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    Doing Technology

    Doing Technology Chapter Overview

    • Doing Technology
    • Module Overview
    • Chapter 1
    • Chapter 2
    • Chapter 3
    • Chapter 4
    Figure 1: What do you think of when you hear the word technology? Some people think only of electronics, such as computers and video games. As you proceed through this chapter, you will learn more about what technology is.

    What do you think of when you hear the word technology? Maybe you think of a computer or a cell phone. Maybe you think of a video game like the one in figure 1. The title of this chapter is “Doing Technology.” What do you think this title means? In this chapter, you will find out more about technology. You will also learn what it means to do technology. As you proceed through this chapter—as well as the other chapters in this online technology module—you will be doing activities to help you learn. In fact, you will be doing technology!

    To help you learn more about doing technology, you will use the following tools:

    1. The online technology module. The module will give you a background about technology and help you think about how technology is used. But don’t expect to find all the answers there! Rather, the module will help guide you through learning about technology. As you work, you must come up with your own ideas.

      Figure 2
      Corbis
      Figure 2: The technology notebook will help you keep track of your learning. You will be able to see how your thoughts change over time and how much you learn.

    2. Your technology notebook. In each activity, you will be writing down your ideas in your technology notebook. This process will help you keep track of what you are learning and how your thoughts change over time. Start by creating a table of contents on the first page of your notebook. The name and date of the first activity will be your first addition to the table of contents. Each time you start a new activity, you will add that activity’s name and date to the list of activities you have completed. This will help your technology notebook stay organized. (See figure 2.) This first chapter will remind you of how to start each new activity so you get in the habit.

    3. Your teammates. As you go through the module, you will often be working as part of a team. Have you heard the phrase “Two heads are better than one”? This means that often it is easier to solve a problem when you have ideas from more than one person. Teamwork is important for people who do technology. Throughout the module, you will practice working as a team. Sometimes you will be asked to practice specific teamwork skills as you work.

    4. The 5E Instructional Model. All of the activities in the module are divided into five subsections. You will see that each subsection has a word beginning with E in the title. The 5Es—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate—are always presented in the same order. Each “E” represents a step, or phase, in a process that will help you learn a major concept. Your ideas and understanding about that concept may change as you go through the different steps. Each “E” has specific goals and expectations. You will learn more about each “E” as you go through this chapter.

    5. Chapter organizers. Think of chapter organizers as your guide through the chapter. They help you see where you have been in your learning. They also help you see where you are going. At the beginning of each chapter, read the key ideas and linking questions. Refer back to the chapter organizer each time you start a new activity. This will help you remember what you have learned already and what you are going to learn.

      6. Figure 3
      © Nikolaev / iStockphoto.com
      Figure 3: This student is doing an investigation. You can learn better when you are able to do something yourself rather than being told about it.

    6. Activities and investigations. Do you learn better when someone tells you how to do something or when you do it yourself? Chances are you learn better when you are able to do an activity yourself, like the student in figure 3. That is why the module has many activities and investigations that you will do. By doing it yourself, you will be able to build on your ideas. It will help you learn more easily.

    7. Readings. You will find that some activities include readings that will help you understand a concept. Each time you see a reading, there will be a strategy to help you understand the reading. The strategy will be something that you do before, during, and after the reading. It will help you identify the important information in the reading. The strategies will vary depending on the reading.

    8. Reflect and Connect questions. These questions appear at the end of each activity. They ask you to think back about what you learned in the activity. Answering these questions will help you link the ideas in that activity to concepts in other activities in the module.

    Goals for the Chapter

    You will find these eight tools used throughout this module, beginning with this chapter, “Doing Technology.” By the end of this chapter, you will

    • begin to understand what technology and doing technology are
    • be able to apply the steps of the process of technology
    • learn about jobs in which people do technology
    • consider how safety relates to technology.

    The goals are the big ideas in this chapter. The following chapter organizer will guide you along the path to learning about these ideas.

    Chapter Overview

    Technology is an important idea as we think about today’s students entering the workforce. Technology is defined as anything that helps people solve problems. Often, technology helps by expanding human limits. “Doing technology” is using information to solve problems. Doing technology can also be called engineering. It is important to expose students to the ideas of engineering early on, and also to help them understand that doing technology is a process. Critical thinking is very much a part of doing technology, as students have to consider the different aspects of the process in order to solve a problem.

