2 The IT You Have Already

Remember, you yourself are the most important IT! But you will learn more quickly if you have access to other IT. Today, there are lots of IT devices and services. Some common IT devices and services include:

• personal computer (PC)
• laptop computer
• tablet computer
• smart phone
• smart television (TV)
• Internet connection
• WiFi

Which of these technologies do you use in your daily life? What other IT devices do you use? How good is your Internet connection? Is it fast? It is reliable? Can you afford it? To learn IT, you need the best IT you can get to learn more IT. Like your English, your IT does not need to be perfect, just good enough. Below are some questions for you to think about:

• If you need to install new software on your PC, laptop, or other device, do you know how to do that?
• Is there enough storage on your devices to download and add software?
• Do you know how to set permissions on your devices for installing software?
• Can you reach Internet web sites from your devices?
• Do your web browsers allow you to reach the web sites you want to reach?
• Do you know how to install a different web browser?
• Do you know how to switch web browsers?
• Can you stream videos to your devices?
• Can you download and read documents on your devices?
• Can you create documents on your devices?
• Can you upload documents to a file storage web site (like Google Drive)?

Note to Teachers:

When students are answering “no” to any of the questions above, you can help them to find better IT resources. If their devices or Internet connections at home are not enough, help them find on-campus resources.  Other resources like the Student Learning Center can help students with basic IT skills.