Core 1 Part 1

As far as technology goes I am not the most adept at it but I can handle my own. I have been using computers since I was a kid so I am familiar with all of the basic software like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. I guess you could say that I am a “recreational” computer user because I’m strong in the basics but as soon as anything unfamiliar comes my way I get a little bit lost. Lucky for me, just being able to use Microsoft Word was enough to get me through the first semester of college but I’m worried about what the future brings.

The funny thing about technology is that the “new” thing is only “new” for a couple of weeks before it becomes outdated and the next big thing comes along. I still remember how much difficulty I had just switching from PC to a Mac. Computer technology is almost like a living organism that’s always changing and I’m afraid that I won’t be able to adapt to it. I want to become a veterinarian and I can only imagine the machinery I’m going to have to familiarize myself with in the future. My goal in college is to be able to use computers more efficiently for work and research because that’s what they are here for anyway.

Promoting Digital Literacy

In an age where your success stems from your ability to use a computer efficiently, digital literacy is an important asset. Daniel Poynter understands this and he is trying to improve and promote digital literacy across high schools nationwide through his “Digital Literacy Contest”. This contest tests people’s abilities to pull information from the internet by asking them challenging questions that require proficient use of computers to answer. Poynter is directing his contest towards high school students because they are the next generation to go into the business world and it is imperative that they be able to do research and use the Internet efficiently. Lauren Kelleher, the author of this article, must agree with him because she deemed this issue important enough to write about. The world is changing whether we want it to or not and people out there like Daniel Poynter are trying to see to it that we are prepared for it.