    You will introduce students to the basic ideas of technology and engineering in the “Doing Technology” chapter of the module. In the Engage activity, What Is Technology? students will consider a number of different items to determine if the items represent technology. In the Explore activity, How Do I Do Technology? students will design a solution for a problem based on a scenario they read.

    In the Explain activity, The Process of Doing Technology, students will learn about one engineer’s job. They also will find out about the process of technology and consider how to solve problems. Students will consider safety during the Elaborate activity, Be Safe! They will think about how they can keep safe while doing technology, and what a designed product’s safety concerns might be.

    Finally, students will be able to show what they have learned about technology during the Evaluate activity, Sharing Technology. They will return to the items from the Engage activity and have an opportunity to revise the list of items that represent technology. They then will choose one item to use as an example, describing why it represents technology, the process a designer had to use to make the product, and any safety concerns related to the product.

    For more information about what the teacher does and what the student does in each of these stages of the 5E cycle, see The BSCS 5E Instructional Model. This document can be found under the "Program Overview" section of the Teacher Resources menu.

    Goals for the Chapter

    By the end of this chapter, students should understand the following:

    • Technology is anything that helps people solve problems, often by expanding limits.
    • There is a process to solving problems, or doing technology.
    • Both the safety of designers and the safety of people who use technology must be considered when designing a product.
    • All people, not just engineers, can do technology.

    Chapter Organizer

    Chapter organizers act as a pathway to guide you and your students through a chapter. Have students examine the chapter organizer at the start of every chapter. Refer back to it as you start each new activity. Challenge students to make sure they understand the key ideas and linking questions as you move from one activity to the next. Be aware that linking questions help students understand the connection between one activity and the next; however, students will not be able to answer a linking question until they complete the activity that follows the question. (See the chapter organizer in the “Doing Technology” chapter.)

    Background Information

    The primary goal of this chapter, and the entire module, is to engage students in doing technology and understanding what that means. Students will think about problems that they can solve and, later in the module, the constraints on those solutions. They will design and build solutions to problems. They will begin to understand that doing technology does not refer simply to computers and other electronic devices.

    The module is based on the idea that everyone can do technology. Doing technology is not a concept restricted to people with specialized knowledge or degrees in engineering. It is something that anyone can accomplish, as long as they are curious and want to solve problems.

    In the broadest sense, technology extends our abilities to change the world: to cut, shape, or put together materials; to move things from one place to another; to reach farther with our hands, voices, and senses. We use technology to try to change the world to suit us better. The changes may relate to survival needs such as food, shelter, or defense, or they may relate to human aspirations such as knowledge, art, or control. But the results of changing the world are often complicated and unpredictable. They can include unexpected benefits, unexpected costs, and unexpected risks—any of which may fall on different social groups at different times. Anticipating the effects of technology is therefore as important as advancing its capabilities. (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1990, p. 39)

    Technology has been in existence since the first stick was used as a tool. Technology is an integral part of all our lives, as it helps us satisfy both needs and desires. Technology is a way to extend human limitations. We use technology to make our living and working spaces more comfortable. We use it to keep food from spoiling. We use it to make our task in the garden easier. The list of ways that we use technology is seemingly infinite.

    Throughout the module, students will consider both what technology is and how they can do technology. The module presents students with technology “as a way of doing.” Students are placed in the roles of imaginative engineers who design, test, and evaluate solutions to problems. Students are then able to come to an understanding of technology by actively solving problems.

    Although students will not be able to come up with sophisticated designs or exhaustive lists of factors to consider, they will work toward an understanding of the technological design process. Give them the freedom and flexibility to explore and invent solutions as well as to think of creative ideas that they might model and test. The process of thinking through the steps of doing technology, creating a new solution, and learning how to evaluate a design will help students develop skills that will become immediately useful to them.

    Teamwork is an important part of doing technology. In most activities, students will work in teams and will, at times, have specific teamwork skills to practice. Collaborative work promotes learning and conceptual development among students. In addition, scientists and engineers often work in teams. By working in this manner throughout the module, students are able to experience some aspects of this type of work. The experience helps prepare them for later success in the workforce.

    Another essential feature of work in technology is a notebook. Throughout this series, students are directed to carry out tasks in their technology notebooks. This written record helps students keep track of what they have done, their results, and how their thinking is changing over the course of an activity, chapter, or module. Recording their thoughts and ideas helps them clarify their thinking and develop better explanations. They may have difficulty maintaining the technology notebooks in the beginning, so give them ample time and opportunity to learn and develop the process. Eventually, they will understand that technology notebooks are part of the process and they will begin to write more information more easily each day. The results are worth the effort.

