What is ICT?
ICT means Information and Communication Technology. It is every tool that helps us make, keep and share information.
- Hardware: the parts you can touch, like the screen, keyboard and printer.
- Software: the programs that tell the hardware what to do.
- Network: the links, like Wi-Fi and the internet, that join devices.
A computer works in five stages: input (keyboard, mouse, mic), process (the CPU), output (screen, printer, speaker), storage (SSD, pen drive, cloud) and communication (internet).
Basic operations
Turn the device on and off properly, log in, open and close apps, create folders, save files with clear names, and use keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl+C (copy), Ctrl+V (paste), Ctrl+Z (undo) and Ctrl+S (save).
Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations
Word processor
Used to write letters, reports and CVs. Key skills: typing, formatting (bold, italic, font size, colour), alignment, bullet lists, tables, inserting pictures, page numbers, spell check and saving as .docx, .odt or PDF.
Spreadsheet
A grid of cells. Columns have letters (A, B, C), rows have numbers (1, 2, 3), so a cell has an address like B2. A formula starts with = and calculates for you:
- =SUM(B1:B3) adds B1, B2 and B3
- =AVERAGE(B1:B3) finds the mean
- =MAX(...) and =MIN(...) find the biggest and smallest
- =B2*C2 multiplies two cells
If you change a number, every formula that uses it updates by itself. You can also sort data and draw charts.
Presentation
A set of slides to explain an idea to a group. Good slides have a clear title, few words (about 6 lines), big pictures, the same design on every slide and simple transitions.
Internet and e-mail
The internet is a huge network that joins computers around the world. The web is the pages you open in a browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge). A web address is a URL, like https://example.com. The s in https means the connection is encrypted.
Searching well
Use a few clear keywords, put exact phrases in quotes, and check the source: who wrote it, when, and do other trusted sites agree?
An e-mail address has a user name, the @ sign and a domain: asha@example.com. Parts of an e-mail:
- To: main receiver. Cc: copy, everyone sees it. Bcc: hidden copy.
- Subject: a short title.
- Body: greeting, message, polite closing and your name.
- Attachment: a file sent with the mail.
Reply answers the sender only; Reply All answers everyone; Forward sends the mail to someone new.
Digital safety
- Strong passwords: long (12+ characters), mixed (capitals, small letters, digits, symbols), different for each site, never shared.
- Two-step verification: a second check such as an OTP. Never tell anyone your OTP, not even someone who says they are from a bank.
- Phishing: fake mails or messages that try to steal passwords. Check the sender, do not click strange links, do not open unknown attachments.
- Malware: harmful software. Keep the system and antivirus updated; install apps only from official stores.
- Privacy: share little personal data; use privacy settings; log out on shared computers.
- Backups: keep a second copy of important files (cloud or drive).
Try it: build a strong password
In the last 3D step, move the Length slider from 6 to 14 and the Kinds slider from 1 to 4. Watch the number of possible passwords jump. Then make a pass-phrase you can remember, such as three random words with a digit and a symbol. Do not use it as your real password once you have shown it to anyone.
Key formulas and definitions
- Computer cycle: Input → Process → Output → Storage → Communication
- Cell address = column letter + row number (B2)
- =SUM(B1:B3) adds a range; =AVERAGE(), =MAX(), =MIN() work the same way
- Possible passwords = (number of symbols)^(length)
- E-mail address = username@domain
- Cc = visible copy; Bcc = hidden copy
Worked examples
1. Cells B1, B2, B3 hold 40, 20 and 30. What does =SUM(B1:B3) show? What happens if B2 becomes 35?
40 + 20 + 30 = 90. If B2 becomes 35 the formula recalculates by itself: 40 + 35 + 30 = 105.
2. A PIN uses only digits and has 4 places. How many PINs are possible? What if it has 6 places?
Each place has 10 choices. 4 places: 10^4 = 10,000. 6 places: 10^6 = 1,000,000, which is 100 times more.
3. You must send a project file to your teacher and let your parent see the mail, but not show your parent's address to the teacher. How do you fill the mail?
To: teacher. Bcc: parent (hidden copy). Subject: 'Science project – Asha, Class 9'. Attach the file and write a short polite body.
4. Marks in C2:C6 are 12, 18, 15, 20, 10. Write formulas for the total, average and highest mark, and give the answers.
=SUM(C2:C6) → 75. =AVERAGE(C2:C6) → 75 ÷ 5 = 15. =MAX(C2:C6) → 20.
Common mistakes
- Typing a formula without the = sign, so the spreadsheet shows the text instead of the answer.
- Putting everyone in Cc when the addresses should stay private; Bcc is for hidden copies.
- Using a short password like a name or birthday, or the same password on every site.
- Clicking a link in a message that says 'urgent, your account is blocked' without checking the sender.