Being Fluent With Information Technology

Computers, communications, digital information, softwareâ€"the constituents of the information ageâ€"are everywhere. Being computer literate, that is technically competent in two or three of today's software applications, is not enough anymore. Individuals who want to realize the potential value of information technology (IT) in their everyday lives need to be computer fluentâ€"able to use IT effectively today and to adapt to changes tomorrow. Being Fluent with Information Technology sets the standard for what everyone should know about IT in order to use it effectively now and in the future. It explores three kinds of knowledgeâ€"intellectual capabilities, foundational concepts, and skillsâ€"that are essential for fluency with IT. The book presents detailed descriptions and examples of current skills and timeless concepts and capabilities, which will be useful to individuals who use IT and to the instructors who teach them.

Computers, communications, digital information, softwareâ€"the constituents of the information ageâ€"are everywhere. Being computer literate, that is technically competent in two or three of today's software applications, is not enough anymore. Individuals who want to realize the potential value of information technology (IT) in their everyday lives need to be computer fluentâ€"able to use IT effectively today and to adapt to changes tomorrow. Being Fluent with Information Technology sets the standard for what everyone should know about IT in order to use it effectively now and in the future. It explores three kinds of knowledgeâ€"intellectual capabilities, foundational concepts, and skillsâ€"that are essential for fluency with IT. The book presents detailed descriptions and examples of current skills and timeless concepts and capabilities, which will be useful to individuals who use IT and to the instructors who teach them.

Inspired by the National Research Council's report Being Fluent with Information Technology this text takes an adaptive style of learning where readers immediately begin to apply the text's content into everyday activities and interface with technology with newfound confidence and understanding. Unlike computer literacy, which teaches only immediately useful skills, Fluency with Information Technology adds problem solving, reasoning and complexity management to prepare students to use computers today and to be effective technology users tomorrow.

"Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, and Capabilitiesequips readers who are already familiar with computers, the Internet, and the World Wide Web with a deeper understanding of the broad capabilities of technology. Through a project-oriented learning approach that uses examples and realistic problem-solving scenarios, Larry Snyder teaches readers to navigate information technology independently and become effective users of today's resources, forming a foundation of skills they can adapt to their personal and career goals as future technologies emerge"--Publisher's website.

This cutting-edge approach to information literacy will help your students grasp an understanding of the critical thinking and reflection required to engage in technology spaces as savvy producers, collaborators, and sharers.

The U.S. information technology (IT) research and development (R&D) ecosystem was the envy of the world in 1995. However, this position of leadership is not a birthright, and it is now under pressure. In recent years, the rapid globalization of markets, labor pools, and capital flows have encouraged many strong national competitors. During the same period, national policies have not sufficiently buttressed the ecosystem, or have generated side effects that have reduced its effectiveness. As a result, the U.S. position in IT leadership today has materially eroded compared with that of prior decades, and the nation risks ceding IT leadership to other nations within a generation. Assessing the Impacts of Changes in the Information Technology R&D Ecosystem calls for a recommitment to providing the resources needed to fuel U.S. IT innovation, to removing important roadblocks that reduce the ecosystem's effectiveness in generating innovation and the fruits of innovation, and to becoming a lead innovator and user of IT. The book examines these issues and makes recommendations to strengthen the U.S. IT R&D ecosystem.

Provides readers with the tools and resources to help them become effective users of technology. It covers material on how to set up a personal computer, install and use a variety of applications and understanding the commonalities of software programs. Also included is discussion of the how and why of basic principles of computers, digital representation of information, structuring information and fundamentals of networks.Information Technology defined, standard interface functionality, basics of networking, Web searching, HTML, Online Research, Debugging, database concepts,spreadsheet development, database queries, database design, privacy and secuirty andfundamental javascript concepts. For individuals who want to become effective users of technology and use it as a tool for organization, communication, research, and problem solving.