What is Technology Education?
For a comparison of Technology Education and Educational Technology click here.
The major goal of technology education at The Ohio State University is to prepare students to be qualified technology education teachers who are able to provide leadership in this field. We also have a program for undergraduates interested in a broad preparation in technology to seek a variety of careers outside of public education. Technology education is an organized program of studies which is taught in schools for the purpose of studying how people alter their environment by making changes in the forms of materials and the societal problems which result from human use of technology. The study of technology education is both a component of a balanced liberal or general education and a means of integrating other disciplines through application. Technology Education programs are offered in schools throughout the state, the country, and the world at all levels of education.
Ohio has developed Academic Content Standards for Technology that draw from the areas of technological literacy, computer and multimedia literacy and information literacy. The standards and further information are available at the Ohio Department of Education web site.
Definitions
| Technology | "Broadly speaking, technology is how people modify the natural
world to suit their own purposes. From the Greek word techne, meaning
art or artifice or craft, technology literally means the act of making
or crafting, but more generally it refers to the diverse collection
of processes and knowledge that people use to extend human abilities
and to satisfy human needs and wants." |
| Technological Literacy | Technological Literacy is the ability to use, manage, understand,
and assess technology. |
| Technology Education | A study of technology, which provides an opportunity for students to
learn about the processes and knowledge related to technology that are
needed to solve problems and extend human capabilities. From What is Technology Teaching |