ICT Lesson ~ Network Hardware

Networking hardware or networking equipment typically refers to devices facilitating the use of a computer network. Typically, this includes gateways, routers, network bridges, switches, hubs, and repeaters. Also, hybrid network devices such as multilayer switches, protocol converters and bridge routers. And, proxy servers, firewalls and network address translators. Also, multiplexers, network interface controllers, wireless network interface controllers, modems, ISDN terminal adapters and line drivers. And, wireless access points, networking cables and other related hardware.

Routers:
Routers are physical devices that join multiple wired or wireless networks together. Technically, a wired or wireless router is a Layer 3 gateway, meaning that the wired/wireless router connects networks (as gateways do), and that the router operates at the network layer of the OSI model.
Home networkers often use an Internet Protocol (IP) wired or wireless router, IP being the most common OSI network layer protocol. An IP router such as a DSL or cable modem broadband router joins the home's local area network (LAN) to the wide-area network (WAN) of the Internet.

Bridges:
A network bridge, also known as a layer 2 switch, is a hardware device used to create a connection between two separate computer networks or to divide one network into two. Both networks usually use the same protocol; Ethernet is an example of a protocol. Network devices include, but are not limited to, Personal Computers (PCs), printers, routers, switches and hubs. Devices connected to a network via an Ethernet adapter card have what is known as a Media Access Control (MAC) address, also called a physical or hardware address. It is this address that uniquely identifies a device to a bridge that can then determine to which network the device is connected.

Switches:
A network switch is a small hardware device that joins multiple computers together within one local area network (LAN). Technically, network switches operate at layer two (Data Link Layer) of the OSI model.
Network switches appear nearly identical to network hubs, but a switch generally contains more intelligence (and a slightly higher price tag) than a hub. Unlike hubs, network switches are capable of inspecting data packets as they are received, determining the source and destination device of each packet, and forwarding them appropriately. By delivering messages only to the connected device intended, a network switch conserves network bandwidth and offers generally better performance than a hub.

ICT Lesson ~ Forums

An Internet forum is a discussion area on a website. Website members can post discussions and read and respond to posts by other forum members. An Internet forum can be focused on nearly any subject and a sense of an online community, or virtual community, tends to develop among forum members.

An Internet forum is also called a message board, discussion group, bulletin board or web forum. However, it differs from a blog, the name for a web log, as a blog is usually written by one user and usually only allows for the responses of others to the blog material. An Internet forum usually allows all members to make posts and start new topics.

An Internet forum is also different from a chat room. Members in a chat room usually all chat or communicate at the same time, while members in an Internet forum post messages to be read by others whenever they happen to log on. Internet forums also tend to be more topic-focused than chat rooms.

                  

ICT Lesson ~ Wikis

A wiki is a website that allows users to collaborate (work together) to create the content. The pages of a wiki can be edited by everyone (or those who have the password) so that different people can add to the page, edit things, fix errors, etc.

Wikis often automatically create automatic links between pages. E.g. if a wiki page exists called 'Camels' and you write the word 'camel', the word will become a link to the Camel page. This feature means that wikis are very useful for creating sites containing lots of connected information.

Wikis are used for websites such as:

• Encyclopaedia (e.g. Wikipedia)
• Help sites (e.g. This site for Ubuntu Linux)

Because many people can edit pages on a wiki, you have to be aware that the information you read may not be entirely accurate - sometimes people edit pages and write things that are wrong. Usually the errors are noticed and fixed by other wiki users, but not always.

ICT Lesson ~ Blogs

A blog is a website where someone (usually a normal person - not a professional writer) writes about a topic.

Blogs can be personal (someone writing about their own life, or their personal views), based on an interest (e.g. football), or some businesses also use blogs to write about new products, etc.

A blog allows someone to be a writer and publisher on the Web with very little effort or cost. A blog can be setup with just a few clicks, whereas a few years ago you'd need a lot of technical knowledge to create your own website.

Many blogs have systems that allow readers to leave comments and begin discussions connected with the blog posts.

Blogging (the act of writing a blog) has become very popular over the past decade or so (there are well over 200 million unique blogs).

Some blogs are very popular and have hundreds of thousands of readers, but many are only read by a tiny number of readers (probably just the writer's family and friends!)

Blogs allow people to publish their views and opinions very easily, without anyone else checking what they are writing. For this reason, it is very important that you do not take the viewpoints expressed on blogs as facts - they are just one person's opinion and maybe factually very wrong.

ICT Lesson ~ Digital Divide

The Digital Divide refers to any inequalities between groups, broadly construed, in terms of access to, use of, or knowledge of information and communication technologies. The divide inside countries (such as the digital divide in the United States) can refer to inequalities between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic and other demographic levels, while the Global digital divide designates countries as the units of analysis and examines the divide between developing and developed countries on an international scale.

Significance:

There are people who arent familiar with new technologies or using computers. This means that not only them but also their family begin to fall behind others who regularly use computers in terms of IT skills.
When they want to apply for a job they might find it harder to compete with others who are familiar with computers and software applications. Their children could be disadvantaged because a lot of homework and projects now require research using the Internet.
The digital divide is also apparent between countries. A lot of people in the UK, Europe, the U.S. are confident users of technology. Whereas people who live in rural parts of say Africa might never have seen a computer. Even if they could afford to buy one, they might not have the electricity to run one or the training in how to use one.

How to ovecome it ?
1) An individual must be able to connect in order to achieve enhancement of social and cultural capital and achieve mass economic gains in productivity. Therefore access is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for overcoming the digital divide. Access to ICT meets significant challenges that stem from income restrictions.

2) Driving down the costs or ICT, which includes low cost technologies and shared access through Telecentres.