Did you remember to include skills like

• researching
• problem solving
• organizing and planning
• prioritizing
• evaluating information (critical thinking)
• drawing conclusions or developing strategies

We talked about computer and digital literacy. There is another type; media literacy. This type of literacy involves those skills listed above. Media literacy includes more than the Internet, of course. It involves other forms of communication: newspapers, videos, films, radios, books and magazines, advertisements etc. We are expected to have the skills to critically evaluate what we see and hear and make decisions based on our evaluation. We are used to doing it automatically with familiar sources of information. We just need to transfer our skills to the new media of the internet. Because there are no rules and no controls, we need to approach it critically.

Big Brother is Watching You. George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-four

Discuss with your class what you think this quote means. Do you think that it is true? And if it is true, what impact will e-mail and internet access have on privacy in general?

What, if anything, would you do about it?

When we use the Internet, we leave "footprints". Some companies want to know who is visiting their sites. Why would they want to know this? There is software to protect your privacy.

Why Is Technology A Necessary Business Tool?

During the next few days, fill in this chart every time you communicate with someone and they or you use a technological tool. (You only have to list the telephone once!) Remember that a communication can be a business transaction. How did you get money from the bank? Pay your bills? Buy groceries?

Were you surprised at the diversity of transactions? Almost every business or company uses technology to enhance their business.