that people have in a particular niche can generate
massive amounts of traffic for their business.
3. Blog Structure,
The basic structure of a Blog makes it easy for visitors to find what they are
looking for. A Blog organizes your information effortlessly for the benefit of your
visitors. You divide your post topics into categories and subcategories so that
your visitors find exactly what they want with minimal effort. They can move
easily through the categories, post archives, move from page to page or simply


73
scroll down the posts. Social Media is all about developing relationships with
your visitors. The structure of a Blog facilitates an enjoyable experience for the
visitor who will be likely to return and tell others about the Blog.
4. Backlinking, Plugins, Pinging, RSS Feed, Comments
The interactive nature of Blogs is hard to beat. Plugins, Pinging, Backlinking, RSS
Feed capability and the ability of people to add comments all contribute to its
interactive nature. Blogs have some neat plugins that make SEO optimisation and
interacting with other forms of Social Media effortless.
5. Hello World
Blogs are universal. It‟s a fact that anybody who uses the internet can access your
blog. Social Media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn
are accessible only when you join. A Blog allows you to achieve a potentially
infinite number of customers for your business.
6. Create Instant and Comprehensive Information
Posting on a Blog sends instantaneous and comprehensive information to the
web. Social Media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn send instant
information but cannot compete with a Blogs capacity for comprehensive
content. Blog posts can be as comprehensive as necessary, include links, and
integrate with other Social Media networks.
7. All Roads Should Lead To Your Blog
The cornerstone of your Social Media strategy is your Blog. All of your social
media activities should be organised to link back to your blog. Your profiles on
Social Media sites such as Facebook and Twitter should include a link back to
your blog. Articles, YouTube videos, Podcasts should all include a link to your
Blog
The advantages of blogs from an organizational perspective include the following:
1. The consumer and citizen are potentially better informed and this can only be
good for the long-term health of our societies and economies.



74
2. Blogs have potential to help the organization develop stronger relationships and
brand loyalty with its customers, as they interact with the „human face‟ of the
organization through blogs.
3. Blogs, in an intranet environment, can be an excellent way of sharing knowledge
within the organization. It is the ability to vent your feelings, by simply typing in
some text and letting the whole world be able to read what is going on in your
head.
4. Blogs can be a positive way of getting feedback, and keeping your finger on the
pulse, as readers react to certain pieces, suggest story ideas, etc.
5. Blogs can build the profile of the writer, showcasing the organization as having
talent and expertise.
6. The quick and easy way that a blog can be updated is a great advantage to
bloggers – especially personal ones who want to be able to keep a daily log of
events. This ease, however, can lead to unreal expectations for business blogs –
where visitors might expect them to be updated each day, even if that's not
possible.
The disadvantages of blogs are:
1. Most people don‟t have very much to say that‟s interesting, and/or are unable to
write down their ideas in a compelling and clear manner. One of the biggest
problem is posting too much personal information. This can come in the form of
putting in particular information (your full name and address, for example) or
“saying” something in one of your posts that you may regret later.
2. I have often found that the people who have most time to write have least to say,
and the people who have most to say don‟t have enough time to write it. Thus, the
real expertise within the organization lays hidden, as you get drowned in trivia.
3. Like practically everything else on the Web, blogs are easy to start and hard to
maintain. Writing coherently is one of the most difficult and time-consuming
tasks for a human being to undertake. So, far from blogs being a cheap strategy,
they are a very expensive one, in that they eat up time. As a result, many blogs are



75
not updated, thus damaging rather than enhancing the reputation of the
organization.
4. Organizations are not democracies. The Web makes many organizations look like
disorganizations, with multiple tones and opinions. Contrary to what some might
think, the average customer prefers it if the organization they are about to
purchase from is at least somewhat coherent.
5. The advantages and disadvantages of Internet blogging are numerous, but
ultimately it is up to you to decide whether or not blogging is something you
would enjoy or profit from. Blogs are a great way to communicate and experience
the Web – if used correctly.

D. BOSCO-Uganda Wiki
As mentioned earlier, a wiki is a special kind of website. It is made up of several internal
pages which all link together. The special thing about a wiki is that any member can edit
any existing page or create a new page. This allows users to work together to create and
edit content. The BOSCO-Uganda Wiki bosco-uganda.wikispaces.com is a place online
where all members of the BOSCO community can contribute and share information.

