Computer literate. Computer literacy is the possession of a minimum set of knowledge and skills to work on a computer.

Modern society, the market for goods, services and labor are characterized by a rapid pace of change, which is largely caused by the intensive development of ICT. The role of the computer in the life of the average person is rapidly increasing. The computer is used in almost all spheres of public life: in education and medicine, on television and radio, in industry and agriculture, etc., where it turns out to be an effective auxiliary tool. Today, ICT has become the property of small enterprises, shops, institutions, employment offices, and even farms.

With the help of computer systems, documentation is maintained, e-mail and communication with data banks are provided. Computers are used to perform a wide range of production tasks and ensure the smooth operation of various units. Computer networks connect different users located in the same institution or located in different regions of the country, etc.

All this indicates that the most important condition for a full life in the information society and successful professional activity is computer literacy of citizens. This means that any person should have a basic understanding of what a personal computer is, the Windows operating system, be able to work in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and be able to use the services of the global Internet.

In the field of personal computer (PC), the user must know:

what is a PC;

how a PC works;

where is PC used?

which computer to buy based on your needs;

basic PC devices (external and internal);

units of measurement of information;

PC care and safety rules;

basic information about the software;

methods for installing and removing programs from a PC.

The user must, at a minimum, be able to correctly turn on and off a PC, use a keyboard and mouse, connect external devices to a PC, install and remove programs from a computer, and select a PC that suits his or her tasks.

In the area of the Windows operating system, the user must know:

what's happenedoperating system (OS);

how the OS controls a personal computer;

what operating systems exist; standard Windows programs (Notebook , WordPad , Paint );

conceptDesktop ;

Windows window structure;

what's happenedfiles Andfolders ;

what's happeneddirectory tree ;

what's happenedExplorer, Clipboard, programSearch, Windows Help ;

what's happenedarchives and why they are needed;

what's happenedcomputer viruses and methods of protection against computer viruses.

The user must be able to manage windows (interact between several windows); launch and use standard programs; use the Windows help system; use the program at work Conductor; master various ways of working with files and folders (create, name, rename, copy, move, delete folders and files, restore deleted ones to the trash); create shortcuts for frequently used files; copy files to a floppy disk or flash card; record on SD; search for folders and files on your PC; create an archive and extract files/folders from the archive, use anti-virus programs (be able to check internal and removable devices for viruses).

In the local network area, the user, based on knowledge (what isthe local network , server , network printer ) should be able to?

view local network resources,

organize access to your PC resources on the local network,

know how to print on a local network.

In the area of work in the MS Word application, the user must know

what is MS Word,

the structure of the Word window and the purpose of the main toolbars, basic rules for entering text;

methods of creating and working with documents: basic methods of inserting tables, pictures, AutoShapes and WordArt objects, editing images, etc.

Based on this knowledge, the user should be able to:

create documents using Word;

decorate documents colorfully using drawings,

frames, fills, backgrounds, and WordArt objects;

create and format tables in documents;

check spelling;

know how to format a document (working with font, headers, footers, lists, columns);

print documents.

In the area of working in MS Excel, the user must have an idea of what MS Excel is, know:

the structure of the Excel window and the purpose of the main toolbars; spreadsheet structure (columns, rows, cells);

ways to format and edit cells (adding, deleting, merging, etc.);

conceptsAutocomplete , Formula , Autosum , Sorting data , methods of constructing diagrams, etc.

fill out spreadsheets with arbitrary and homogeneous data; format, add, delete, merge cells;

make simple calculations using formulas;

sort data in ascending, descending and alphabetical order;

build graphs and diagrams based on tables;

prepare printed documents using Excel.

In the area of working in MS PowerPoint, the user must have an understanding of what MS PowerPoint is, know effective ways to create presentations using templates,

be able to use the designer and templates in the design of slides when creating a presentation;

configure animation;

demonstrate presentations.

In the area of working on the Internet, the user must have an idea of whatInternet and information retrieval portals;

know the criteria for choosing a provider;

e-mail, ftp, WWW, IP telephony capabilities;

browser basicsInternet Explorer ;

concept “e-government ”;

types of Internet services;

methods of making e-payments;

how email works; what's happeneddistance learning .

