Ch 1: Course Overview

Chapter 1 introduces digital literacy, emphasizing its importance in living in the digital world and preparing for future careers. It provides an overview of computer technologies and networks, and discusses how these technologies continue to evolve in the future.

Ch 2: Keyboarding

Chapter 2 reviews best practices for typing, and is dedicated to assessing students’ keyboarding skills. Through a series of lab simulations, emphasizing finger placement and ergonomics, students practice typing letters, words, and sentences meant to assess their keyboarding skills. With highlighted errors, students can identify mistakes and improve their accuracy over time. This chapter is intended to help the teacher assess where the student is in the process of learning keyboarding, and build on the student's capabilities.

Ch 3: Hardware

Chapter 3 provides students with an understanding of computer hardware, and reviews the concepts that give a solid foundation of computer technology. It reviews common peripheral and external devices such as printers, monitors and sound. Students will learn about the motherboard and other internal components, such as the processor, memory, power supply and storage. It also covers digital information, numbers and metric prefixes. Using hardware simulators, students can practice installing, upgrading and configuring various system components, and finish the chapter with a simulation to build a computer.

Ch 4: Operating Systems and File Systems

Chapter 4 introduces and explores the UI elements and features of several common operating systems, including Windows OS, Mac OS, Linux OS and Chrome OS. Students will be able to simulate how to update systems and drives. They’ll learn to run, close, install and uninstall applications. With an introduction to managing file systems, including file formats, directories, and compressed files, students will learn to retrieve files from memory and backup files. This chapter concludes with the difference between graphical user interface (GUI) and command line interface (CLI) within Linux and Windows File systems.

Ch 5: Introduction to Applications

Chapter 5 introduces several types of software applications, including productivity, business, education, communication, entertainment and digital media. It introduces common features and functions within different software applications and devices. Through labs and simulations, students can practice opening, printing and saving files, copying and editing tasks, applying templates, and using spelling and grammar tools.

Ch 6: Word Processing

Chapter 6 provides fundamental word processing skills by introducing digital documents and presenting common features in Microsoft Word. It provides practice modifying features within a document. After finishing this chapter, students should have basic skills in formatting documents and text, creating and editing tables, and inserting/modifying images.

Ch 7: Spreadsheets

Chapter 7 teaches spreadsheet tools used for data entry within Microsoft Excel. Students interact with cells, charts and tables within workbooks, and learn about standard functions, formulas and formatting tools. Interacting with these different elements will help students successfully begin building spreadsheets and applying data entry tasks.

Ch 8: Presentations

Chapter 8 provides students with the skills to create and manage slide presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint. It gives an overview of standard presentation tools, and provides a principal understanding of slide creation and formatting, including inserting tables, lists and images. Students will learn about slide transitions and animations that help deliver an engaging presentation. After reviewing key presentation tips, this chapter concludes with a simulation to run a slideshow.

Ch 9: Other Common Applications

Chapter 9 familiarizes students with other types of application software. It highlights email software, where students navigate an email interface and its features, reply to, and create emails. It reviews digital calendars where students simulate creating, sharing and modifying calendar events. It Introduces database software and databases, simulating data modification, insertion and queries. The chapter ends by highlighting digital media software. Students can learn about editing graphics, photos, audio, and video, with an introduction to motion graphics, 3D graphics, and animation software.

Ch 10: Networks and Internet Technology

Chapter 10 discusses the intricacies of computer networks, capabilities of cloud technology, and convenience of online collaboration. It introduces network components that enable communication across networks, such as network devices, connections, types, topology, protocols and IP addresses. It also explores cloud technologies and web applications. This chapter shares principles of effective communication and explains how networks permit global collaboration.

Ch 11: Internet, Social Media, and IoT

Chapter 11 explains how the internet works, its capabilities and its influence in several aspects of our daily lives. Students will learn about websites, web servers, URLs, internet speed, bandwidth and how search engines work. This chapter reviews searching best practices and touches on advanced techniques. It introduces different social networks, review sites and community forums and introduces technology for research. The chapter concludes with an explanation of the internet of things and its impact on daily life, showcasing popular devices that work through internet connection.

Ch 12: Mobile Technology

Chapter 12 explores different mobile devices, interfaces and mobile applications. It instructs how to install/uninstall apps. It explains the diverse ways to connect mobile devices using Bluetooth, cellular networks, Wi-Fi, and hotspots. The chapter closes by discussing how students can keep their mobile devices secure and private.

Ch 13: Digital Citizenship

Chapter 13 develops students to be good digital citizens by understanding appropriate and responsible uses of technology. It explains digital citizenship as being competent, aware, responsible, ethical, safe and principled when participating in an online community. This chapter covers what skills need to be developed, the dangers of participating in the digital world, and respectful and appropriate online behavior, as well as permissions, trademarks and copyrights. This chapter concludes with how to be a safe and engaged part of diverse online communities.

Ch 14: Programming Fundamentals

Chapter 14 teaches the essentials of programming terminology, language, and facts. Beginning with an introduction to computational thinking, students will learn to develop a set of instructions that computers can understand. As they practice coding JavaScript, they’ll use debugging tools, they will learn topics such as data types and operators, conditional functions, logical operators, and iteration control structures. The chapter ends using JavaScript to practice with arrays, lists, and functions.

CH 15: Problem Solving and Project Planning

Chapter 15 instructs students on problem solving by first defining the problem, idetifying the audience, visulaizing the solution, designing the process, and using feedback for collaboration. This chapter also discusses making project goals, collaboration, task management, and presentation.

Ch 16: Career Pathways

Chapter 15 initiates career preparation and exploration by introducing various career options in information technology, programming, engineering, data, digital media and cybersecurity. Students will learn basic career preparation techniques such as goal setting, education planning, networking, interviewing and resume writing.

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