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In this unit you will get familiar with the ICT environment and learn how to use different tools for accessing the internet and communication with one another.  You will learn how to create your own personal digital library of resources.  The unit will introduce you to the history and development of ICT, the importance of Free and Open Source Software, Open Educational Resources and ethical practices in the use of ICT.

In this unit you will get familiar with the ICT environment and learn how to use different tools for accessing the internet and for communication with one another.  You will learn how to create your own personal digital library of resources.  The unit will introduce you to the history and development of ICT, the importance of Free and Open Source Software, Open Educational Resources and ethical practices in the use of ICT.

===A brief history of ICT===

===A brief history of ICT===

The term 'ICT' refers to those set of technologies that help us create information, access information, analyse information and communicate with one another.  Most of you must be using a cell phone to communicate, which even fifteen years ago would not have been the case with most students. The cell phone is a digital information and communication device, a part of the recent ICT revolution. Yet ICT are perhaps nearly as old as humanity itself, as human beings needed to communicate with one another, beginning with symbolic (non verbal) ways, before [[wikipedia:Language|language]] was invented. Language can be seen as the first 'ICT', it   enabled (oral) communication amongst human beings. 

The term 'ICT' refers to those set of technologies that help us create information, access information, process information and communicate with one another.  Most of you must be using a cell phone to communicate, which even fifteen years ago would not have been the case with most students. The cell phone is a digital information and communication device, a part of the recent ICT revolution. Yet ICT are perhaps nearly as old as humanity itself, as human beings needed to communicate with one another, beginning with symbolic (non verbal) ways, before [[wikipedia:Language|language]] was invented.  

[[wikipedia:Writing_system|Script]] was the next ICT, invented around 5,000 years ago, which enabled information to be held distinct  from the communicator and be made available  beyond the limitation of space and time that oral communication imposed.  You would be learning more   about the processes of speaking and listening (comprising oral communication) and reading and writing (comprising written   communication) in your courses on language learning. Writing also enabled easier recording of human history and thus the invention of script was a landmark in the history of ICT. Invention of [[wikipedia:Printing|printing]] technologies scaled up the 'writing' process and enabled mass production of books. The invention of radio and television created the 'mass media' in which simultaneously the same message could be transmitted to thousands of people. Each ICT invention enabled the processes of information creation, sharing, storing and communicating to be easier, quicker, more efficient, enabling greater reach. Each ICT invention was a significant event in the evolution of human communication processes and caused an explosion in the availability of information. While human beings have always accessed information and communicated, what makes the present ICT special, is their digital nature, hence we can even refer to ICT as '[[wikipedia:Information_technology|digital technologies]]'.  

Language can be seen as the first 'ICT', it   enabled (oral) communication amongst human beings. [[wikipedia:Writing_system|Script]] was the next ICT, invented around 5,000 years ago, which enabled information to be held distinct  from the communicator and be made available  beyond the limitation of space and time that oral communication imposed.  You would be learning more   about the processes of speaking and listening (comprising oral communication) and reading and writing (comprising written   communication) in your courses on language learning. Writing also enabled easier recording of human history and thus the invention of script was a landmark in the history of ICT. Invention of [[wikipedia:Printing|printing]] technologies scaled up the 'writing' process and enabled mass production of books. The invention of radio and television created the 'mass media' in which simultaneously the same message could be transmitted to thousands of people. Each ICT invention enabled the processes of information creation, sharing, storing and communicating to be easier, quicker, more efficient, enabling greater reach. Each ICT invention was a significant event in the evolution of human communication processes and caused an explosion in the availability of information. Each ICT invention was also accompanied  with changes in societal processes and organizations as information became available more easily.  While human beings have always accessed information and communicated, what makes the present ICT special, is their digital nature, hence we can even refer to ICT as '[[wikipedia:Information_technology|digital technologies]]'.

A brief history of ICT is provided in the table below.

A brief history of ICT is provided in the table below.

==== Digital ICT ====

==== Digital ICT ====

We are now perhaps in the middle of the next epochal movement in the history of ICT - the use of digital methods of accessing, creating, modifying sharing, storing information as well as for communication. Most of you would have been born after the beginning of the mass use of cell phones (the second generation or 2G cell phone technology was available for mass use from 1991), towards the end of the first millennium, while many teacher educators would have been born before this period! This phenomenon creates an interesting inversion in the school environment, in almost all other areas, the teacher (teacher­ educator) is more familiar than the learner (student­ teacher), while in case of ICT (more specifically in the skill of using ICT devices and methods), it can often be the opposite! Younger people may often pick up a technology quicker than older people. However, digital literacy does not only mean skills but rather ''On the other hand, the   experience and insights of teacher educators can help student teachers develop a critical perspective towards digital ICTs, which is essential, since digital ICTs have huge potential for doing harm as well as good.''  

We are now perhaps in the middle of the next epochal movement in the history of ICT - the use of digital methods for accessing, creating, modifying sharing, storing information as well as for communication. Most of you would have been born after the beginning of the mass use of cell phones (the second generation or 2G cell phone technology was available for mass use from 1991), towards the end of the first millennium, while many teacher educators would have been born before this period! This phenomenon creates an interesting inversion in the school environment, in almost all other areas, the teacher (teacher­ educator) is more familiar than the learner (student­ teacher), while in case of ICT (more specifically in the skill of using ICT devices and methods), it can often be the opposite! Younger people may often pick up a technology quicker than older people. However, digital literacy does not only mean skills but rather an understanding of the impact of using digital ICT. ''On the other hand, the experience and insights of teacher educators can help student teachers develop a critical perspective towards digital ICTs, which is essential, since digital ICTs have huge potential for doing harm as well as good.''  

You will learn to use digital ICT for two purposes in the first year - 'connecting and learning' and 'creating (generic resources) and learning', in the two units respectively. Before 'connecting and learning' you need to have a basic familiarity with the ICT devices and tools.  

You will learn to use digital ICT for two purposes in the first year - 'connecting and learning' and 'creating (generic resources) and learning', in the two units respectively. Before 'connecting and learning' you need to have a basic familiarity with the ICT devices and tools.