Task: Go to the BOSCO Wiki www.bosco-uganda.wikispaces.com



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Notice that the BOSCO Wiki home page consists of a grey frame wrapping around the
top and left, surrounding a main page with a white background. This frame will always
be there when navigating the BOSCO Wiki and provides a convenient means of
navigating. At the top right of the window are options. If you are not logged in as a
member you will see links to “join” and “sign in” which we will cover in more detail later.
At the top of the page you will see a star followed by the name of the page you are
currently viewing. On the left hand side is a list of pages for navigation. These provide
links to the different BOSCO sites which can be explored. Remember that all of the
content on each page was created by people at that site.
BOSCO users have used the wiki to share all sorts of information. It is important to
remember that these are real web pages which anyone in the world with an Internet
connection can view. All of the stories, pictures, poems, and articles posted are forms of
communication with the rest of the world. Right now you can only read what other
people have published online, but soon you too, after registering and requesting
membership, will be able to add content and share what is on your mind.



77

Practical exercise: Use the links on the left to see what some other wiki
users have posted.
E. Signing Up for the BOSCO Wiki
Once you sign up for the BOSCO Uganda Wiki you will be able to edit and create
content. Right now there should be a “Protected” button at the top that cannot be
clicked. Once you become a member this will change to an “Edit” button, allowing you to
collaborate with the rest of the users. Note that in order to sign up you must have an
email address. If you do not, see Lesson 2 for details on signing up for one.
To use the wiki, you must first sign up for Wikispaces, the service that hosts the BOSCO
Uganda Wiki. In the top right of the BOSCO Wiki window is a “Join” link. Clicking it will
take you to a registration page.



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First pick a username. This is a name you will use to log in that will appear when you
edit the wiki. It must be unique to Wikispaces but should also be memorable. It is often
a good idea to use the same username as your email account, i.e. whatever comes to the
left of the @ sign. Next, you must choose a password. Just as with email your password
should be hard to guess but you must remember it in order to log in later. It is often wise
to write it down someplace safe so you do not forget it. You may use the same password
here as you did for your email account. In the third box enter your email address.
Finally, select “no” for option four, since you want to join the BOSCO Wiki instead of
creating your own. Once this has been completed, click the “join” button to sign up.
Once you have successfully signed up for a Wikispaces account you will be taken to back
to the BOSCO Wiki homepage with a message at the top informing you that you are now
a member of Wikispaces. Now you can click the join link in the top left to request to
become a member of the BOSCO Uganda Wiki.



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This will bring up a prompt asking you to leave a comment before requesting
membership. In order to keep the BOSCO Wiki reserved for our community you must be
approved by one of our staff members listed as a wiki organizer. Type in a brief message,
perhaps including your name and whet site you are using so the staff knows you are a
member of our program. When finished, click “Request Membership” and an e-mail will
be sent to all of the organizers with whatever message you enter in the box. There are
several organizers who will quickly add most requests, but it may take up to a couple of
days before your membership is confirmed.
7.2

Lesson 8: Using Web 2.0 Application—Making a Contribution to the
World Wide Web Community



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Goals of this lesson: This lesson will familiarize the user with one common
Web 2.0 application—Wikispaces, or more specifically the BOSCO-Uganda
Wikispace
The user will learn what a Wikispace is used for and why it is considered to be an
important Web 2.0 application
The user will become a member of the BOSCO Wikispace, enabling him or her to
make a personal contribution to the site through posting of text, documents,
photos, links, or other relevant materials
The user will learn how to edit pages relevant to his/her location, i.e., users in
Pagak will learn how to edit the Pagak Wikispace page as to benefit and educate
people in their location
A. What is a Wikispace?
A Wikispace site is a fully editable webpage for one or many communities. It is a place
on the web where community members can come together to add their own content to
its pages. When individuals from different locations can come together to meet on the
web and add their own content (i.e., postings), we call this Web 2.0 collaboration.
The purpose of the BOSCO Wikispace site is to encourage BOSCO users at each location
to empower their own local community using the Internet. On the BOSCO Wikispace,
users will find a home page for their location. That means Pagak has a page, Coope has
a page, Pabo has a page, etc.
Users in each location should become familiar with how to post content on the BOSCO
Wikispace. Users may post any (appropriate) information that they want on this site.
As an example, we have already seen some users post farming proposals, some teachers
are journaling (blogging) about life during the war, some people are adding photos from
their location, others are adding short stories and news…and the list goes on and on!
Remember these pages are on the Internet for everyone to see around the world. This is
the way that people around the world can get to know who you are! Act wisely and
responsibly and don‟t be afraid to add your own content to the spaces of the BOSCO
Wikispace.



