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{{Navigate|Prev=What students need to know about ethics of technology|Curr=Data representation and processing|Next=Communication with graphics}}

{{Navigate|Prev=What students need to know about ethics of technology|Curr=Data representation and processing|Next=Communication with graphics}}

===What is this unit about===

===What is this unit about===

If someone asks you what is data, what would your answer be? Read the following sentences and if you agree, put a tick mark.  

If someone asks you what is data, what would your answer be? Read the following sentences and if you agree, put a tick mark.  Add other things you do in which you gather data.  

{| class="wikitable"  

{| class="wikitable"  

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#You gather data when you cook or when you eat.     

#You gather data when you cook or when you eat.     

#You gather data when you play     

#You gather data when you play     

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Gathering data from the environment, analyzing and understanding and decision making are important for survival.  Imagine human beings hunting and roaming in the forests - if they see a wolf, they should process the data and quickly run for cover.  So, gathering data and using for decision making is not new.

Gathering data from the environment, analyzing and understanding and decision making are important for survival.  Imagine human beings hunting and roaming in the forests - if they see a wolf, they should process the data and quickly run for cover.  So, gathering data and using for decision making is not new for human beings.   

 

Gathering data, analyzing and making decisions is not new to human beings. Can you guess what may be different about this unit? Yes - you are correct! Digital technologies have changed the way we are gathering data and representing data.  Discuss with your friends, in groups, all the word that come to your mind when you say data. Now look at the following and classify whether the following are data or not.

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable"

![[File:Rain and thunder (01).ogg|thumb|Rain and thunder]]

![[File:Rain and thunder (01).ogg|thumb|Rain and thunder]]

|[[File:Latex example text dots.png|thumb|Text]]

|[[File:Latex example text dots.png|thumb|Text]]

|[[File:Arabic Numerals.svg|thumb|Numbers]]

|[[File:Arabic Numerals.svg|thumb|Numbers]]

|}

|}

Are you surprised?  All the above are data.  We saw how computers work by converting everything into data.  Whether we see a picture, or listen to a song or perform calculations, we are working with data.  In today's world data is becoming more and more important and we should develop skills of understanding data to make decisions.

Are you surprised?  All the above are data.  We saw how computers work by converting everything into data.  Whether we see a picture, or listen to a song or perform calculations, we are working with data.  In today's world data is becoming more and more important and we should develop skills of understanding data to make decisions.

!Photo of potter

!Photo of potter

[[File:Potter and his work, Jaura, India.jpg|frameless|300x300px]]

[[File:Potter and his work, Jaura, India.jpg|frameless|300x300px]]

!The potter was gathering data about the mud, the water, the texture and he was making the pot.  Now you have a photo of the pottery making and it is possible to know about the pot by looking a picture and reading about it.  Is there any difference between what you know and what the potter knows?  

!'''The potter was gathering data about the mud, the water, the texture and he was making the pot.  Now you have a photo of the pottery making and it is possible to know about the pot by looking a picture and reading about it.  Is there any difference between what you know and what the potter knows?'''

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