    The modules will often be used in science classes. Both science and technology are important for solving problems and understanding the world around us. Science is based on questions about the natural world. When people do science, they use inquiry to obtain information. They propose and test explanations about the natural world. Technology stems from problems and challenges that people face in their environments. When people do technology, they look for ways to propose and develop solutions to problems. They use a process to develop the solutions. Figure T1 shows the relationship between science and technology. This figure may help you clarify the similarities and differences between the concepts.

    Prerequisite Knowledge

    Students need no prerequisite knowledge for this chapter, as you are introducing them to ideas about technology. In the Evaluate activity, you may opt to have them create the visual presentation on a computer, so background knowledge about presentation software and basic computer skills might be helpful; however, students are not required to create visual presentations in this manner.

    Commonly Held Misconceptions

    The following information provides some common misconceptions that students have about technology and technological design. Do not go through these as a list of topics for your students but, rather, use them to inform your teaching as they emerge. You may also run across additional misconceptions:

    • Technology refers to items such as computers and other electronic devices. Technology is anything that makes our lives easier. It addresses both the wants and needs of people. Stone tools, for example, represented technology to the first humans. Today, technology does include many electronic devices, but they are only a small fraction of the many technological strategies that make our lives easier and more efficient.
    • Technology is simply the application of science. Although students may not expressly demonstrate this misconception, it is an important one to keep in mind. Take, for example, the development of a new drug for human use. Many people consider this to be simply the result of science. Although a great deal of scientific research is involved in developing the drug, that research must then be put to work toward a technological end. Engineers must determine how to mass produce the drug, how to package the drug, and how to distribute the drug. These are technological questions rather than scientific questions. While questions in science originate in the natural world, technology questions arise to help people solve problems. Your students may express ideas related to this misconception as they become more creative with their projects. Often, students want to add features to their solutions because those features are “cool” or because of a certain whim. It is important to remind them that technology is about improving our lives and, while creative scientific solutions are exciting, we should also consider the criteria and constraints of our solutions.
    • Technological design is somehow disconnected from human influence. Technology affects society, but society does not affect technology. It is clear to most people that technology has a profound effect on our lives. Sometimes it seems that technology appears to come from “out of the blue,” with little input from intended users. We have all been confounded by the choices a designer made about a particular product. It is important for students to realize that designers have many constraints on and criteria for their technological solutions. It may also take years or decades for the consequences of technology to appear. One example of this is in the field of nanotechnology. Now that computer chips that contain nanotechnology are being disposed of, scientists are finding that the type of technology used is being found in both water and in fish. They are realizing this type of nanotechnology has unintended consequences. We are also part of a moral society that is affected by values. For these reasons, it is important to realize that humans make decisions about technology. Humans choose whether to pursue a particular technology. We might not develop some technologies, even though we have the capability. For example, although it may be possible to clone humans, most scientists are not working toward this goal. We might develop other technologies for the greater good, even if there are individuals who oppose the idea. Weaponry is an example of this type of technology that is opposed by many but is still developed.

    Chapter Overview

    Technology is an important idea as we think about today’s students entering the workforce. Technology is defined as anything that helps people solve problems. Often, technology helps by expanding human limits. “Doing technology” is using information to solve problems. Doing technology can also be called engineering. It is important to expose students to the ideas of engineering early on, and also to help them understand that doing technology is a process. Critical thinking is very much a part of doing technology, as students have to consider the different aspects of the process in order to solve a problem.

    You will introduce students to the basic ideas of technology and engineering in the “Doing Technology” chapter of the module. In the Engage activity, What Is Technology? students will consider a number of different items to determine if the items represent technology. In the Explore activity, How Do I Do Technology? students will design a solution for a problem based on a scenario they read.

    In the Explain activity, The Process of Doing Technology, students will learn about one engineer’s job. They also will find out about the process of technology and consider how to solve problems. Students will consider safety during the Elaborate activity, Be Safe! They will think about how they can keep safe while doing technology, and what a designed product’s safety concerns might be.

    Finally, students will be able to show what they have learned about technology during the Evaluate activity, Sharing Technology. They will return to the items from the Engage activity and have an opportunity to revise the list of items that represent technology. They then will choose one item to use as an example, describing why it represents technology, the process a designer had to use to make the product, and any safety concerns related to the product.

