Vocabulary list

Engineering Design  In order for students to engage themselves into the design process, they will need to identify needs and opportunities for technical solutions from an investigation of situations of general or social interest.  These students will be able to locate and utilize a range of printing, electronic, and human information resources to obtain ideas.  Then they will be able to consider constraints and generate several ideas for ideation techniques (group discussion, brainstorming, forced connections, role playing); defer judgment until a number of ideas have been generated; evaluate (critique) ideas; and explain why the chosen solution is optimal.  After these students generate ideas from brainstorming and chose the best solution, they will be able to develop plans, including drawings with measurements and details of construction, and construct a model of the solution that exhibit a degree of craftsmanship.  In a group setting, they will test their solution against design specification; present and evaluate results.  Then they will describe how the solution might have been modified for different or better results, and discuss tradeoffs that might have to be made.

Tools, Resources and Technological Processes  To become technologically advanced, students will use technology to choose and use resources that are used for a particular purpose based on an analysis and understanding of their properties, cost, availability, and environment impacts.  Technological students are also able to use variety of tools and machines that will change materials into new forms through forming, separating, and combining processes.  These students will implement manufacturing processes with other technological process to produce, market, and distribute a product. 

Computer Technology  Computer technology started with the invention of the adding machine that later evolved into the calculator. Computers are just like calculators they are information processing machines. These machines perform functions that help with the processing of data and information. With the progress of the information age, tools like the computer help to store vital information. Examples of this are business data, financial information, health records, maintenance records, air and fuel mixture in automobiles, and even supermarket check out lines. All computers, from large mainframes to small microcomputers, have five parts, input unit, processing unit, output unit, memory unit, and a program.

Technological systems  Technology is all about understanding systems, weather it be a computer systems, robotics systems, or security systems our world is full of systems. A definition of system is a collection of related parts working together to accomplish some purpose. Systems are composed of 4 parts input, process, output, and feedback. There are many different systems in our world some are easy to see and some are hard to understand. There are some system have systems inside of a system. We call these sub-systems, small systems inside of a larger system.

History and Evolution of Technology  

To become technologically literate, students study technology to learn about what inventors, engineers, and innovators have created.  Technologically literate students need to understand, control, and be able to use technology.  They study subjects such as energy, communications, transportation, manufacturing, and materials processing.  Technology is changing so quickly and covers so many topics that it is difficult to spend much time learning about specific details.  The study of technology compliments and reinforces material learned in other classes, particularly math and science.

            Many people have come to define technology as computer, VCRs, or other electronic devices.  A technologist considers these devices tools to use in completing a much larger task.  For the purposes of this supplement and a beginning in the study of technology, the following is offered.

            Technology is the application of accumulated human knowledge to the transformation of resources through the use of tools and machines for the purpose of meeting human needs and wants and solving problems.

Impacts of Technology  To understand the impacts of technology students will need to choose a technological artifact. By listing the output/results of these technology students will discuss expected and unexpected outcome. Technology throughout history has had many desired outcomes as well as undesired outcomes. Some of the outcomes could be predicted and many unpredicted. Students will be able to describe the impact of the technology such as the automobile with the knowledge of outcomes that are good and bad for society and environment. Students also describe how modern technology has effected manufacturing and construction cost. Understanding the impacts of technology students will gain the knowledge of positive and negative effects of technological.

Management of Technology  Student’s engaged in the management of technology gain the knowledge of operating a business by maintaining and using the 7 resources of technology. With the proper management of resources it can be the difference between a successful business and one that is bankrupt. Along with managing resources student talk about products the are existing. With the existing product student’s can discuss or test products to gain knowledge of good and poor design elements. The use of monitoring the quality of a product both during the process of manufacturing and after the product has been manufactured ensure the students will understand the importance of management of technology.