How Standards Interface
with Curriculum and
Instruction in Technology
Technology Education for
the 21st Century:
Bridging Theory and
Practice
Palestine, October 21-24,
2012
The Study of Technology
 Many countries in the world have
been and are now implementing the
study of technology. Palestine should
be congratulated along with its three
universities and the World Bank for
their important work in technology
education.
In the United States as well as
in other countries, there is
confusion about the term
“technology.”
In 2001 and 2004, The
International Technology
Education Association (ITEA)
conducted polls which were
done by the Gallup
Organization on how people
think about technology.
In both polls, a majority of
the respondents (62% in 2004
and 59% in 2001) responded
that science and technology
are basically one and the
same thing.
When asked how important
it is for high school students
to understand the
relationship between science
and technology, 98% of the
the participants stated that
they thought that this was
“very or somewhat
important”.
Most of those who
participated (68% in
2004 & 67% in 2001)
view technology very
narrowly as being
computers, electronics,
and the internet.
There was near total
consensus (98% in 2004 &
97% in 2001) in the public
sampled that schools should
include the study of
technology in the curriculum.
Please let me say that the
United States does not have
all the answers or solutions
about technology education.
We have been working on it
but we are by no means
finished.
 The Constitution of the United States
grants the Federal Government no
authority over Education, the 10th
Amendment applies:
 "The powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited
by it to the States, are reserved to the
States respectively, or to the people."
What is Science?
What is Technology?
Science seeks to
understand the natural
world.
National Science
Education Standards,
National Research
Council, 1996.
What is Technology?
 It is the innovation, change, or
modification of the natural environment
in order to satisfy perceived human
wants and needs. (Standards for
Technological Literacy, ITEA, 2000)
 The goal of technology is to make
modifications in the world to meet
human needs. (National Science
Education Standards, NRC, 1996)
What is Technology ?
(Continued)
 In the broadest sense, technology extends
our abilities to change the world: to cut,
shape, or put together materials; to move
things from one place to another; to reach
farther with our hands, voices, and senses.
(Benchmarks for Science Literacy, AAAS,
1993)
 Technology is the process by which humans
modify nature to meet their needs and wants.
(Technically Speaking: Why All Americans
Need to Know More About Technology,
NAE/NRC, 2002)
Needs and Wants
 A human need, or, more accurately, the
object of a human need is something
which a human being must have in order
to live a good life.
 A want, or more accurately, the object of a
want, is something which one desires to
have, whether or not one needs it.
Human Technological Needs and
Wants
 Health and Safety
 Food and Fiber
 Energy
 Communication
 Information
 Mobility
 Products
 Shelter and Comfort
Science
vs.
Technology
 Deals with the natural
 Deals with how humans
world.
 Is very concerned with
what is (exists) in the
natural world. (i.e.:
Biology, Chemistry,
Physics, Astronomy,
Geology, etc.)
modify, change, alter, or
control the natural world.
 Is very concerned with what
can or should be designed,
made, or developed from
natural world materials and
substances to satisfy human
needs and wants
Science
vs. Technology
(Continued)
 Is concerned with
processes that seek
out the meaning of
the natural world by
“inquiring”,
“discovering what
is”, “exploring”, and
using “the Scientific
Method”.
 Is concerned with
such processes that
we use to
alter/change the
natural world such as
“Invention”,
Innovation”,
Practical Problem
Solving, and Design.
While technology and science
have a common denominator
being the natural world, they
are similar yet very different.
Technology is not any more
“applied science” than science is
“applied technology”.
Blending of
Technology and Science
 Bio-Technology
 Nano-Technology
 Agri-Science
 Applied Optics
 Biological Engineering
 And many others
Technology Education
This is the school subject
specifically designed to teach
children about the broad field of
technology.
Technology Education (the study of
technology) should NOT be
confused with Information
Technology or Educational (or
instructional) Technology!
So what is
“Technological Literacy?”
Technological literacy is the ability
to use, manage, evaluate, and
understand technology.
Technology Literacy for All: A Rationale and
Study for the Study of Technology (2006)
Who is a technologically
literate person?
One that understands:
 What technology is
 How technology is created
 How the use of technology shapes society and
in turn,
 How society shapes the development of
technology
 A person who is comfortable with and objective
about the use of technology – neither scared of
it nor infatuated with it.
Technological literacy
involves:
Much more than a knowledge
about computers and digital
electronics.
 Gaining a degree of knowledge
about the nature, behavior, power,
and consequences of technology
from a real world perspective.
There is a growing movement in
some countries to teach the
integrative subjects of Science,
Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM).
So how do we educate our
people to be
technologically literate?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
What Content should be
taught in the study of
technology that will
provide technological
literacy for all students?
Standards for
Technological Literacy
(STL)(ITEA,
2000,2002/2007)
presents the content
for what every student
should know and be
able to do in order to
be technologically
literate.
www.iteea.org
What is a standard?