    For more information about what the teacher does and what the student does in each of these stages of the 5E cycle, see The BSCS 5E Instructional Model. This document can be found under the "Program Overview" section of the Teacher Resources menu.

    Goals for the Chapter

    By the end of this chapter, students should understand the following:

    Chapter Organizer

    Chapter organizers act as a pathway to guide you and your students through a chapter. Have students examine the chapter organizer at the start of every chapter. Refer back to it as you start each new activity. Challenge students to make sure they understand the key ideas and linking questions as you move from one activity to the next. Be aware that linking questions help students understand the connection between one activity and the next; however, students will not be able to answer a linking question until they complete the activity that follows the question. (See the chapter organizer in the “Doing Technology” chapter.)

    Background Information

    The primary goal of this chapter, and the entire module, is to engage students in doing technology and understanding what that means. Students will think about problems that they can solve and, later in the module, the constraints on those solutions. They will design and build solutions to problems. They will begin to understand that doing technology does not refer simply to computers and other electronic devices.

    The module is based on the idea that everyone can do technology. Doing technology is not a concept restricted to people with specialized knowledge or degrees in engineering. It is something that anyone can accomplish, as long as they are curious and want to solve problems.

    In the broadest sense, technology extends our abilities to change the world: to cut, shape, or put together materials; to move things from one place to another; to reach farther with our hands, voices, and senses. We use technology to try to change the world to suit us better. The changes may relate to survival needs such as food, shelter, or defense, or they may relate to human aspirations such as knowledge, art, or control. But the results of changing the world are often complicated and unpredictable. They can include unexpected benefits, unexpected costs, and unexpected risks—any of which may fall on different social groups at different times. Anticipating the effects of technology is therefore as important as advancing its capabilities. (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1990, p. 39)

    Technology has been in existence since the first stick was used as a tool. Technology is an integral part of all our lives, as it helps us satisfy both needs and desires. Technology is a way to extend human limitations. We use technology to make our living and working spaces more comfortable. We use it to keep food from spoiling. We use it to make our task in the garden easier. The list of ways that we use technology is seemingly infinite.

    Throughout the module, students will consider both what technology is and how they can do technology. The module presents students with technology “as a way of doing.” Students are placed in the roles of imaginative engineers who design, test, and evaluate solutions to problems. Students are then able to come to an understanding of technology by actively solving problems.

    Although students will not be able to come up with sophisticated designs or exhaustive lists of factors to consider, they will work toward an understanding of the technological design process. Give them the freedom and flexibility to explore and invent solutions as well as to think of creative ideas that they might model and test. The process of thinking through the steps of doing technology, creating a new solution, and learning how to evaluate a design will help students develop skills that will become immediately useful to them.

    Teamwork is an important part of doing technology. In most activities, students will work in teams and will, at times, have specific teamwork skills to practice. Collaborative work promotes learning and conceptual development among students. In addition, scientists and engineers often work in teams. By working in this manner throughout the module, students are able to experience some aspects of this type of work. The experience helps prepare them for later success in the workforce.

    Another essential feature of work in technology is a notebook. Throughout this series, students are directed to carry out tasks in their technology notebooks. This written record helps students keep track of what they have done, their results, and how their thinking is changing over the course of an activity, chapter, or module. Recording their thoughts and ideas helps them clarify their thinking and develop better explanations. They may have difficulty maintaining the technology notebooks in the beginning, so give them ample time and opportunity to learn and develop the process. Eventually, they will understand that technology notebooks are part of the process and they will begin to write more information more easily each day. The results are worth the effort.

    The modules will often be used in science classes. Both science and technology are important for solving problems and understanding the world around us. Science is based on questions about the natural world. When people do science, they use inquiry to obtain information. They propose and test explanations about the natural world. Technology stems from problems and challenges that people face in their environments. When people do technology, they look for ways to propose and develop solutions to problems. They use a process to develop the solutions. Figure T1 shows the relationship between science and technology. This figure may help you clarify the similarities and differences between the concepts.

    Prerequisite Knowledge

    Students need no prerequisite knowledge for this chapter, as you are introducing them to ideas about technology. In the Evaluate activity, you may opt to have them create the visual presentation on a computer, so background knowledge about presentation software and basic computer skills might be helpful; however, students are not required to create visual presentations in this manner.

    Commonly Held Misconceptions

    The following information provides some common misconceptions that students have about technology and technological design. Do not go through these as a list of topics for your students but, rather, use them to inform your teaching as they emerge. You may also run across additional misconceptions: