Justifying Technology Studies

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Author(s): Stephan Petrina (University of British Columbia, Canada)
Copyright: 2007
Pages: 37
Source title: Advanced Teaching Methods for the Technology Classroom
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Stephen Petrina (University of British Columbia, Canada)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-337-1.ch007

Keywords: Education / Educational Technologies / Information Science Reference / Web-Based Teaching & Learning

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Abstract

Why should we teach technology in the schools? What is the reason for accommodating technology in the school curriculum? Why should we have to justify existence? Are the public schools an appropriate institution for developing economic human resources? Should students be taught to think critically about technology? Is the technology laboratory or workshop the place in the school where the students can “put it all together”? Will technology studies lose its identity in an alignment with math and science? Should technology studies serve to remedy long-standing inequities in technology? Should technology studies be aligned with ecology and sustainability? Is the future engineering education? These are some of the primary questions that impinge on the direction of technology studies in the schools. Throughout the 20th century, technology studies expended an inordinate amount of energy justifying itself. At times, it seemed as though this subject was trying to be all things to all people. In this chapter, we make the case that there is one, and only one, persuasive justification for the inclusion of technology studies in the schools. That justification is the content of technology. No one will buy all the things to all interest groups’ justification anymore.

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