I C T NOTES

A computer is an electronic device used to process, store and retrieve information.

ICT stands for information and communication technology.
CD stand for Compact disk
CPU stands for Central Processing Unit
Storage devices can be internal or external.
You use the internet properly if you never give your password to anyone
We open toolbox program for us to draw.
We take our colours from the colour box.
We take our shapes and pencil from the toolbox.
Handwriting is also called font
We click using the mouse.
(mouse , font , toolbox , colour box , Paint)

Basics of the information technology

 Information technology (IT) is a technology which uses computers to gather, process,
store, protect, and transfer information.
 Today, it is common to use the term Information and communications technology (ICT)
because it is unimaginable to work on a computer which is not connected to the network.

The computer consists of:

a. hardware – physical computer parts, palpable and visible
b. software – set of commands that are "understandable" to the computer;
instructions to its palpable parts, giving orders what to do
Types of computers

 Mainframe computers
 Minicomputer
 Microcomputer
 Supercomputer
 Smartphone
 Server computer
 Workstation computer
 Desktops
 Laptops
 Notepads
 Palmtops

Parts of a computer
CPU contains the (brains) central components of the computer.
Monitor (the screen) a device used for viewing and editing output from a computer.
Displays information on the computer
Keyboard a set of keys used to operate a computer,

1
Mouse –is a small device used to point and select items on a computer screen.

Keys found on a keyboard

 Enter
 Backspace
 Caps lock
 Shift
 Number lock
 Control

Computer games
 Puzzle
 Spelling city
 Fizzy`s lunch lab
 Itzabitza
 Oregon Trail
 Lifeboat to mars
Input devices
these are devices through which data enter the computer
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Microphone
 Scanner
 Digital camera
 Touchpad
Output devices
 Monitor displays information from the computer.
 Printer produce information on paper. Produce information from softcopy to
hardcopy (paper). You get a hardcopy after printing out information.
 Projector used to output information on big screens.
 Speakers enables you to hear sounds like music or even recorded sounds.
storage devices
internal storage
magnetic disks
hard disk drive
floppy disk
optical disks DVD and CD
USB (universal serial Bus)
External hard drive
 memory stick
 memory card
 USB (universal serial Bus)

Basic principle of computers:

2
  Data enters the computer through one or more input devices.
 The computer then processes the data and transmits the resulting data to output devices.
 Output devices can be human interfaces such as a screen or another electronic device
such as a storage device or computer network.

The system unit consists of the following components:

1. Motherboard - MBO
 a computer "backbone" responsible for communication between components and
transmission of information.
2. Central Processing Unit - CPU
3. Hard Disk Drive - HDD –
device (memory) used for permanent data storage
4. Drive (SSD)
5. Floppy Disk Drive – FDD
6. Optical disks - CD, DVD
7. Graphics processing units (GPU)
8. Universal Serial Bus (USB)
Device that is both input and output: touch screen.

Common devices and media for storing and transferring data:

i. hard disk
ii. USB flash drive
iii. Diskette
iv. te and ZIP diskette
v. CD and DVD discs
vi. memory cards
vii. internal hard disk
viii. external hard disk
ix. network disk drive

Computer lab rules

we need rules to maintain order in the computer lab.
 No unnecessary movement in the lab.
 No liquids are allowed in the lab.
 No noise is allowed in the lab.
 Do not operate a computer without the teacher`s consent.
 No food or drinks near computers.
 Clean up your working area before you leave.
 Do not step on plugs in the computer lab.
 No use of computers when there is lightning.
 Close/save your work when you have finished.
COMPUTER FAULTS
 Screen freezing
 Computer slowing

3
 Slow internet
 Strange noises
 Malware
 Blue screen
 Slow applications
 Printer not working
 Mouse not working
 Keyboard not working
 Program not responding
 Power button failing to start the computer

Solutions on computer faults

Troubleshooting is a way of identifying causes of faults.
 is finding out how to solve computer problems.
1. Printer not working
a) Check if the printer is turned on.
b) Check if the printer has paper.
c) Check if the printer has a paper jam. If so remove the paper and try to print again.
d) Turn off the printer and turn on again.
e) Make sure all printer cables are properly connected.
2. Mouse not working
a) check if the mouse is plugged well to the computer.
b) check if the cord is not damaged.
c) clean the mouse, especially on the button
3. Computer is slow
a) restart the computer
b) remove unnecessary files not needed.
c) empty the recycle bin to increase disk space.

