Computers in Everyday Life

Computers are used:

• Personal business

• In the home

• In education

• At work

• By the government

Personal Business

• ATM machines

• Purchasing items with debit/credit cards

At Home

• Personal computer at home

• Word processing and e-mails

• Games

• Playing music

• Homework help

• Job hunting

• Personal finances

• Hobbies

• Working from home

At Work

• Company accounts, payroll, and bookkeeping Assembly line robots and automated machines

• Advertising and promotion brochures

• Administration and office procedures

• Computer assisted design

• Database management

In the Government

• Large mainframe computers used in processing records for medical purposes, taxation, & social security. Networked personal computers for generating reports, memos, & letters.

In Schools

• Administration – to keep track of student records

• Office procedures – development of correspondence

• Research – to provide Internet access for students for educational purposes Communications – to use e-mail, work processing and other applications software to communicate to the teacher, one another, and authorized others.

IT and Society

• Information technology (IT) is rapidly changing the world in which we live

• The computer is increasingly being used to accomplish diverse and challenging tasks

• This increased use also brings the problem of adjusting and keeping up with these changes new and emerging health and safety issues arise

Information Superhighway

• The Information Superhighway basically refers to the integration of computing, multimedia, telecommunications, and storage technologies, resulting in wide-spread dissemination of information. The Information Superhighway channels all these diverse technologies and effectively delivers them to the user

Computer Literacy Issues

Many of today’s adults did not grow up using a computer.

• Some people think computers are too complicated for them.

• Some people may be intimidated by others who seem to be more computer literate.

• Some young people know a lot about some aspects of the computer, but not all.

Excessive computer use can lead to physical ailments.

• Lack of exercise has been attributed to excessive television and computer use.

• Child predators have been known to use the Internet to stalk victims.

Part II---Worksheet

Instructions: Answer the following questions for the choices listed below.

1. The __________________ may be the most important invention affecting your life.

2. The importance of the computer can be compared to the discovery of the __________________.

3. A _________________ society would mean that we would live during a time when cash would not be needed and all money would be transferred electronically form one bank to another.

4. Computers allow banks to transfer money electronically. This process is called _____________ ______________ __________________.

5. A series of bars that represent information about the product and price of items sold in stores is called the ___________________ ________________ _________________.

6. A ____________ of _______________ __________________ is used in stores to keep track of every item sold, deduction the item from inventory.

7. A computer program to aid learning, and can even tell you when you get an answer right or wrong is called _________________-________________ _____________________.

8. _______________ ________________ use computers to control devices in the home like temperature, lawn watering, fire and burglar alarms, and outside lighting.

9. _________________ ___________________ are connected to computers to blend sounds and create music.

10. Computers are used by ____________ ________________ ________________ to keep airplanes from crashing into each other in the skies.

Word Choices:

Cashless

Wheel

Point of Sale Terminal

Computer

Smart Houses

Universal Product Code

Air Traffic Controllers

Electronic Funds Transfer

Computer Assisted Instruction

Music Synthesizers