Based on this knowledge, the user should be able to:

connect to the Internet at home;

search for the necessary information on Kazakh and foreign resources using various search engines;

save the received information on your PC;

use Internet services, chats, forums;

get a free personal mailing address;

set up an email system at home,

create, send and receive emails,

attach files to emails.

An in-depth analysis of the approaches to defining and interpreting the essence of computer science that have emerged to date leads to the conclusion that one of the most objective is the interpretation of Academician V. M. Glushkov: computer science is an attribute organically inherent in a civilized society, which has as its subject the satisfaction of the information needs of the main spheres of its life activity .

The modern relevance of computer science is directly related to the development of computer technology, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence. In the materials published by the UNESCO Informatics Center on the system of advanced education, computer science is currently defined as a fundamental science in which three main areas are identified:

Theoretical computer science;

Technical Informatics;

Social informatics.

Society at the end of the twentieth century. is often called information, and changes in it are called the information revolution. Thanks to the rapid development of computer technology, what seemed incredible a few years ago is becoming a reality - people from different countries have access to a wide variety of information anywhere on the planet, exchange information with each other and even communicate in real time. It seems that the law of life in our time is becoming the statement of N. Wiener: “To truly live means to live with the correct information.” But to do this, you need to know the rules of navigation through the vast ocean of available information and have a certain culture for selecting the necessary information. The level of information culture of a modern person is determined by many criteria: his ability to formulate his need for information, knowledge of publicly available sources of information and the ability to use them, the ability to effectively search, evaluate, use information and create qualitatively new information. Of course, every person today needs computer literacy and experience in the practical use of computers.

Unfortunately, the level of information culture of most people in our country is low. On the one hand, this is explained by the insufficient implementation of information technologies in all spheres of human life and activity, and on the other hand, by the lack of a system for training literate consumers of information. This problem is of particular concern in relation to young people.

For young people, information technologies open access to information, and therefore knowledge, provide completely new opportunities for acquiring professional knowledge and creativity, and introduce them to the values of world culture. Therefore, the formation of the information culture of the younger generation is a very important task. The school should be the first to resolve this problem. For more than 10 years, the country’s schools have been teaching a special subject, “Fundamentals of Informatics and Computer Science.” Initially, the goals were to teach schoolchildren the basics of computer literacy and programming languages, to use computers to study other disciplines, as well as for professional training in the field of computer technology. It cannot be said that these goals have been fully achieved - a significant part of schools still do not have computers.

Today, in connection with the accelerated processes of informatization of society, the education system sets a new goal - the formation in students of a thinking style that is adequate to the requirements of the modern information society, the education of an information worldview. The essence of education reform is that a huge amount of information becomes available to the learner in databases, knowledge bases, computerized archives, reference books and encyclopedias. Currently, there is practically no access to such “electronic” information in schools.

A person looking for a job will almost certainly be faced with a requirement from a potential employer such as computer knowledge. It happens that we are talking about a high level of computer skills - programming, three-dimensional modeling, working in accounting programs.

But most often, basic user skills are needed: the ability to check email, type text, make a query in a search engine, enter numbers into a ready-made table. In any case, computer literacy is the first qualifying step on the path to earning money.

Where else is PC knowledge needed?

Looking for a job is not the only reason to master a computer. For many users, this is an opportunity to communicate, sometimes the only one. Mail correspondence, video telephony, social networks, instant messengers simply save people who are forced to stay at home or in the hospital.

The need to express yourself, engage in hobbies, and find admirers and like-minded people on the Internet is easily realized. Introverted and lonely people share their poems, images, videos and realize that their creativity and ideas are interesting and in demand.

Computer literacy is also an opportunity to save time when making an appointment with a doctor or paying:

utilities;
courses and training programs;
products, industrial goods, tickets, etc.

Finally, the Internet provides invaluable access to almost any information. This is a rare opportunity to receive information that is not in the official media, analyze it and draw your own conclusions, not imposed by anyone.