4. Blank screen
a) make sure the monitor is plugged in and turned on
b) make sure the computer is plugged in and turned on.
c) make sure the monitor cable is well connected to the CPU.
d) the computer may be in sleep mode, if so click any key on the keyboard or the mouse.

5. keyboard not working

a. Make sure the keyboard is connected to the computer, if not connect it to the
computer.
b. If the keys are stuck, switch off the computer and clean with a damp cloth.

6. Power button failing to start the computer

a. Check if the power cable is properly connected.
b. Check if the electrical wall outlet is working.
7. An application running slowly
a. Close the application and open it again

4
 8. All applications running slowly
a. Run an antivirus software
b. Remove unnecessary files not needed to free space on the disk

Error checking tools

 Are responsible for solving issues related to storage as they free up space and
delete junk files.

Uses of smart phones.

 Sending and receiving messages.
 Phoning
 Sending and receiving emails.
 Video chat
 Playing games
 Registering contacts
 Browsing the internet
 Calculator and alarm functions

Examples of ICT tools

They are devices used in information and technology.

 Computer
 Cell phone
 Radio
 Television
 Soft wares
 Laptops
 Printers
 Video conferencing
You need to keep ICT tools from environmental hazards like water , dust and falls.
Before cleaning a computer you should switch it off.
Sugary and alcoholic liquids should never used to clean your computer.
Adequate ventilation is needed for a computer to function well.

Database -
Is a store of data that has been organised in some way.
A database program replaces a filing cabinet.

Uses of databases
Store information about students at a school
Store information about workers at a company.
5
Store information about books in a library.
Store information about items in a supermarket.
Store information on hotel bookings
Store information on results in school competitions

In the database data is stored in tables which consists of many records and each record
consists of several fields.

Each table has rows called records and columns called fields.
Fields uses data types to create data
Data types
 Texts for storing texts and whole numbers that are not going to be used in
calculations. Eg age and phone number
 Number is used in storing numbers and decimals that are going to be used in
calculations.
 Auto number are automatic numbers created with each new record.
 Currency (money) used for money.
 Date (time) for storing date and time.
 Yes/ no for storing values that can only have two states like yes/no, true false and
on/off

Animation
 Means making non moving things appear to make movements.
 Giving life to any object in computer graphics.

Types of animation
a. 2D animation
b. 3D animation

Software used in 2D animation

 Flash
 Photoshop
 After effects
Software used in 3D animation
 Blender
 Cinema 4D
 Autodesk Maya

Software used to demonstrate stop motion animation

 Monkey jam

What you need to demonstrate

 Computer with monkey jam
 Webcam

6
  A clay ball to animate

Uses of animation
a. For entertainment (making cartoons)
b. For demonstrating
c. For teaching
d. Source of employment

Softwares used in animation

a. Monkey jams
b. Cinema 4D
c. Autodesk Maya
d. Blender jus
FPS frames per second

Hacking-
using a computer or internet to gain unauthorized access to data.
 When protecting our work we put a password.

Internet data transfer:

Downloading
When a user receives and accepts a file to his computer or phone from another source.
Uploading
When the user sends a file from his computer or phone to another source.

Computer hardware
Computer hardware components – these are physical components you can touch and see.
 Eg mouse, keyboard, laptop , monitor, external hard drive,

Computer hardware maintenance

Hardware and software maintenance are meant to keep your PC functioning well.
 Hardware maintenance deals with taking care of the physical aspects of a computer like
CPU, monitor, mouse and the keyboard.
 We can remove dust from a computer using a P C blower.
 The other way to keep your computer safe from dust is through covering it with
protective covers.
 Never apply cleaning fluids directly on a computer rather apply it to a cloth or a brush.
 Put your computer on a place where it cannot easily fall or get damaged.
 Computers on the centre of the table are safe from falling.
 You should remove the __________ of a wireless keyboard before cleaning it using
fluids.

7
  You should avoid wiping your monitor in a zigzag motion.
Computer software
A collection of computer instruction that tell the computer what to do or how to work.

Malware
 Different types of computer threats to your computer safety such as viruses, spywares,
worms and Trojans.
Fragmentation
 The process of breaking down files into fragments.
Defragmentation
 Rearrangement of files on a hard disc for fast data access.
 Defragmenters rearranges the hard drive data and reunites the fragmented files.
Data backup
 Making a copy of important data and storing them on an alternative location so that it can
be recovered if deleted or corrupted.
Photoshop
The most commonly used software in photo editing is Photoshop

Multimedia
 Refers to many forms of information for example text, video, animation, and images.
Multi means many
Media means method of carrying information.

