Technological literacy (Technology Literacy) is the ability to use, manage, understand, and assess

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, scien ...

. Technological literacy is related to

digital literacy Digital literacy refers to an individual's ability to find, evaluate, and communicate information through typing and other media on various digital platforms. It is evaluated by an individual's grammar, composition, typing skills and ability to pro ...

in that when an individual is proficient in using computers and other digital devices to access the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...

, digital literacy gives them the ability to use the Internet to discover, review, evaluate, create, and use information via various digital platforms, such as

web browser A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used o ...

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases ...

s, online journals, magazines,

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...

s, blogs, and social media sites.

UNESCO and Technology Literacy

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

(United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) strives to bring technology literacy to students throughout the world by ensuring educators are using technology in every aspect of their teaching. The more students are familiar not only with learning about technology but learning ''with'' technology, the more they will be prepared to use technology to improve their lives. An entire module in their 2011 publication ''ICT Competency Framework for Teachers'' focuses on Technology Literacy in the classroom. This publication was updated in 2018 to reflect evolving ICT competencies (

Information and Communications Technology Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications ( telephone lines and wireless signals) and computer ...

). The

framework A framework is a generic term commonly referring to an essential supporting structure which other things are built on top of. Framework may refer to: Computing * Application framework, used to implement the structure of an application for an op ...

has been used worldwide to develop ICT in education policy, teacher standards, assessment criteria, curriculum design and course-ware development. A highlight in the updated publication shows how the Technology Literacy module was put into action in an ICT in Education curriculum for a bachelor's degree by a university in the Latin America and the

Caribbean Region The Caribbean region of Colombia or Caribbean coast region is in the north of Colombia and is mainly composed of 8 departments located contiguous to the Caribbean.terminology Terminology is a group of specialized words and respective meanings in a particular field, and also the study of such terms and their use; the latter meaning is also known as terminology science. A ''term'' is a word, compound word, or multi-wo ...

and function of hardware components and

peripheral A peripheral or peripheral device is an auxiliary device used to put information into and get information out of a computer. The term ''peripheral device'' refers to all hardware components that are attached to a computer and are controlled by the ...

s (e.g. laptops, printers, storage), and how to troubleshoot if a computer is not working. These all lead to overcoming apprehension or fear of using technology. Another focus topic is word processing, which includes how a

word processor A word processor (WP) is a device or computer program that provides for input, editing, formatting, and output of text, often with some additional features. Early word processors were stand-alone devices dedicated to the function, but current ...

operates, how it differs from a

typewriter A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...

, how to use word processor software on computers, how to format documents, and how to check grammar and spelling. In 2016, UNESCO detailed how teachers can show Technology Literacy in their classrooms when providing ICT education. Teachers will: * describe and demonstrate the basic tasks and uses of word processors, such as text entry, editing text, formatting text and printing, describe and demonstrate the purpose and basic features of presentation

software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consist ...

and other digital resources. * describe the purpose and basic function of graphic software and use a graphic software package to create a simple graphic display. * describe the Internet and the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web ...

, elaborate on their uses, and describe how a browser works and use URL to access a website, use a search engine. * create an email account and use it for a sustained series of email correspondence, use common communication and collaboration technologies, such as (email),

text messaging Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/laptops, or another type of compatible comput ...

, video conferencing, and web-based collaboration and social environments. * use networked record keeping software to take attendance, submit grades, and maintain student records. * locate off-the-shelf packages,

tutorial A tutorial, in education, is a method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of a learning process. More interactive and specific than a book or a lecture, a tutorial seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete ...

, drill and practice software and Web resources for their accuracy and alignment with Curriculum Standards and match them to the needs of specific students. On May 9, 2019, the UNESCO Cairo Office began a technology literacy project to teach basic literacy skills, life skills, and legal empowerment to 150-200 illiterate women between the ages of 15 and 35 living in the Giza Governate.

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References

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