Where to begin

One of the most accessible ways to learn something is to go to the Internet and find the necessary data there. A person who does not have basic computer literacy needs help with this. The easiest way is to ask someone you know. Skills you need to get first:

how to turn on (turn off) a computer;
how to click the mouse (once or twice);
how to open the Internet and use a search engine.

Everything that the mentor showed must be written down in detail. Beginner users, especially those of retirement age, quickly forget this first lesson. Then the person is able to work on his own, making the necessary requests and discovering sites that are useful to him.

If there is no one to help

Without the opportunity to contact your friends or family, you can take computer literacy courses. They are in every city. You can find such courses by following the advertisements:

in newspaper advertisements;
in a ticker or television commercials.

In 2015, Dmitry Medvedev signed a document according to which a special social program was launched. People who are retired and not working can receive free help with personal computer training. Many cities offer free courses for those who want to master a PC. Computer literacy training for pensioners is funded by the Pension Fund.

To find out if there are such courses in your city, you can contact:

to social security authorities;
to the branches of the Pension Fund;
to the libraries.

People working in these structures do not necessarily have information about training opportunities. But you need to ask - there will always be caring citizens who are ready to make a request from their work computer and help.

What you need to know about your PC

Computer literacy for beginners involves mastering the following skills:

Where to start mastering the Internet

Upward movement

Cleaning your computer. Unnecessary files, like garbage, must be periodically deleted. Otherwise, the system will slow down. The procedure should be carried out at least once a month.
Recovery. The system crashes at times. Before calling a service technician, you can try to perform the restoration yourself.
Mastering Skype. To expand your communication capabilities, you need to register in the program and configure it.
Using Torrent. Installing the program gives you access to transfer movies and computer toys to your computer.

When using Torrent, you need to take into account an important thing - computer literacy and computer culture should ideally coincide. We must not forget about ethics and copyright. By downloading a pirated program, the user also distributes it via Torrent (this is how his system is designed), automatically becoming a violator.

There's no limit

Many people, having felt confident in the Internet space, create their own blogs. A person almost always has something to say, and there are people who will find this information useful.

Websites are, as a rule, the evolutionary stage of “growing up” of users that follows the blog. They are made not only for pleasure, but also to make money - at least by advertising.

Computer literacy is always self-development. First, you master and use what others offer, then you create something of your own. The knowledge necessary to work on a PC in an area that is interesting and in demand accumulates and turns the user from a “dummie” into a creator and professional.

Now you definitely can’t live without a computer. Not only in order to get a job, but even in order to continue working, you have to confirm your knowledge. It happens that employees who have worked for twenty or thirty years have to take computer knowledge exams. And it doesn’t matter - candidate of sciences, doctor, professor... If you don’t pass, look for another job. But the trouble is that many people, working with a computer, know only the applications they work with, and are unable to cope with the simplest task in anything else, do not understand the logic of how computer technology works. Well, plus ignorance of terminology, according to the principle “they showed me how to press this button.” So even those who seem to stay on their laptop turn out to be computer ignoramuses. This also applies, by the way, to young people - often guys who spend days on VK are unable to simply change the font size in Word or make a simple presentation.
What does the concept of “computer literacy” include?
By definition, this is a set of knowledge and skills necessary to work with computer technology. In detail, we can highlight:

knowledge of computer structure;
ability to select the necessary PC parameters;
knowledge of peripheral devices and the ability to connect them;
knowledge of at least the Windows operating system;
knowledge of basic Office applications - Word, Excell, PowerPoint;
ability to master their new versions;
ability to install and master new applications;
ability to work on the Internet, knowledge of browsers;
availability of information search skills.

Knowledge of computer structure and the ability to select the necessary PC

The “definition” that a computer has “this box, which is the computer itself, has a screen and a mouse,” alas, I have heard from adults who have been using computer technology for years. However, normally you need to know what a processor, RAM, hard drives, disk drives are, what their main parameters are - for example, speed for the processor, capacity for memory, etc.; what types of monitors are there? Only by knowing them can you choose a tool that is necessary and sufficient for the job (this has to be explained to many).