Example of multimedia
 Movies
 Songs
 Pictures

Examples of multimedia applications

 Power point
 Picassa
 Coral draw
 Windows live moviemaker
 Adobe Photoshop
 Media Monkey

Examples of music composition softwares

 Cubase
 Reason
 Fruit loops
 Pro-tools
Presentation softwares
Microsoft Power Point
Picassa

8
Corel draw
Windows live moviemaker
Graphics softwares help the user to edit and make changes in visual data and images.
 Photo shop
 Blender
 Autodesk Maya
 Modo
 Pointshop pro
 CorelDRAW

Word processers applications they are for documentation. They help in storing ,
formatting and printing documents.

 Microsoft word
 Google Docs
 Abiword
 Corel WordPerfect

Database applications used to create and manage databases.

 Clipper
 Microsoft Access
 FileMaker
 FoxPro
 dBase
operating systems every device need an operating system to function.
 Android
 Ms Windows
 Ubuntu
 Linux
 Mac Os
 Unix
Microsoft excel

Safety and security

Computer software maintenance

 It is done to keep a computer to running perfectly.
Antivirus
 A software which is used to detect, delete and neutralize computer based virus.

Antivirus soft wares

 Avast antivirus
 SMADAV antivirus
 AVG antivirus
 McAfee

9
 Kaspersky
 Ad-Aware

Example of web browsers they help the user in locating and retrieving data across the
web.
 Goggle Chrome
 Opera mini
 Mozilla fireworks
 Safari
 UC Browser
 Microsoft edge
 Internet explorer

Emails
Stands for electronic mail.
Allows you to send a message to someone over the internet.

Examples of email addresses

[email protected]
[email protected]

Advantages of using e-mails

i) It is fast.
ii) it allows mass communication.
iii) e-mails can be send any time of the day.
iv) it is cheap

Free email sites

 Gmail
 Yahoo! mail.
 Mail.com
 AOL
 iCloud Mail
 Zoho

Instant messaging applications

 whatsApp
 Sasai
 Skype
 Facebook messenger
 Goggle talk
Video conferencing
When people in different places make face to face meetings as if they are in the same
room.

10
 Advantages of video conferencing
 Heavy documents do not have to be carried around.
 Employees can work from home.
 Companies can call for a meeting in a short time.
 Travelling time is saved.
 Companies save travelling costs.
 Documents do not get lost when travelling.

Digital photographers
Photographers take pictures for the purpose of art, business, entertainment and news.

Duties of a digital photographer

 Makes adverts to attract people
 Capture quality photographs
 Improves quality of photographs
 Uses photo editing soft wares
 Analyses and decides how to compose a picture
 Set and adjust equipment

Portrait photographers
 Takes photographs for individuals or groups of people.
 They specializes in wedding, religious ceremonies, and school photographs.

Photo editing
 Is improving a picture`s appearance using a software.

Photo editing software

 Photoshop
 Adobe fireworks
 Paint.
The most used software in photo editing is photoshop.

Cropping
Is removing the unwanted parts from a picture.

Microsoft Picture manager

 Allows you to adjust brightness and contrast of a picture.

Microsoft Picture manager features

 Brightness and contrast
 Colour
 Crop

11
  Resize
 Rotate and flip
 Red eye removal

Tools to capture the best image

Tripods – to stabilizes
Flashes - to enhance light.
Reflection sheets – to direct light.

Programming
It is an art of writing instructions that tell computers what to do.

Programming languages
 Scratch
 Sharp java
 Visual basics
Scratch is a language perfect for creating animation and games.

In the scratch environment we have ;

Sprites called actors
Stage where the sprites perform
Blocks used to build a script.
Scripts tell sprites how to perform .

The sprite which appears when you open a scratch is a cat.

Network components
 Hardware components
 Software components

A computer that is not connected to a network is called a standalone computer.

Additional components attached to a computer to expand its use are called peripherals.
Eg a printer and a scanner.

A router
 Moves data from one network to another.
 It is used to connect multiple computers at the same time.
A hub
 A distribution centre which splits a network connection into multiple computers.

A switch
A network device connecting multiple wires , allowing them to communicate
simultaneously.
A switch is more intelligent than a hub.
A switch is a hub with more technological ability.
Cables

12
  Used to transfer communication signals.
Software components
 Are the operating system and protocol suites.

A modem
 A device that encodes computer signals into analog telephone signals and vice
versa and allows computers to communicate over a phone line.
Types of cables
Fibre cable
Coaxial cable
Twisted paired cable
Advantages of switches
 They increase the available bandwidth of a network.
 They reduce the load on individual networks.
 Improve performance of the network.
 Can be connected directly to workstations.
Disadvantages of switches
 They are expensive
 Difficult to trace connectivity issues.
 They may be problems with traffic.
 Security may have problems.