 A standard is a written statement or
statements about what is valued that
can be used for making a judgment of
quality.
(ITEA/ITEEA, Standards for
Technological Literacy,
2000,2002,2007)
Standards are NOT a
Curriculum!
 The curriculum is a plan for delivering the
content in the Standards each day in the
classroom and laboratory. Curriculum
describes and specifies the methods,
structure, organization, balance, and
presentation of the content. (Adapted from
STL, ITEEA 2000, 2002, 2006).
Types of Standards
➽Content Standards:
Subject–matter descriptions of what students
should know and be able to do.
➽Performance Standards:
Concrete examples and explicit definitions of
what students have to know and be able to do
to demonstrate proficiency in the skills and
knowledge outlined by the content standards
(more like passing scores on a test).
Why are Standards
Important?*
◉ Standards become the basis for the way
teachers are trained, what they teach and
what is on standardized tests that students
take.
◉ Also, standards are guideposts for schools.
Teachers, parents and students use them as
a tool to focus on what students are expected
to learn in each grade and each subject.
*GreatSchools, Inc. <http://www.greatschools.org>
Standards
 STL Standards are twenty written
statements about what is valued that
can be used for making a judgment of
quality.
 Standards represent fundamental
concepts.
 The goal is to meet all of the standards.
 STL Standards were written around five
major organizers or categories.
Nature of Technology



Students will develop an understanding of
the characteristics and scope of technology.
Students will develop an understanding of
the core concepts of technology.
Students will develop an understanding of
the relationships among technologies and
the connection between technology and
other fields of study.
Technology and Society




Students will develop an understanding of
the cultural, social, economic, and political
effects of technology.
Students will develop an understanding of
the effects of technology on the
environment.
Students will develop an understanding of
the role of society in the development and
use of technology.
Students will develop an understanding of
the influence of technology on history.
Design
 Students will develop an understanding
of the attributes of design.
 Students will develop an understanding
of engineering design.
 Students will develop an understanding
of the role of troubleshooting, research
and development, invention and
innovation, and experimentation in
problem solving.
Abilities for a Technological
World
 Students will develop the abilities to apply
the design process.
 Students will develop the abilities to use
and maintain technological products and
systems.
 Students will develop the abilities to
assess the impact of products and
systems.
The Designed World
 Students will develop an understanding of
and be able to select and use medical
technologies.
 Students will develop an understanding of
and be able to select and use agricultural
and related biotechnologies.
 Students will develop an understanding of
and be able to select and use energy and
power technologies.
The Designed World (Cont.)
 Students will develop an
understanding of and be able to
select and use information and
communication technologies.
 Students will develop an
understanding of and be able to
select and use transportation
technologies.
The Designed World (Cont.)
 Students will develop an
understanding of and be able to
select and use manufacturing
technologies.
 Students will develop an
understanding of and be able to
select and use construction
technologies.
Benchmarks
Benchmarks in STL are specific
requirements or enablers for each
grade level (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, & 9-12)
that identify what needs to be done
in order to meet a given standard.
A Sample Standard &
Benchmark
Standard 11:
Students will develop abilities to apply a
design process.
Grades K-2 (Ages 5-7) Benchmark in
Standard 11: Build or construct an
object using a design process.
International Translations of STL into
German, Japanese, Chinese, Finnish, and
Estonian
(The Eastonian and Finnish Translations are not shown)
Advancing Excellence in
Technological Literacy: Student
Assessment, Professional
Development, and Program Standards
Student Assessment
Standards
for Technological
Literacy
Student Assessment:
 Is defined as the systematic, multistep process of collecting evidence
on student learning, understanding,
and abilities and using that
information to inform instruction and
provide feedback to the learner,
thereby enhancing student learning.
Professional
Development
Standards for
Technological Literacy
Professional Development:
 Is defined as a continuous process of
lifelong learning and growth that
begins early in life, continues through
the undergraduate, pre-service
experience, and extends through the
in-service years.
Program Standards for
Technological Literacy
Program:
 Is defined as everything that affects
student learning, including content,
professional development, curricula,
instruction, student assessment, and the
learning environment implemented across
grade levels. The system-wide technology
program manages the study of technology
in technology laboratory-classrooms as
well as in other content area classrooms.
In conclusion…
The power and promise of
technology can be further
enhanced through the study of
technology to assure that all
people are technologically literate
in the future.
A copy of this
presentation can be
downloaded by going
to:
http://www.iteea.org/Resources/
PressRoom/PalestineKeynote2012.ppt
Thank You!
William E. Dugger, Jr.
Senior Fellow and Former Director
Technology for All Americans Project
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
wdugger@iteea.org
&
Emeritus Professor of Technology Education
Virginia Tech
dugger@vt.edu