In contemporary-American society where the vast majority of new technology and new jobs created are based on knowing certain technologies it becomes essential to become knowledgeable of these new technologies. As a result, the fundamental knowledge needed to survive in today's workforce increases both in size and importance each day. Fundamental knowledge embodies the characteristics that each person must possess to comprehend the workings of society, and these characteristics are necessary to improve ones life. For example if a business employee is knowledgeable of the computer software a company uses in production of reports it then becomes easier for them to work with the data presented to them. Another result of the increase in technology is the affect it has had on the ease of accessibility of information. With new methods of obtaining and presenting information it becomes possible for schools and individuals to use these new technologies to improve upon previous literacy conditions.

As technology grows increasingly more advanced and develops into the leading source of world information transportation it becomes necessary to for individuals to become familiar with these technologies and develop them for their own use. The age of computer literacy is upon us, with thousands of computers being bought each day and thousands more already in use they are quickly becoming a mainstay in our lives. It is even more apparent in the economy where companies depend on machinery and equipment that is far more advanced than past equipment. Most companies that wish to succeed in this global economy have to become computer-literate in one way or another. This computer-literacy entails not so much the intricate knowledge about how a computer works but rather just the ability to use it for work related tasks. Whether the firm uses some type of machine that is controlled by a microprocessor or whether they directly use these computers they do interact with these machines and must learn to use them. I will argue that computers how ever small have, and will to a greater extent, become a part of the fundamental knowledge needed to survive in society.

The key to functioning in society is communication with those around you. It is vital for an individual not only to come up with new and innovative ideas but also to be able to present them to their peers. E.D. Hirsch, in Cultural Literacy, asserts that a decline of knowledge is now occurring in America. His main points are derived from the argument that the standard of the basic skills that are taught to students is declining. Newcomers in the work-force are unable to communicate with those who are presently in the work-force because they do not have a sufficient amount of background information. This is due to the decline in the standard of basic cultural skills that children are taught. Hirsch would then agree that what needs to be added to the curriculum is the type of knowledge that would allow for smoother information flow between individuals. This new information should contain computer-literacy as its base and the knowledge of new technologies as its core. New technological systems such as computers allow for information to be presented this way. Visual representation through the use of computers and video allow for conceptual ideas to be displayed in a manner easily understood by people of different backgrounds. It then becomes a viable argument to establish the knowledge of such systems as part of the basic skills acquired in schools.

The computer era has brought with it the ability to present material in a more comprehensible fashion. It is now possible with the depression of a few keys to go through a whole encyclopedia located in a CD-ROM CD, or with a few mouse clicks to navigate through a world of information on the internet. The Internet plays a major role in this new method of acquiring information, and new ways of being able to learn, within a sort of interactive medium. With the possibilities of actual people responding to questions posed and the vast openings of new sites it becomes almost an infinite amount of knowledge at ones hands. As a part of my argument I will show that this expansion in computer technology, and technology in general, has changed our methods of learning information and has altered the way in which we process acquired information.

Schools are the major place where these new technologies come into play. The Culture of Schools, by Steven Hodas (currently with NASA) provides an analysis of the development of technology in schools. Hodas's argument suggests that the reasons that schools cannot or have not been able to cope with new technologies is because teachers and administration feel a sort of anxiety towards these new machines. (Hodas, 9) This technological anxiety could explain the reason for what Hirsch feels to be a decline in the basic skills the schools should be teaching. Hodas believes that it is not the technology that shifts the schools to use it but rather the dependency of outside influences (i.e.. economic, social, etc.). These outside influences are the very people who operate within the society and thus control what knowledge one needs to know in order to function successfully within it. This knowledge is dependent on what the society as a whole uses as its standards and thus its practices are impressed only by its needs. Since the society has become ever more dependent upon computers and technology the basic skills necessary begin with computer-literacy.

In "Learning to be Literate in America," Arthur N. Applebee deduces that previous literacy standards can no longer be used if the society wishes to progress with current levels of technology. He uses statistical data from standardized tests and from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to conclude that even though most of the adult society demonstrated the ability to understand material on a surface level they lacked the ability to comprehend or reason effectively. He concludes from this that current methods of teaching are not useful in allotting the necessary tools for surviving within the society. As the society grows increasingly dependent on complex technology in order to succeed it becomes necessary to gain certain pertinent skills. Applebee states that "The bad news is that minimum levels of literacy are no longer sufficient for people who must live and work in an increasingly complex and technological society." (Applebee, 1) These minimum levels of literacy from the past cannot suffice since the technology as not remained the same. These changes in technology force, at bare minimum, the knowledge of how to use them, but more so it then begins to create the need for computer-literacy.

Technology in itself can have major affects on society. The film, "Color Adjustment" (1988), discussed the significance of African-American characters in film and television. The significance was that the African-American characters initially displayed in television were viewed as unintelligent, lazy and socially insignificant. The argument addressed by "Color Adjustment" was that there conceptions of Blacks were due to society's refusal to accept any other views of Blacks. Television was run by whites had more "education" and less common sense. In the eyes of the whites, even the educated African-Americans were not intelligent. This separation of classes was initiated by the lack of African-American education in the past. It was then still nearly impossible, even after the levels of education became more equal, for Blacks to enter the television industry and be viewed as intelligent. The changes in these views only started to come about as the society became literate of television and how it could affect them. This technological medium served an integral part in the development of how people thought about blacks and consequently in order to use it to better their lives they needed to understand how to use it to their advantage. This new understanding in this technology was integral and thus an indispensable part of the basic knowledge that should be taught.

Whether as part of the learning process or as part of the essential knowledge needed to survive in society technology plays a large role in determining literacy standards. Computer-literacy or the basic computer skills are required in most of the new jobs created in the marketplace today giving rise to new courses offered in the curriculum of our schools. As technology advances and provides for easier methods of accomplishing tasks and learning materials its place within society can only grow and thus it then becomes imperative that instruction in their use become a standard in the contemporary-American educational system.