Computer Literacy and Fluency with Information Technology

        This reading, Literacy and Computer Literacy, summarized a report on technology fluency by the National Research Council, as well as eleven theses on computer literacy. The article defined computer literacy as having "contemporary skills, foundational concepts, and intellectual capabilities." This means that to be computer literate one must be reasonable, able to problem solve, have knowledge of computers and their systems, and be able to use basic computer functions and programs. The article focused on college graduates, as they are the group most likely to have these skills as well as to be using the technology.
       The eleven theses on computer literacy were basically rules defining exactly what qualities make up computer literacy. Some of these were in the report by the NRC while others were relevant but not in the NRC report; these also contained ways in which the report might be expanded to include them. Rather than list all eleven theses and summarize them all, I will state a few which I found most prevalent to today's society and my own life.
         "Literacy is a technical skill." This is one of the few theses contained within the NRC report; I found it to be both true and very prevalent no matter the user's generation. In order to be truly technologically literate, one must be able to operate the technology. This includes the technology in one's own generation as well as the most recent and up to date technology. Growing up with an old dinosaur of a desktop, I was a little slow when getting used to my laptop and even slower when trying my hand at Mac systems. As a college student, however, I was forced to adapt and learn new technology to be both efficient and productive. To borrow a term from another reading, growing up a "digital native" has allowed me to be somewhat more technology inclined than your average grandma; overall my knowledge of technology allowed me to pick it up relatively quickly with the help of others more proficient than myself. However, I feel that it was my own initial technical skill which I built my knowledge from that allowed me to receive my education and improve my technical literacy.
        "There is a literacy divide between home and school." While this thesis was not in the NRC report, I personally think it is one of the most relevant points made. Your personal starting point in technology has a huge impact on how quickly you pick up new technology as well as your knowledge as a whole. While I was restricted to an outdated desktop for most of my K-12 career, I still had internet access and was able to learn a great deal of the qualifications listed for one who is computer literate. There are places in the US in which students have no access to computers or internet at home, which puts them at a disadvantage because they are only able to learn what the school teaches them; there is no room to experiment and teach themselves to be technologically proficient.On the other end of the spectrum there are students who are raised with only the newest, most current technology; these students are forced to waste their time learning information that is completely irrelevant to them, as they have already progressed beyond it at home. There is really no perfect solution to this issue, as schools cannot control the technological education students recieve at home. However, one potential solution may be to give students a placement test and offer different levels of technological learning.