Technology Education

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What is 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." (Excerpt from Standards for Technological Literacy, ITEA, 2000)

There are many definitions of technology and many misrepresentations of what technology is meant to be. Below you will find the terms and definitions that we use in order to discuss this widely misunderstood term.

Technology
1. Human innovation in action that involves the generation of knowledge and processes to develop systems that solve problems and extend human capabilities.
2. The innovation, change, or modification of the natural environment to satisfy
perceived human needs and wants.

Technological Literacy
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.

ITEA - Technology Education Standards in PDF format