Computers, part of

your life – Grade 11

It's all about ICT
Module 1.1
Contents 3

• The role and value of ICT

in the workplace
• CAT – a most valuable subject!
• The computer
• Protecting your information
• Test and improve
The role and value of ICT
4
in the workplace
 How ICT influence one’s life and
5
life styles
• Jobs we do
• Way we store and watch photographs
• Way we entertain ourselves
• Way we shop and do banking
• Way we communicate
• Way we interact with friends
• Way we obtain and use information

QUICK REVISION
 How ICT influence one’s
6
life and life styles
Communication ‘Over-availability’

Social networking sites

Instant messaging

‘Blog’ and e-mails

Always available – never switched off!

QUICK REVISION
 How ICT influence one’s
7
life and life styles
Access to information

 TV/
Radio
Information
•Find quickly E-mail
•Determine if
source
reliable
•Analyse and
 Cellphone
calls
summarise
WWW 
SMS
QUICK REVISION
/MMS

 How ICT influence one’s
8
life and life styles
Leisure
• Movies, music and printed media available via Internet
• Video on Demand –from online storage
• Internet TV not using radio signals
• Online travel bookings
• Online computer games
• Fitness programs in front of TV with gaming console

QUICK REVISION
So what role does ICT play
9
in the workplace?
• Work wherever we have access to computer (and internet).
• Communicate more effectively.
• Store and process vast quantities of data to make more
informed decisions.
• Identify and adapt to changing trends (e.g. sales).
• Perform tasks that are difficult or dangerous for humans to
do.
So what role does ICT play in
10
the workplace?
• Perform repetitive mechanical actions with consistent
quality.
• Empower individuals (smaller companies that make
effective use of ICT can compete globally).

ICT allows us to do all these things more quickly and with

less manpower.
So what role does ICT play in
11
the workplace?
Also a negative role…
• Requires constant upgrading of skills, hardware and
software.
• Smaller pools of highly-skilled ICT workers replacing large
numbers of staff.
• ICT employees working longer hours to meet the
expectations of customers.
CAT – the most valuable
12
subject!
CAT – the most valuable
subject! 13
Use
computers
to solve
problems

CAT
teaches
Use you to:
computers Easily learn
to study to use new
and/or do software
research
CAT – the most valuable subject! 14
Fashion,
game or web
page
designers
Doctors,
Accountants paramedics
and nurses

Careers

Photographers
DJs and
and movie-
musicians
makers
Social media
to advertise
 ICT is important in virtually
any job you can think of.
15
 You need to be able to source
and process data and present
information as quickly and as
accurately as possible.

 You need to be able to

choose and use the right ICT
tools for the job at hand.

Taking CAT was the best

decision you could have
made!
The computer 16
The computer 17

Take Process Produce

input it output

Store input and output

 What is a computer? 18

• Laptops
• Smartphones • Desktop
• Tablets computer
 Multi-purpose
 Electronic devices
QUICK REVISION  Portable/mobile (left)
Types of computers 19

Servers

Desktops

Processing power
Laptops
Physical size

Notebooks

Tablets

Smartphones

Portable
Types of computers: Portable 20

Computers and ICT devices used for work and for

• Entertainment
• Surfing the web
• Communication
• Social networking

Portability:
work anywhere, at any time
Types of computers: Portable 21

Laptops/notebooks

Portable computers which use miniaturised parts that

have a low power consumption, so as to allow for portable
computing on battery power.

Cases with hinged screens, keyboard and suitable pointing

device (touchpad)
 Types of computers: Portable 22

Laptops/notebooks: Power settings

• Specifying that
the computer
should conserve
power by starting
to ‘sleep’ or
hibernate when it
has not been
used for a period
of time
 Types of computers: Portable 23

Laptops/notebooks: Power settings

• Setting the
brightness of the
screen
• Choosing a
balance between
power
consumption and
performance
 Types of computers: Portable 24

Tablets
• Portable computer with a touch or
pen-sensitive screen
• Ideal for quick, small scale
computing
• Special operating systems
designed for mobile devices
• Long battery life
• Wireless (WiFi) and cellular data
connectivity (e.g. 3G and
4G/LTE).
 Types of computers: Portable 25

Hybrid laptops /tablets

• Trend to include touch screens in laptops/notebooks
• Combine the touch screen with a hinge (to swivel the
screen 360 degrees) – or to remove the screen
completely
• So allowing the device to be used
as a tablet
 Types of computers: Portable 26
Smartphones
• Perfect example of digital convergence – combines the
features and technologies of many separate devices.
All smartphones have the following:
 An operating system (Google Android iOS)
 ‘Large’ colour screens
 Built-in data modem (3G, HSDPA or 4G/LTE)
 GPS for navigation
 One or two cameras (front facing and back facing)
 WiFi to connect to wireless networks
 Speakers and a microphone
 Types of computers: Servers and
clients 27

Servers are computers that provide services or resources to

other computers (clients) that are linked in the network.

These services could be providing internet access or storing

all the users’ files.
 28

Dedicated devices, such as Automatic Teller

Machines (ATMs), GPS (Global Positioning System)
devices and household appliances like microwave
ovens and washing machines, are designed to
perform just one specific task. These devices are
not computers.
Protecting your
29
information
The theft of hardware is not just about
the cost of replacing the hardware 30

• Data stored on the computer or device may not be

backed up.

• Information might be private or sensitive.

• Information increasingly stored on portable devices.

 Hardware theft and protection 31

• Record the serial numbers of your hardware.

• Cable locks to chain equipment to a solid object.

• Lockable cabinets (with ventilation) for system units

(‘boxes’).

• Motion sensors with an alarm which detect when a

computer is moved.
Uninterruptible Power Supply 32

• Protects computer against power surges

• Provides power to the computer(s) connected to it as

soon as the power goes out
Test and improve 33
Written module activity
34