Network Topologies
 A pattern in which network elements are connected.
 A topology describes how computers are arranged.
Star topology
 Each individual piece of network is attached to a central mode. (a hub or
Switch)
Advantages of a star topology
 It is fast
 It is easy to troubleshoot

Disadvantages of star topology

 It is expensive
 If the hub or switch breaks it will stop working.
Bus topology
 All the various devices in the network are connected to a single cable or
line.
Advantages of a bus network
 It is cheap
 It requires less cable
Disadvantages of a bus network
 It is slow
 If the bus breaks down, the bus stops working
Ring topology

13
  When device connections create a circular data path.

Advantages of a ring network

 It is easy to maintain
 Each computer has equal access to resources
Disadvantages of ring network
 Difficult to remove a faulty computer.
 Expanding the network disrupts all computer services.

Hybrid topology
Mesh topology
Tree topology
What is Network?
 A network consists of two or more computer that are linked in order to share resources
(such as printers and CDs), exchange files, or allow electronic communications.
 The computers on a network may be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio
waves, satellites, or infrared light beams.
Use of a network
Network allows us to;
 share information.
 Communicate with others
 Collaborate with others
 Share files and data
 Share application softwares
 Share resources such as printers and scanners
Different Types of Networks
 Depending upon the geographical area covered by a network, it is classified as:
a. Local Area Network (LAN)
b. Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
c. Wide Area Network (WAN)
d. Personal Area Network (PAN)
Networks:
 LAN (Local Area Network) - a small network that physically connects nearby
computers(computers within the firm, organization, or a household)
 WAN (Wide Area Network) - a larger network that covers a city or a region,
 Internet – a world network of connected computers, connected through WAN and LAN
 Intranet - a smaller network, closed version of internet to which only certain
(authorized)people are granted access (members of an organization)
 Extranet – an intranet version, to which only certain people are granted access (not
 exclusively members of an organization, but also outsourced experts for performing
common tasks),
 World Wide Web (WWW) - one of the services that can be used on Internet which
enables us to view and search contents in a form of web-pages

14
Local Area Network (LAN)
 A LAN is a network that is used for communicating among computer devices, usually
within an office building or home.
 LAN’s enable the sharing of resources such as files or hardware devices that may be
needed by multiple users
 Is limited in size, typically spanning a few hundred meters ,and no more than a mile.
 Is fast.
 Requires little wiring, typically a single cable connecting to each device
 Has lower cost compared to MAN’s or WAN’s
 LAN’s can be either wired or wireless.
 Twisted pair, coax or fibre optic cable can be used in wired LAN’s.
 Every LAN uses a protocol – a set of rules that governs how packets are configured and
transmitted.
 Nodes in a LAN are linked together with a certain topology. These topologies include:
– Bus
– Ring
– Star
 LANs are capable of very high transmission rates (100sMb/s to G b/s).
Advantages of LAN
• Speed
• Cost
• Security
• E-mail
• Resource Sharing.
Disadvantages of LAN
• Expensive To Install
• Requires Administrative Time
• File Server May Fail
• Cables May Break

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

 A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a large computer network that usually spans a city
or a large campus.
 A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN, ranging from several
blocks of buildings to entire cities.
 A MAN might be owned and operated by a single organization, but it usually will be
used by many individuals and organizations.
 A MAN often acts as a high speed network to allow sharing of regional resources.
 A MAN typically covers an area of between 5and 50 km diameter.
 Examples of MAN: Telephone company network that provides a high speed DSL to
customers and cable TV network.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

 WAN covers a large geographic area such as country, continent or even whole of the
world.
 A WAN is two or more LANs connected together. The LANs can be many miles apart.

15
  To cover great distances, WANs may transmit data over leased high-speed phone lines or
wireless links such as satellites.
 Multiple LANs can be connected together using devices such as bridges, routers, or
gateways, which enable them to share data.
 The world's most popular WAN is the Internet.
 Internet can be classified as a giant WAN

Personal Area Network (PAN)

 A PAN is a network that is used for communicating among computers and computer
devices (including telephones) in close proximity of around a few meters within a room.
 It can be used for communicating between the devices themselves, or for connecting to a
larger network such as the internet.
 PAN’s can be wired or wireless.
 A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network used for communication among
computer devices, including telephones and personal digital assistants, in proximity to an
individual's body.
 The devices may or may not belong to the person in question. The reach of a PAN is
typically a few meters.

16