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n Grades 9-12, students will gain abroader perspective of the importance of human innovation and ingenuity in refining existing technologies and developing new ones. They will also continue to develop higher-order thinking skills, such as questioning, investigating, and researching. By the time they graduate, students should have developed an under- standing of the scope of technology. This realization includes knowing what tech- nology is and recognizing that it has an intellectual domain and a content base of its own.Technology is intricately woven into the fabric of human activity and is influenced by human capabilities, cultural values, public policies, and environmental constraints. Students need to recognize these influences and understand how their integration affects technological development. For example, the develop- ment of earmuffs was a direct result of harsh, cold winters. Chester Greenwood, a young boy whose ears seemed to be especially sensitive to the cold, decided to develop something new. He designed a special device made of loops of wire and covered with black velvet and beaver fur. Neighbors and friends were so pleased with Chester’s invention that they, too, wanted earmuffs, and thus a demand was created, which led to an 1872 patent for the apparatus. The particular environment, in addition to human activity and capability and the resulting demand, determined the success of earmuffs.
New technologies change people’s lives and the way they do things in both expected and unexpected ways. Technological advances build on prior developments and
lead to additional opportunities, challenges, and advances in an accelerating spiral of complexity. These advances make modern society vastly different from what was known 10 or 20 generations ago.
Students should realize that inventions occur both by design (e.g., putting a human on the moon) and by serendipity (e.g., 3M Post-it®notes and spin offs). In addition,
they should realize innovations are planned and aimed at, such as Edison’s light bulb, while others grow unexpectedly out of lines of work that take off in new directions almost as if they have a life of their own. The purposeful application of scientific and technological knowledge speeds up development, while various changes in the physical, political, or cultural environment can act to either speed up or slow down technological development. For example, the appearance of AIDS has spurred research for new vaccines, and the Cold War accelerated the development of both military and space technologies. Ethical concerns have at times restrained the development of certain reproductive and genetic engineering technologies.
Finally, students should understand that the scope of technology involves its essence, its relation to the natural world, and its rapid and often unexpected development. At the same time, students should also understand that the scope of technology includes the commercialization of products and systems. This commercialization frequently results in the development of many inventions and innovations based on market research — who the customers are, what they will purchase, how they will purchase it, and where they will purchase it. The product or system is then prominently presented
G R A D E S
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Scope of Technology 1 S T A N D A R D 3through advertising to encourage people to purchase it. The intention of advertising is to influence a purchase so that a demand will develop from a desire or an unknown need. The development and marketing of many entertainment devices illustrate such an approach.
In order to comprehend the scope of technology, students in Grades 9-12 should learn that
J. The nature and development of technological knowledge and
processes are functions of the setting.
For example, the tractor, plow, and hay baler are designed specifically for use around farms, while the pick-up truck, tanker, and tractor-trailer are vehicles commonly used to move goods from farms to other areas.
K. The rate of technological develop- ment and diffusion is increasing
rapidly. The rate of development of
inventions and innovations is affected by many factors, such as time and money. New technologies are built on previous technologies, often resulting in quick development and dispersion. For example, the first hand-held electronic calculator was designed to perform simple arithmetic. It has quickly evolved from a bulky product owned by a few people to a miniature, multi-function version owned by many.
L. Inventions and innovations are the results of specific, goal-directed
research.For example, years of research
led to the design and development of a laser system used in atmospheric studies. This same laser system was then modified and reapplied to treat
the buildup of plaque in the arteries through laser angioplasty.
M. Most development of technologies these days is driven by the profit
motive and the market.The success
of a technology is often determined by whether or not it is affordable and whether or not it works. People often develop and apply technology in a centralized and large-scale fashion to optimize efficiency and reliability, thus resulting in lower production costs.
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