Learning About Technology 1

iMAG Home \| How iMAG works? \| Explorations \| Career Organizations \| Calendar \| iMAG In Action \| Partners \| My iMag \| Open the Study Guide For This Lesson HERE
		As a member of iMAG you're learning to live and work in an ever changing world. We can't predict everything about the future, but we do know that technology will play an important part. This is the first in a series of presentations that will help you learn some of the terms and concepts associated with the study of technology. You will also research technology related topics and participate in technology related projects. The presentations are set up like a virtual classroom. The students and instructor discuss topics related to technology. Use the study guides for each presentation to take notes.
		What is Technological Literacy?
		Technological Literacy is knowledge about what technology is, how it works, what purposes it can serve, and how it can be used efficiently and effectively to achieve specific goals.We will explore topics outlined in the Standards for Technological Literacy.
		The what?
		The Standards for Technological Literacy were established by professional educators, scientists and others to help students prepare for living and leading in a technological world. Here is just a short list of some of the careers that require a high level of Technological Literacy: Communication and Information, Manufacturing, Engineering, Power, Transportation, Construction, Biomedical, and the list goes on and on. In fact, anyone involved in the creation and marketing of new products needs to know the basic concepts of technology.
	1. The Nature of Technology
		Ok, let’s get started.
		It doesn’t take a genius to know that we live in a man-made world. We live in buildings designed and built by people. We drive vehicles designed by people and built by people and machines. We eat food that’s farmed, processed, and delivered by people. We have light when the sun goes down and air conditioning when it’s hot outside.
		Don’t forget TVs, computers, cell phones, video games, and iPods!
		Well yeah. Everywhere you look, you see things designed and built by people for people. But it hasn’t always been that way. Each generation has added to the ideas, knowledge, and inventions of those that came before. What would a caveman think if he was transported to our world?
		Where’s Wilma?
		OK, but think of the stuff that has been invented since your parents were born or even since you were born. It seems that technology is changing our world in an ever increasing pace. That makes this a very exciting time to live.
		And a little scary too. What did that guy say about global warming?
		You’re right. Technology changes our lives in both expected and unexpected ways. Technology will always mean trade-offs and compromises. But that doesn’t mean we want to go back to the Stone Age. Right?
		Right. I guess learning about technology will help us make better decisions now and in the future. It will take new technologies to fix some of the problems caused by technologies of the past.
		That’s for sure. Before we go on, let’s make sure we have a good working definition of technology.
		Ok, fine. Technology is all the cool stuff people have invented, like the light bulb, the car, the airplane, stuff like that. How about that for a definition?
		Of course you’re right. All those inventions are examples of technology. Every time humans modify the world to meet their needs you have an example of technology. But that’s really only part of the definition.
		I just knew that wouldn’t be good enough for you.
		The term technology can include three main ideas. 1. The products of human invention you were talking about, sometimes called artifacts. 2. The body of knowledge or information needed to create the inventions. 3. The processes required to obtain the knowledge and produce the inventions. The internet is an example of how information, processes, and products are interconnected in a technological system.
		Now that you have given us the definition of technology, we can go right?
		Not quite yet. I want to make sure we have thought about technology from all the different angles. Take the light bulb. Thomas Edison and his employees knew what they wanted, they just had to figure out how to make it work. Many inventions start with a goal or an idea that must be worked through until completed.
		I knew that. Don’t all inventions start with an idea? Isn’t that why they’re called inventions?
		Well no, some inventions come about by accident. Take Post-it® notes, no one said “I think I’ll invent a pad of small yellow paper”. The real story goes like this: A 3M chemist, named Spence Silver was working on inventing a stronger glue. Only instead of creating a super strong glue it ended up as a super weak glue. At that point you could say his research was a failure. Anyway, some time later, a new products developer at 3M, Art Fry, who knew about the “failure” glue was singing in his church’s choir. He was using pieces of paper to mark the songs in his hymn book, but the sheets kept falling out. Then he remembered about the super weak “failure” glue. He put two and two together and that’s how Post-it® notes got invented. Here are some other inventions in history that came about by accident:
		That Post-it® notes story was interesting. That guy Art Fry was thinking creatively, even in church. I guess you can’t always tell where a good idea will come from.
		That’s true, but remember, both the chemist and product developer were working for 3M, a big corporation. Corporations do set out to find and solve problems to make people’s lives better. Of course, they are motivated by making a profit. Often, corporations use advertising to create a demand or a desire for a new product.
		You mean companies advertise products that make us feel like we “need” something that we didn’t even know we wanted?
		Sounds like brainwashing to me.
		Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s good that you can make a lot of money by being creative and coming up with cool new products. I’m always thinking up things like that. It just seems that someone else beats me to it.
		Let’s face it, it’s very competitive out there. Every day, all over the world, people are rushing around trying to come up with the next new thing. Because technology is so complex nowadays most research is specialized. Whether in the medical field or engineering, manufacturing, communications, even entertainment like video games. Each different industry is trying to be innovative.
		I guess you really do need to study about technology nowadays to keep up with what’s going on.
		Now you’re getting it. We are almost finished. Let’s see if we can remember what we said about the characteristics and scope of technology. Studying Technology includes learning about: the products of invention the knowledge required to design and create the products of invention the systems that interconnect the products and knowledge. Throughout history, human beings have modified the natural world to help solve problems. Each generation adds to the technologies that came before it. Technology is now increasing at an unprecedented rate. Most new technology is the result of targeted research and development motivated by profit. Technology always includes making compromises and trade-offs. In a technological world, success requires talent, knowledge, creativity, and hard work.
		OK, we get the message.
	iMAG Home \| How iMAG works? \| Explorations \| Career Organizations \| Calendar \| iMAG In Action \| Partners \| My iMag \| Open the Study Guide For This Lesson HERE

1. The Nature of Technology