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It has become fashionable to write books on technical subjects
with the
titles such as: " Everything you wanted to know about (Subject X) but were
afraid to ask" or perhaps,
"(Subject X) for dummies". The spirit of such titles is that these books
provide, at least according to the author, a simple, lively exposition of
Subject X that does not get bogged down in the technical details that only
experts need anyway. This is the spirit of this module: Subject X in this
case is "How do computers and computer networks such as the Internet
really
work?". (We use the term "Connections" to refer to a collection of issues
including the Internet, the World-Wide Web, Local Area Networks, etc.)
Needless to say, the question "How do computers and computer networks
such as the Internet really work?" is a huge question indeed, and a
detailed answer
could only be understood by experts. Most of us do not need to know a
detailed answer to work with computers and computer networks. However, we,
as teachers,
do need a good conceptual understanding of computers and networks to use
them effectively and efficiently in our work and to help our schools to
make sound decisions on the purchase of computers, network services and
software for our schools.
The purpose of this module is to help you to acquire this sort of understanding,
and to do it in manner that is engaging and that takes appropriate advantage of your background
and interests as a mathematics teacher.
The goal of this module is to help you, as a mathematics teacher, to
understand the function of the basic components of computers and computer
networks and their interrelationships well enough to make effective, full
use of their capabilities
and to make informed decisions concerning the purchase of new equipment
and
software for yourself or for your school.
This module contains a lot of information, and some of the terminology may
seem intimidating at first. But don't worry! We do not expect you to
become
a computer expert by the end of this course, nor should you expect in
any way to be able to go out and get a job as a Computer System Administrator as
soon as you're finished. Our hope is simply to get your feet wet in these
areas, so that you will be familiar enough to NOT be intimidated with
computers or connections.
This type of familiarization involves:
- Knowing the buzz words and breaking down those darn acronyms
- Getting a feel for the "big picture"--how everything generally
works
- Knowing what to look for in a good computer or a good Internet
connection
- Asking as many questions as possible--communication is key!
Since computers and connections are a huge, but still relatively new
concept, it's very difficult to find anyone who is an expert in all
aspects--the authors included. :-) So although we do NOT promise a
completely precise, in-depth, technical discussion of these subjects, we DO
promise an enjoyable, interesting and informative, interactive learning
experience for all of us!!
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