Cristine's Computer Page
Meaningful Topics I Learned in CISB11
by Cristine Reyes
Most people in today’s society use computers everyday without realize how they really work. I personally use computers daily for work and personal use, but have never really understood how a computer really works or the magnitude of things it can do to make my life easier.
One of the most meaningful things I learned that is extremely relevant to my life is what exactly a computer is, which is an electronic device that is programmable and can accept input, process the data inputted, give output or results, and then store those results. For me, however, the only thing I really thought of as a computer was a desktop or a laptop personal computer. I didn’t realize that we are all surrounded by computers in our every day lives, from the small computer programmed inside my garage door opener that I click to tell it to send a signal to open my garage, to the more advanced computer that allows me to make phone calls, text, and take digital photographs on my Blackberry cell phone. Simply learning what a computer actually is and how many computers I actually use everyday for numerous tasks was very interesting and meaningful to me.
Another important thing I learned in this class how useful electronic spreadsheets are. I see electronic spreadsheets all the time at the bank where I work; they are used to show sales results, telephone numbers of other branches, and the next week’s schedule. I have also had Microsoft Excel on all of my computers at home and have used it to make simple electronic spreadsheets like chores to do around the house. Still, I didn’t really understand how powerful of a tool it was until I took this class. I am a business major, so I will have to take many accounting classes. Now I understand how vital it is to know how to use an electronic spreadsheet, because they are used heavily for accounting purposes. I know realize that you can input formulas into the spreadsheet so that when you enter data into specific cells, the results can be calculated by the program instead of having to do it yourself. It makes account and budgeting so much easier, because you can also change the values of the cells to see how changes in budgeting can affect results and profits.
I also found learning about computer memory very useful. Just earlier this year I found myself looking to buy a new computer because my old one had a virus and was no longer running correctly (learning about computer security and virus scanners and firewalls was also important). When it came to finding out which computer was best for me however, was very difficult because I didn’t know what exactly would fit my needs. I didn’t know the difference between hard drive memory and RAM, or even what RAM stood for that matter. Now I know that RAM is Random Access Memory that is used to temporarily store data that the computer needs at the moment to run programs and help speed up processing time, but once the computer is shut off, the data stored is all erased. I also now know that hard drive memory is used for permanent storage of data like word documents and pictures. So now, when I am looking to buy a computer in the future, I will know what the different memory sizes mean and how much memory I need to fit how I use my computer.
One of the things I really liked about this class was also learning about how technology is changing and the affects it has in our lives. One of the most interesting topics we discussed was RFID tags, which are small electronic tags which are used to store data and can be read by RFID readers. I had never heard about RFID tags before, but now I am aware of their many uses and the privacy issues that can come up when considering the use of RFID tags. I didn’t even realize that I owned a credit card with a RFID tag in it, which allows me to simply wave my card by a RFID reader so that the reader can pull up my credit card account information and debit my account for purchases with out me having to physically slide my card through a magnetic reader like I do with all my other cards. I really liked learning about this technology and how it is now a part of my life.
Overall, learning about computers made me feel empowered as both a consumer or computers and technology and as an individual living in a society where technology is such a big part of it. I really feel that the more knowledge you have the more power you have. Now when I use computers in my everyday life, I can really appreciate how they work and also feel confident in using them because I have good background knowledge of computers and technology. Also, in my everyday life, I can think more critically about how technology affects my life because I now understand it’s many uses, advantages, and potential disadvantages.
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