Assignment 1 - Lynch Article Comments

"Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture" by Clifford Lynch

I think Lynch's persepctive that information technology literacy as he defines it - an understanding on technology infrastructure, it's relationship to everyday life, and knowledge of its history and development - is an admirable goal. I'm not sure that it's currently practical or realistic given the disparity in access to technology that currently exists, even in the U.S. Broadband is not universally available which makes access to more complex forms of content difficult. Generationally, at one end of the spectrum are people that have never known life without a computer and at the other, those that won't touch one under any circumstances. I'm acquainted with both in my own life, as I am sure many in our class are. It's a great idea to introduce it in school and I wholeheartedly support it--but if people can't use that knowledge daily it's typical that it isn't retained. We're definitely in a period of great transition and some people are definitely being left behind (and some want to be left behind!) I hope that more leadership from government and academia will address this void, as market forces aren't going to complete the job.