MTU Library Catalogue

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Fluency with information technology : skills, concepts & capabilities / Lawrence Snyder.

By: Snyder, Lawrence.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: Boston : Addison Wesley, 2013Edition: 5th ed.Description: xxii, 810 pages : color illustrations ; 26cm.ISBN: 9780132828932 (pbk) ; 0132828936.Subject(s): Information technology | Computer literacyDDC classification: 004
Contents:
Part 1: Becoming Skilled at Computing -- Defining Information Technology -- Exploring the Human-Computer Interface -- The Basics of Networking -- A Hypertext markup language primer -- Locating information on the www -- An introduction to debugging -- Part 2: Algorithms and digitizing information -- Representing information digitally -- Representing multimedia digitally -- Principles of Computer Operations -- Algorithmic Thinking -- Part 3: Data and Information -- Social Implications of IT -- Privacy and Digital Security -- The basics of spreadsheets -- Advanced spreadsheets for planning -- Introduction to database concepts -- A case study in database organization -- Part 4: Problem Solving -- Fundamental concepts expressed in Javascript -- A javascript program -- Programming functions -- Iteration principles -- A case study in algorithmic problem solving -- Limits to computation -- A fluency summary.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, and Capabilities equips readers who are already familiar with computers, the Internet, and the World Wide Web with a deeper understanding of the broad capabilities of technology. Through a project-oriented learning approach that uses examples and realistic problem-solving scenarios, Larry Snyder teaches readers to navigate information technology independently and become effective users of today's resources, forming a foundation of skills they can adapt to their personal and career goals as future technologies emerge.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1: Becoming Skilled at Computing -- Defining Information Technology -- Exploring the Human-Computer Interface -- The Basics of Networking -- A Hypertext markup language primer -- Locating information on the www -- An introduction to debugging -- Part 2: Algorithms and digitizing information -- Representing information digitally -- Representing multimedia digitally -- Principles of Computer Operations -- Algorithmic Thinking -- Part 3: Data and Information -- Social Implications of IT -- Privacy and Digital Security -- The basics of spreadsheets -- Advanced spreadsheets for planning -- Introduction to database concepts -- A case study in database organization -- Part 4: Problem Solving -- Fundamental concepts expressed in Javascript -- A javascript program -- Programming functions -- Iteration principles -- A case study in algorithmic problem solving -- Limits to computation -- A fluency summary.