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B. To become a member of the wiki
Steps to creating your personal or site wiki to be able to market yourself or
organization/Institution:
(1) Create an account on www.bosco-uganda.wikispaces.net (if you do not have one)
(2) Become a member of the wiki. To become a member of the wiki:(a) Sign into your account
(b) Click "Make a new wiki" on the left of your screen/computer
(c) Fill in the gap …………….bosco-uganda.wikispaces.net/ e.g. sakiteng.boscouganda.wikispaces.net
(d) Click option (Protected)
(e) Click (create)
(f) Click (Edit)
(g) If ready, write your posting and save (Posting automatically seen by public)
(h) If done with using the site, please Sign out
(i) To edit your page, post your domain (eg. sakello.boscouganda.wikispaces.net)
into the web browser
(j)Sign in using your account details (user name and Password) and choose "Edit" if
you wish to edit your page. If you wish to create a new page, the option is on the
left side of the computer screen.
Once you have created your wiki, you shall see something like:
Wiki Created
For Your Records
You have created a new wiki.
Username:

sakello

New Wiki:

sakello

Wiki Address: http://sakello.bosco-uganda.wikispaces.net
Visit Your Wiki
Head on over to http://sakello.bosco-uganda.wikispaces.net, begin editing your page,
and see all Wikispaces has to offer.


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Personalize Your Wiki
Customize your wiki on the Look and Feel page.
Need assistance?
Contact us at thomas.loughran@gmail.com
Sent from http://bosco-uganda.wikispaces.net

Task: Go to www.bosco-uganda.wiksipaces.com on your web browser to
open the BOSCO Wikispace page



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7.3

Lesson 9:

Collaborative projects

Goals of lesson: This lesson offers a couple of projects for users to practice
using many of the skills they have learned thus far.
Create a research project
Create a photo essay

A. Research Project
Introduction
This assignment will require you to develop a short research report. You will pick
a topic, use the internet to find information on this subject, and summarize what
you have learned in a report about one page long. This report will then be posted,
along with two pictures relating to your research, on the BOSCO Wikispace.
The research project will give you a chance to demonstrate and practice several
different computer skills at once. Instructions will be provided below, broken into
sections, but there will only be loose suggestions. You may find this frustrating
but the goal here is to have you create a unique report. If you are ever confused
you can use the previous lessons to guide you.
Choosing a Topic
The topic of your project should be anything that interests you. Simply choose
something you want to learn more about. No suggestions are provided to force


84
you to think creatively and make your own decision. If you are having trouble
thinking of a topic try thinking of a question you want answered. Also remember,
you can always go back and change your subject if you find there is not enough or
too much information. Write down your topic at the start of a new word
document. If you do not already have a directory of your own create one and save
it there.

Task: Choose a topic for your research project. Write your topic at the
top of a new word document on the computer. Make sure to
save this document where you will find it later with a name you
can remember!
Doing Research
This is the most important part of the project. You must use what you know about
using the Internet to collect information about your topic. You may use Google
(Lesson 2) or another search engine to aid in your research. The easiest way to
begin is by searching for a key phrase that relates to your subject. One great
resource is Wikipedia (Lesson 4) but make sure you also use other sources,
including newspapers.
Whenever you find a fact that may be important record it in your word document.
Make sure you also include the URL (Lesson 2) for the web page where you found
the information, the title of the article it was contained in, and the author of the
article if the name is given.

Task: Research your topic. Save all information in the previous word
document underneath the topic. Make sure to record the
information for every source used and remember to save your
work. There must be more than three different sources, and at
least two of these must NOT be from Wikipedia.



85
Writing the Report
Use the same word document that was used to save your research to write your
report. The report should be about one full page long. If you have a lot to share
and want to write more you are welcome to do so. Do not worry if it is a little less
than a full page.
First you must choose a title for your project which relates to your topic. This
should be put before you write your article. Also include here the date. The report
should start by saying what your topic is and why you chose it. After this it should
describe what you learned about your topic. It should not just be a list of facts but
should read smoothly like a professional article. Do not copy directly from
your sources. This is called plagiarism and is illegal around the world. Instead,
make sure to put all information you find in your own words.
If you have written about everything you have learned and you think your report
is too short you have two options. First you can go back and do more research.
Second, if you cannot find more information, you can change your topic slightly
to allow you to do more research.

Task: Write your report in the same word document that you used to
take notes. It should be one page long, but may be longer.
Finding Pictures
You must find at least two pictures that relate to your subject. You can find these
on the websites you used for research or you can perform a Google image search
(Lesson 2) for your topic. To save a picture you must use the mouse to right click
on the image then select “save image as” or a similarly titled file. Save all pictures
to the same directory as your research document.

Task: Find at least two pictures of your subject and save them to your
personal directory. Make sure you save them with file names


86

you will remember.
Posting to the Wikispace
Once your report has been written you must post it to the BOSCO Uganda
Wikispace. If you do not remember how to do this, Lesson 5 contains instructions
on how. From the main Research Projects page create a link to a new page with
the same title as your report. In this new page write the title of your report, your
name, and the date you wrote it. Below this copy in the text of your report from
the word document you already created. Finally, upload and insert the images
you saved earlier and create captions for them.
Also include at the bottom a list of all of the sources used for research, which you
should have saved from before. Make sure to include the title and author of all
articles. Make the titles into external links connecting to the URLs you recorded
earlier. This will allow anyone to click on the title of the article and see proof that
your research is correct.

