D&T Rationale and Processes
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION in MICHIGAN : Rationale and Processes
From The LEARNING INSTITUTE for TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
· Why the Study of Technology?
· The Role of the School in the Study of Technology
· Rigor / Relevance Model of Education
· A Foundation/Rationale for Design and Technology Education in Michigan
· Design and Technology Education Activities and Initiatives
· Proposed and Recommended Design and Technology Education Activities and Initiatives
Why should the citizens of Michigan require the study of technology and the development of technological literacy in our state's schools? According to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Michigan's 21 st Century Workforce Strategy (MDLEG 2006) our state's economic well-being includes “ increasing skills and educational attainment” and “i mproving the ability of people to navigate” the world of work.
Parents, teachers, school administrators, and school policy makers play an important role in this strategy. Parents need to insist and ensure that their children are provided with all the skills and abilities for their personal, as well as the state's, quality of life and economic well-being. To meet the demand of parents and to achieve the strategy requires schools to include technological literacy to provide learners with an adaptability of knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of fast paced changes in careers and the world of work. Teachers, school administrators, and school policy makers will need to include and deliver technological literacy through the inclusion of teaching and learning in all aspects of technology, going beyond the commonly held perception that instruction in computer use, media, and information technology can fulfill the strategy. Technology Education provides the content, contexts, and resources to meet this 21 st century strategy.
Technology concerns itself with everything that is human-made. Many equate “technology” with the use of computers, electronic devices, and the Internet. Yes, computers and information technology improves the processes of technology but knowledgeable people are needed to deal with all the physical aspects of the human-made world – extracting raw materials, designing products and services, turning raw and processed materials into products, and supporting and servicing an environment and infrastructure produced by technology. Design and Technology Education addresses this complete scope of the human-made world.
Meeting the 21 st century strategy begins in our schools. Awareness, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation are the core elements of student achievement. School focus is primarily on Awareness, Understanding and Application of knowledge within subjects. The International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) indicates that little effort is made to reach the higher stages of the knowledge taxonomy – Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. In addition the ICLE research shows that serious teaching and learning that applies the taxonomy across subjects and disciplines and to real-world predictable and unpredictable applications is often overlooked or neglected.
William Daggett, founder and head of the ICLE, structures the interaction of the knowledge taxonomy and its application into what he terms a “rigor and relevance framework”. The framework is pictured Table 1.0
Table 1.0 – Rigor / Relevance Model ( W. Daggett , ICLE)
Design and Technology Education provides a means, through its content and contexts, to include all of the taxonomy in reaching application across subjects and disciplines in all forms of predictable and unpredictable real-world applications. The Learning Institute for Technology Education (LITE) supports and encourages the use of technological content and contexts in all subjects and disciplines K-12 and advocates the teaching of technological content as a separate subject in grades 6 through 12. What is the reason for this? The rationale for LITE's position and advocacy is explained in the following paragraphs.
A Foundation/Rationale for Design and Technology Education in Michigan
§ Dissemination of the copyright free materials developed through Michigan 's participation in the Center to Advance the Teaching of Technology and Science (CATTS) Consortium. These materials include curriculum development guidelines, courses/units for elementary, middle and high school teaching/learning, and authentic assessment guidelines.
§ Liaison with other professional organizations' efforts to meet Michigan 's vision, mission, and standards for Technology Education. [The vision, mission, and standards are determined by the policies and guidelines of the Michigan 's Department of Education and Office of Career and Technical Preparation.]
§ Technical assistance to LEA's , ISD's , RESA's , and CPS Regions in their institution, implementation, and improvement of Design and Technology Education teaching/learning as part of their general education and CTE curriculum and programs.
§ Communication, liaison, and collaboration with the MDE and OCTP in matters related to Design and Technology Education curriculum, instruction, school improvement, teacher preparation and certification, and professional development.
§ Communication and liaison with and technical assistance to Michigan's Technology Education teacher preparation institutions in matters related to teacher education and professional development, curricular content and contexts in the areas of technology and pedagogy, and research that produces data, information, practices, and processes for the continuance and improvement of Design and Technology Education teaching and learning.
§ Communication and liaison with business, industry, and other groups with interests in the development of technological literacy through Design and Technology Education.
Proposed and Recommended Design and Technology Education Activities and Initiatives