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Technology Education-Putting Science to Work!

Posted on: Thursday, 31 March 2005, 03:00 CST

There are some of us Tech Ed types who spend a lot of time trying to explain to others the difference between science and technology education. I'm not going to try that here! Let's leave it that technology education puts science to work for us in ways we can relate to.

Here's an example. I can remember countless times in science classes, both in primary and secondary school, when 1 rolled marbles or similar objects on an inclined plane to study momentum and how forces affected that object. It was certainly more fun than reading about momentum and gravity, but once I left the class I didn't think too much more about it. I definitely didn't relate it to riding my bicycle "lickety-split" down the sidewalk, nor later when I could drive, think of the car as that marble picking up speed and in need of a sure way to stop.

So what can you do to make science more real to your elementary students? The answer is easy. Add the technology education component to your curriculum and show your students how we use science to help us design and build safer and progressively better devices to help us and the environment.

So next we need to get our elementary teachers excited about adding another aspect to their busy days-not an easy task at all. Many school districts have put science on the "back burner" while trying to get students to read better and perform math with some sense of accomplishment. Technology education might not even be part of their vocabulary yet, but our intention is to make that happen! The neat thing about technology education is that it integrates with every subject. So what you need to do as a teacher is take what you already teach in science and ask yourself how it is used in today's world or how an existing technology uses the science. If you can't figure out a way to make it real for your students, then it's just information passing through and not worth your time or theirs!

A popular example of a science activity is to make rockets from kits and launch them. It's definitely a blast, but how does it relate to real rockets? Here's the technology education part. Talk about the method used to launch rockets and discuss why a rocket is different from an airplane or jet. Design a new way to launch rockets more safely, or because rockets are expensive, figure out how to reduce the cost of building them. Another example is to take a unit on geology and earthquakes. After studying what causes earthquakes, have students research and build structures that would be more earthquake-resistant. Students who love studying about animals can research how technology is used to track an animal via radio collars and satellites. Rather than my earlier example of rolling marbles on a track, design and test vehicles with safety features to handle impact forces and momentum. The list goes on and on. For me, it's difficult to find any science that doesn't have technology tied to it. The students see the technology, but they are missing the science connected to it. We as teachers need to help them make that connection and, in many instances, understand it ourselves!

You'll find many resources, links, and ideas in this Technology and Children issue showing the technology education and science connections. Our regular column contributors and new writers have outdone themselves, as you will see. Thank you all!

As always I'm running out of time and space. Don't miss the International Technology Education Association's annual conference coming up April 3-5 in Kansas City. see you there!

Technology and Children is published four times a year (September, December, March, and May) by the International Technology Education Association. Subscriptions are included in all group membership dues. Student members may choose Technology and Children as part of their membership. Other ITEA members may subscribe to the journal for $25.00 per year; $35.00 outside the U.S. Library and nonmember subscriptions are $35.00 per year; $45.00 outside the U.S. Single copies of back issues are available for $6.50 ($9.00 for nonmembers) plus shipping and handling.

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2005 by the International Technology Education Association

Terry Thode is field editor for Technology and Children. She teaches at Hemingway School, Ketchum, ID. She can be reached via e- mail at TThode@svstech. com.

Copyright International Technology Education Association Mar 2005

Source: Technology and Children

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