Employability Skills I: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skills-I

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. Before a computer can learn anything, you must learn to use the computer. That is ICT. Today we will learn what ICT means and its common tools. Then we learn computer parts, basic operations, files and folders, and safe internet use.

Let us start with the name. The name ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology. Information means facts and data, like your marks or a train timing. Communication means sharing that information with others. Technology means the devices and software that help us do both, quickly and over long distances.

ICT is part of our everyday life. At home, we pay electricity bills online and make video calls. At school, we use smart classes and fill admission forms online. At work, people use email, online banking and ticket booking. In society, government services, such as a school scholarship form, are available online.

Many devices are ICT tools. A smartphone is used for calls, apps and online payments. A tablet has a bigger touch screen and is good for reading and videos. A computer is best for typing, spreadsheets and coding. Television and radio share news and educational lessons with millions of people.

Smartphones are the most common ICT tool, so let us learn the basics. We control the touch screen with a tap, a swipe, or a pinch to zoom. The home screen shows icons, which are small pictures that open apps. Install apps only from the official app store, never from unknown links. And lock your phone with a secret pin or your fingerprint.

A computer system has four main parts. An input device sends data into the computer, like a keyboard or a mouse. The CPU, or central processing unit, is the brain that processes the data. An output device shows the result, like a monitor or a printer. A storage device saves data for later, like a hard disk or a pen drive.

Here is how these parts work together. First, you type forty five and thirty on the keyboard, which is input. Next, the CPU adds the two numbers, which is processing. Then the monitor shows seventy five, which is output. Finally, the result can be saved in storage for later.

Now some basic computer operations. Pressing the power button starts the computer, and this starting process is called booting. Then you log in with your username and password. When you finish, shut down from the Start menu. Never simply pull out the plug, because unsaved work can be lost and files can get damaged.

The mouse has a few main actions. A click presses the left button once and selects an item. A double click presses it twice quickly and opens the item. A right click shows a small menu of options. Drag and drop means holding the button, moving the item, and releasing it in a new place.

The keyboard has some keys you will use every day. Enter starts a new line or confirms a choice. Backspace deletes the character to the left of the cursor. Delete removes the character to the right. Shift, held with a letter, types a capital letter. The space bar adds a gap between words.

Everything on a computer is stored in files and folders. A file is one saved item, like a letter or a photo. A folder is a container that keeps related files together, like a school bag holding notebooks. Basic file operations are create, open, save, rename and delete. On Windows, a deleted file first goes to the Recycle Bin, so it can be restored.

Finally, communication through the internet. The internet is a worldwide network, which means millions of computers connected together. A browser, like Chrome, is the app we use to open websites. A search engine, like Google, finds information when we type keywords. Email lets us send messages, with files attached, to anyone with an email address.

Using ICT well also means using it safely. Keep your passwords secret, and mix letters, numbers and symbols. Never share an OTP, the one time password, with anyone, not even a caller claiming to be from a bank. Think before you click any link in a message. And take short breaks to rest your eyes. Pause and predict. A caller asks for your OTP to give you a prize. What do you do? Refuse and cut the call.

Let us revise what we learned today. ICT means information and communication technology. Common tools are smartphones, tablets, computers and television. A computer has input, the CPU, output and storage. We practised mouse actions, important keys, and files and folders. And we used the internet and email safely. Try creating a folder with your name and saving a file in it.