Knowledge of peripheral devices and ability to connect them

It is not by chance that I put this in a separate paragraph. If no one has any problems connecting a mouse or speakers, then connecting a printer can turn into a critical problem for many, since they do not know that they need to install a device driver on the computer, and if it is not there, find and download the device driver. There are even problems connecting the multimedia projector!

Knowledge of Windows

It often does not exceed the level of “here is a screen, and on it you need to click this picture.” Therefore, you need to know, at a minimum, how to use windows, the Start menu, the control panel, and change simple settings yourself.

Knowledge of basic applications and ability to master their new versions

Word – creating text files, editing text, changing font, style and size, page settings, using templates and services, including spell checking. To this I often want to add the ability to use a keyboard - I always show how to work using the somewhat forgotten ten-finger system; Still, it speeds up the work.
Excel - knowledge of tables, templates, use of statistics, creation of charts.
PowerPoint – the ability to create a slide, including without using templates, change the background, slide design, slide transition, animation settings, ability to insert pictures and sound.
I will add that the appearance of new versions makes many people despondent, because “the buttons are not there, I can’t find them.” Therefore, it requires the ability to reorient to the use of new design and new opportunities, eliminating the fear of making a mistake. This fear is a very common phenomenon among older users.

Ability to learn new applications

As you work, you often need to use specific applications, be it accounting, working with maps, photographs, video or sound. In this situation, the immediate environment often cannot suggest anything. The ability to understand the logic of the program, use help, search for tips on the Internet - these necessary skills have to be taught additionally.

Internet

This is the simplest thing. Because even the most inexperienced regularly surf the Internet and use social networks. However, knowledge about searching for information and setting correct search queries is required. Working with different browsers often becomes a problem.

All of the above allows you to fully use the computer and feel comfortable while working. And, what is most interesting, the process of mastering this knowledge does not take long at all, and is not difficult even for those who have a fear of the computer. Sometimes 9-10 seminars are enough (just the number of skills) to master this amount of knowledge.

Definition of the concept of “computer literacy”. Why is it necessary to be computer literate these days?

Modern life is constantly changing and delights us with various information innovations. Nowadays, for example, you will not meet a person who does not use a mobile phone in everyday life. And computers have long been firmly established in our lives and surround people everywhere (at school, at work, at the bank, the airport, the store and other places).

Therefore, any person living in the age of technological progress must have minimal computer literacy. This topic is relevant in the twenty-first century and takes on special significance in the lives of both young people and people of middle and older age. Computer science tutors will help you obtain the necessary knowledge; finding such a private teacher will not be difficult, you just need to use an Internet search or contact training centers.

So what is computer literacy?

Computer literacy is, first of all, the ability to work on a computer and other similar information devices; minimal knowledge of basic office programs, skills in independently managing folders and files; understanding of the main terms of computer science.

Such skills cannot be mechanical, such as the ability to ride a bicycle, knit, sew on a sewing machine, or operate a machine. This knowledge and skills rather depend on mental activity and require repetition and constant training.

Why is it necessary to have computer literacy?

Computer technologies influence changes in the system of relationships between people, the state and society, and even between countries. Computer literacy is rightfully part of the information development of society.

The personal computer has become a way to communicate and exchange information at home and in offices, factories and businesses. It provides access to many databases and, at times, replaces a TV, a VCR, a radio, mail, and a personal diary.

The computer will help if you feel sad and want to communicate. It will give an answer to almost any question of interest, largely thanks to millions of people just like you who have gone through the experience of learning a computer and now write advice and articles on various topics.

The computer is interesting and useful for people of any age. Using the Internet, you can find long-lost and forgotten childhood friends or make new acquaintances. Both global problems and “kitchen” problems are discussed hourly on social networks.

Today, being computer literate is an important human quality that helps to cope with daily changing tasks.

This is also information literacy, without which a person’s full-fledged activity, his awareness of himself as an individual in the information society, as part of the general technological and cultural process, is impossible.

Computer literacy is a quality that must be passed on to young and future generations for the further progress of all humanity.