TechEducation6690/WC/SCALLION

What is Technology Education?

Technology Education: an ever-changing exploratory educational content area transforming itself from an industrial tool-based curriculum to one that prepares students with knowledge and skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). These changes allow students to gain knowledge and skills needed in today’s high skill, high wage, and high demand jobs. Critical elements of Technology Education are the understanding of artifacts, their design, construction, use, evaluation and modification.Technology Education teaches basic systems, broad concepts, problem solving, design and creativity using available materials and equipment. Computers are one device used to design and control technological products and processes, as students learn to modify and change our natural world to satisfy human wants and needs. As active learners, students apply knowledge and skills from core curriculum areas (theory) to practical activities (application). Technology Education activities require technically written plans (Language Arts), mathematical calculations (Math), scientific law and theory (Science), and historical background considerations (Social Studies).Possible activities may include CADD/CAM (Computer Aided Drafting and Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing), Lasers, Robotics, Entrepreneurship studies, model vehicles, systems, structures, bridges, towers, and community planning. Such activities lend themselves to great rigor as they tend to be considered by many students to be “out of the box” and create a paradigm new to their “usual” educational experiences.The Class is based on the BIG IDEA.