CIT Module COMP 6005 - Core reading

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Part 1 Becoming Skilled at Computing
  • Chapter 1 Defining Information Technology
  • Terms of Endearment
  • Hardware, Software, and the Experience
  • Computers Are Everywhere
  • Software
  • Experience
  • The Data
  • Summary
  • Terms of Endearment
  • Algorithms
  • The Words for Ideas
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 2 Exploring the Human-Computer Interface
  • Face It, It's a Computer
  • A Few Useful Concepts
  • Perfect Reproduction
  • How We Learn Technology
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 3 The Basics of Networking
  • Making the Connection
  • Comparing Communication Types
  • The Medium of the Message
  • The World Wide Web
  • The Internet and the Web
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 4 A Hypertext Markup Language Primer
  • Marking Up with HTML
  • Marking Up with HTML
  • Lab Practice I
  • Structuring Documents
  • Lab Practice II
  • Marking Links with Anchor Tags
  • Including Pictures with Image Tags
  • Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
  • Lists and Tables
  • HTML Wrap-Up
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 5 Locating Information on the WWW
  • The Search for Truth
  • Web Search Fundamentals
  • Advanced Searches
  • Web Searching
  • Authoritative Information
  • Truth or Fiction?
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 6 An Introduction to Debugging
  • To Err Is Human
  • Precision: The High Standards of Computing
  • Debugging: What's the Problem?
  • A Dialog About Debugging
  • Debugging Recap
  • Fixing HTML Bugs: A Case Study
  • No Printer Output: A Classic Scenario
  • Ensuring the Reliability of Software
  • Community Debugging
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Interview Vinton G. Cerf
  • Part 2 Algorithms and Digitizing Information
  • Chapter 7 Representing Information Digitally
  • Bits and the "Why" of Bytes
  • Digitizing Discrete Information
  • Fundamental Information Representation
  • Hex Explained
  • Digitizing Numbers in Binary
  • Digitizing Text
  • The Metadata and the OED
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 8 Representing Multimedia Digitally
  • Light, Sound, Magic
  • Digitizing Color
  • Color and the Mystery of Light
  • Computing on Representations
  • Old Photographs
  • Digitizing Sound
  • Digital Images and Video
  • Optical Character Recognition
  • Virtual Reality: Fooling the Senses
  • Bits Are It
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 9 Principles of Computer Operations
  • Following Instructions
  • What Computers Can and Cannot Do
  • The Fetch/Execute Cycle
  • Anatomy of a Computer
  • The Program Counter: The PC's PC
  • Instruction Interpretation
  • Cycling the Fetch/Execute Cycle
  • Software
  • Integrated Circuits
  • How Semiconductor Technology Works
  • Combining the Ideas
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 10 Algorithmic Thinking
  • What's the Plan?
  • Inside Story on Algorithms
  • Algorithms-A Basic Concept
  • A Closer Look
  • Doing the Right Thing
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Interview Ray Kurzweil
  • Part 3 Data and Information
  • Chapter 11 Social Implications of IT
  • Computers in Polite Society
  • The Power of the Crowd
  • Out on Good Behavior
  • Expect the Unexpected
  • Creating Good Passwords
  • Spam
  • Scams
  • Protecting Intellectual Property
  • Creative Commons
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 12 Privacy and Digital Security
  • Shhh, It's a Secret
  • Privacy: Whose Information Is It?
  • A Privacy Definition
  • Enjoying the Benefits of Privacy
  • Fair Information Practices
  • Comparing Privacy Worldwide
  • The Cookie Monster
  • Tracking
  • Digital Security
  • Plan of Action
  • Encryption
  • The Take-Home Message
  • Back to the Coffee Shop
  • Redundancy Is Very, Very, Very Good
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 13 The Basics of Spreadsheets
  • Fill-in-the-Blank Computing
  • Arranging Information
  • Computing with Spreadsheets
  • Daily Spreadsheets
  • Importing Data
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 14 Advanced Spreadsheets for Planning
  • "What If" Thinking Helps
  • Designing a Spreadsheet
  • Conditional Formatting
  • Conditional Formulas
  • Naming: Symbolic Reference
  • "What If" Analysis
  • Analyzing Data Using Filtering
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 15 Introduction to Database Concepts
  • A Table with a View
  • Differences Between Tables and Databases
  • XML: A Language for Metadata Tags
  • Tables and Entities
  • Operations on Tables
  • Structure of a Database
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 16 A Case Study in Database Organization
  • The iDiary Database
  • Thinking About a Personal Database
  • A Preliminary Exercise
  • The iDiary Database
  • Using the iDiary Daily
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Interview Alan Kay
  • Part 4 Problem Solving
  • Chapter 17 Fundamental Concepts Expressed in JavaScript
  • Get with the Program
  • Overview: Programming Concepts
  • Names, Values, and Variables
  • Names Have Changing Values
  • Names in a Program Are Called Variables
  • A Variable Declaration Statement
  • Three Basic Data Types of JavaScript
  • The Assignment Statement
  • An Expression and Its Syntax
  • A Conditional Statement
  • The Espresso Program
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 18 A JavaScript Program
  • The Bean Counter
  • Preliminaries
  • Background for the GUI
  • Creating the Graphical User Interface
  • Event-Based Programming
  • Critiquing the Bean Counter
  • Bean Counter Recap
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 19 Programming Functions
  • Thinking Big
  • Anatomy of a Function
  • Forms and Functions
  • Writing Functions, Using Functions
  • The Memory Bank Web Page
  • Improving the Memory Bank Web Page
  • Add Final Touches to Memory Bank
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 20 Iteration Principles
  • Once Is Not Enough
  • Iteration: Play It Again, Sam
  • JavaScript Rules for for Loops
  • Experiments with Flipping Coins
  • Indexing
  • Arrays
  • The Busy Animation
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 21 A Case Study in Algorithmic Problem Solving
  • The Smooth Motion Application
  • The Smooth Motion Application
  • Planning Smooth Motion
  • Build the Basic Web Page GUI
  • Animate the Grid
  • The Best Laid Plans . . .
  • Build Controls
  • Sense the Keys
  • Staircase Detection
  • Assemble Overall Design
  • Primp the Design
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 22 Limits to Computation
  • Computers Can Do Almost {{qEverything, qNothing}}
  • Can Computers Think?
  • Acting Intelligently?
  • Playing Chess
  • Watson
  • Acting Creatively?
  • The Universality Principle
  • More Work, Slower Speed
  • Are "Best" Algorithms All Fast?
  • Summary
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Chapter 23 A Fluency Summary
  • Click to Close
  • Two Big IT Ideas
  • Fluency: Less Is More
  • Lifelong IT Learning
  • Shifting for Yourself
  • Try It Solutions
  • Review Questions
  • Interview Marc Andreessen
  • Appendix A HTML Reference
  • Appendix B RSA Public Key Cryptosystem
  • Appendix C iDiary: Tags and Templates
  • Appendix D JavaScript Programming Rules
  • Appendix E Bean Counter Program
  • Appendix F The Memory Bank Page
  • Appendix G The Smooth Motion Application
  • Glossary
  • Answers to Selected Questions
  • Index
  • Credits

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Larry Snyder was the chairman of the National Research Council's (NRC) committee that issued the report, "Being Fluent with Information Technology." It is this NRC committee funded by the National Science Foundation that identified the three types of knowledge needed in Fluency. Larry received his BA in 1968 from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. in 1973 at Carnegie Mellon. He taught at schools such as Yale, MIT, Harvard, and Syndey University before settling down at the University of Washington in 1983, where he is currently a professor of computer science and engineering.