Lesson 1 TECHNOLOGY TROUGH THE YEARS In history, people have always sought out ways to make things easier to do and to understand. This is the reason why, after so many thousands of years, a simple tool like the wheel is now more than just a wooden disk that rolls on the ground. It is also the reason why a conversation is now possible between people who are on opposite sides of the world; and why information, which used to be found only in books, can now be accessed from the Internet with a computer. Technology makes possible what was once impossible, and it is a process that will continue for as long as there are people with the desire to make things better. This section allows you to discover the reason why you need to study information technology. The Information Society Imagine life without cellular phones, computers, and television. How can you contact your friends instantly when you can't send text messages or e-mails? How can you research for the latest breakthroughs in science? How can you catch the top hits on MTV? Perhaps you can't imagine that kind of life anymore, especially now that you have realized the importance of these everyday machines and gadgets. We access loads of information through them. We rediscover the past, update the present, and even predict the future! We make use of technology to process data into useful information. It makes our work easier. Doing your homework in history, for example, is a lot easier by searching the Internet than going through all the books in the library. The last couple of centuries were full of developments in technology. One of these inventions was the computer, and it made lots of things possible. What Is IT Competency? Competency in Information Technology (IT) is the ability of an individual to understand, learn, and use software and hardware tools in data processing. This may be as basic as knowing how to use word processing software for school, or as advanced as being able to create and develop computer…