Task: Post your research report to the Wikispace. Feel proud at
having completed the project.

B. Photo Journal Project
This assignment is a creative project. You must take the digital camera and capture a
series of photographs that tell a story. As with the research project, the first step is to
choose a topic. You can take photos of whatever you want in order to tell some story that
means something to you. Once again, no examples are given so as to protect the
uniqueness of your project.
Once you think you know what kind of story you want to tell go out and take some
pictures. These can be taken wherever you want and of whatever you want so long as


87
they all have some sort of common theme. Plan ahead when using the camera so you
capture the right things for your journal. You will need at least six pictures for your
photo journal but it is a good idea to take more so that you still have enough if you
decide not to use some.
Once the pictures are taken you should load them into your personal directory. It may
be a good idea to make a directory within it just for your photo journal pictures. You
may also rename them so it is easier to remember what pictures are what when you
upload them to the Wikispace.
Now go to the project site and create a blank link with your name and a title for your
photo journal which should somehow relate to your theme. At the top of the new page
put the title, your name, and the date. Upload and insert at least six of your pictures,
though you may include more if you would like. Resize and rearrange the pictures until
you like how it looks and they are all in the correct order. Provide an appropriate
caption for each picture. Remember, the pictures and their captions should form some a
story or reflect a common theme when read through.



88

7.4

Lesson 10: Web 2.0=Collaboration, Collaboration, Collaboration

Goals of this lesson: The user will learn additional Web 2.0 tools which will
be relevant to increasing collaboration and information access in the rural
areas of northern Uganda.
User will learn how to store photo image files on Flickr, allowing them to reduce the
resolution and enable posting on sites such as the BOSCO Wikispace
User will learn how to use Google Documents as a tool for document sharing and
collaboration
User will learn how to create an “Intelligent map” using Google Earth/Maps
A. Flickr photo sharing, storage and resizing
Flickr is a very important online tool for storing photos (image files) for free on the


89
web. Flickr allows you to create online albums and to share them with people of your
choosing or make them available for public viewing. Also very important, is the
ability you will have on Flickr to resize image files so that you can more easily send
them in email attachments and post them on the BOSCO Wikispace site.

Task: User will create a Flickr account online
Go to www.flickr.com
Click on “Create your account”

If you already use a yahoo account (i.e., have a Yahoo email address), click on “Sign
in” If you don‟t already have a Yahoo account, you must click on “Create your
Account”



90

Next, click “Sign Up” at the bottom right hand corner of the page

A form will pop up and will ask you to register yourself by entering your name and
other important information. Simply follow the directions and fill out the form.
Make sure to pay attention to the details and fill the form out correctly.
After filling the form, click “Create My account” at the bottom of the page
When the new page loads, click “continue” after cross checking your information



91

Then it will take you to the sign in page where you should proceed to enter your
username and password

Next you must enter your Flickr username. Use the same username as the one you
have created for you Yahoo account in the steps directly above. Click “Create a new
account”



92

Once you are signed in you will see a screen like the one below:
Task: User will upload photos on his/her Flickr account

Click on “Upload your first photos” to begin adding photos to your new album
Click on “Choose photos” to begin uploading photos

After clicking on “Choose photos,” a popup window will open and you will have to
search for and select the image files you wish to upload.


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You can add as many photos as you want at one time. When you have selected all the
photos you wish to upload click open or select in your popup window.
Click “Upload” at the bottom of the page to begin uploading your selected photos

Add a short description of the photo. For example you might write a sentence about
what the

photo is



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Add a “tag” to the photo. A tag is a collection of words that helps someone find your
photo in a search. For the photo above I have tagged it with the words Gulu, and
northern Uganda
Finally, click “save” to finish your upload

Task: User will edit the size of their photo (i.e., adjust image resolution) so that it can be easily
added and viewable on the BOSCO Wikispace.

First click on the photo that you want to resize or edit

Next, click on “Edit Photo” to begin to resize or reformat it.



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Be patient while the photo loads; Then click on “Resize”

Enter “200 and 100” into the respective boxes below and then press “Ok”

Then click “Save” after the photo has been resized

Task: User will upload photo from Flickr to BOSCO Wikispace site
Sign into the BOSCO Wikispace site www.bosco-uganda.wikispaces.com with your
username and password; Also keep a tab open with your Flickr account open
Go to the page with the photo on Flickr that you want to post on Wikispaces and
right click on the photo, then select with a left click “Copy Image Location”



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