Improving Technological Literacy Needs National Effort

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Improving  Technological Literacy Needs National Effort;
Potential Benefits Are Many,  Report Says

Most Americans know little about the world of technology, yet  from day to
day they must make critical decisions that are technologically  based, such=
 as
whether to buy genetically engineered foods or transmit personal  data over=
=20
the
Internet. Moreover, the use of technology as a learning tool in  the
classroom is often confused with the broader concept of being =
 technologically
literate -- knowing something of the nature and history of  technology, as=
=20
well as
having a certain level of skill in using technologies and  thinking=
 critically
about them.

Neither the educational system nor the  policy-making apparatus in the=
 United
States has recognized the importance of  this more comprehensive view of
technological literacy, says a new report from  the National Academies'=20
National
Academy of Engineering and National Research  Council. It calls for a
broad-based effort to increase the technological  literacy of all=20
Americans, a goal
that will have many benefits including more  informed decision-making by=20
citizens
and business and government leaders about  the development and use of
technology, and a more erudite population that will  be better prepared for=
=20
the
demands of today's high-tech work environment.

Learning about technology should begin in kindergarten, and the  connection
between all subjects and technology should be emphasized throughout a
student's education, the report says. Technology content should be infused=
=20
into
curricula, teaching materials, and student assessments. At the federal=20
level,  the
National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Education should provide
incentives for publishers to include technology content in new science,
history,  social studies, and language arts textbooks. Likewise,=20
technologically
focused  agencies such as NASA and the National Institutes of Health should
support the  development of curricula for teachers of all subjects and=
 grades,
especially to  help make clear the connections between technology, science,=
=20
and
other school  subjects.

All educators should be better prepared to teach about  technology, the
report says. Schools need to move beyond the perception of  technology as a
separate subject to be taught in "shop class." Science teachers  in=20
particular need a
solid education in technology and engineering, and even  history and social
studies teachers should be required to know how technology  relates to their
subjects. Schools should ensure that teachers specializing in  technology=20
follow
standards issued by the International Technology Education  Association.

One exception to the general neglect of technology education  is the area of
computers and information technology. But too often the emphasis  is on how
information technology, most notably computers and the Internet, can =
 improve
the learning process, rather than on the need for students to learn  about
technology itself, the report says. Furthermore, many schools believe=20
that  because
they offer computer classes, they are already teaching about technology  --
an attitude that can impede the drive toward more general technological
studies.

To spur improvements in the education system, the National  Science
Foundation, in partnership with industry, should fund an award=20
that  recognizes
innovative, effective approaches for improving the technological  literacy=
 of
students or the public. In addition, government and industry=20
leaders  should receive
training on a regular basis about key technological issues  through=
 intensive
courses, and engineering societies should institute fellowship  programs to
create a cadre of policy experts and journalists with a background  in
engineering.

Government decision-making would be enhanced if more  opportunities were
available for the public to become involved in discussions  about=20
technological
issues, the report adds. Through creative exhibits and  programs, museums=
 and
science and technology centers can help the out-of-school  public be better
prepared to participate in these discussions.

This  study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the=
 Battelle
Memorial  Institute. The National Research Council and National Academy of
Engineering are  private, nonprofit institutions that provide science and
technology advice under  a congressional charter. The Research Council is=
 the
principal operating arm of  the National Academy of Sciences and National=20
Academy of
  Engineering.

Read the full text of Technically Speaking: Why All  Americans Need to Know
More About Technology for free on the web. A companion  Web site can be=
 viewed
at http://www.nae.edu/techlit. Printed copies of the  report are available=
 for
purchase from the National Academy Press Web site or by  calling (202)
334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242. Reporters may obtain a pe-publication  copy=20
from the
Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above).

Then there was the last report that I know of...
=95Advancing Minority  High Achievement (.pdf/376K) Requires Adobe Accrobat
Reader (latest version  recommended).
Calculus and Community (.pdf/162K)
Priming the Pump  (.pdf/380K)
Projected Social Context for Education of Children  (.pdf/192K)
Reaching the Top (.pdf/228K)
=95
http://www.collegeboard.com/about/association/academic/taskforce/taskforce7.=
html=20


ISTE and CoSN also have papers, booklets , and ways to help,but perhaps we
do it one school at a time, or depending on our funding, or philosophy=20
or  both.

I was helped by George Mason, Chris Dede, then Larry Anderson, and  others.
Many of us in elementary school never talked to college faculty  before. It
was the most interesting kind of sharing that happened. George Mason =
 invested
time into the local schools with visits back and forth and a project  that=
 was
quite interesting.

Then there was the CILT project. The Center for Innovative Learning
Technologies (CILT) was founded in October 1997 with a grant from the=20
National
Science Foundation (NSF) to stimulate the development and study of=
 important,
technology-enabled solutions to critical problems in K-14 science,=20
mathematics,
engineering, and technology (SMET) learning. Four "theme teams" focused the
efforts in areas of highest promise. CILT events, often workshops organized=
=20
by
theme, provided a collaborative forum in which people in the learning=
 science
community met to assess the progress of the field, define research agendas,
and  initiate new collaborations. Many of these collaborations form seed=20
grants
funded by CILT. In addition to these successful CILT programs, CILT has
generated many resources for the learning science community, including=
 tools,
publications, and NetCourses.

Bonnie Bracey
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/bonnie.html


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