About this Guide...

This guide serves to help elementary educators understand the value of including a study of technology as part of the elementary curriculum. This is a new content area for many teachers. It can be a challenging area to understand and embrace. However, once Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) (ITEA, 2000, 2002) is carefully reviewed in concert with implementation documents such as this one, it should be realized that this new literacy is essential and relevant for all students and can be integrated rather easily with existing curriculum. In fact, this content and the related instructional processes offer significant opportunities to invigorate any curriculum or instructional program. This document has been organized to help elementary teachers get started with a new and exciting instructional experience. A brief review of how this book is structured and what to look for should be helpful. In Chapter 1, the introduction presents a brief review of several key research initiatives that are important to understand for all educators. Connections are made between the content and methods of technology studies and current thinking about the science of learning, multiple intelligences, and learning styles of individuals. In addition, a review of a unique approach to instructional design that offers a practical and effective process for lesson and unit development, Understanding by Design,1 has been included. They are presented to help teachers determine the value of instructional content or method, including a study of technology as part of the elementary curriculum. Further, this design approach begins with important understandings that are guided by standards. Next, a review of the standards is presented. It is essential that these standards be understood before attempting to implement a technology studies program. There are 20 standards for achieving technological literacy. These standards specify what every student should know and be able to do in order to become technologically literate. Criteria to judge progress towards achieving this literacy is also presented in the standards document. The standards fall into two types: Cognitive Standards What students should know and understand about technology, how it works, its place or impact in the world, and its effect with respect to ones personal existence. Process Standards Process standards describe the abilities that students should have or be able to exhibit to be technologically literate. The two types of standards are complementary. For example, a student can be taught in a lecture about the design process, but the ability to actually use that process to design a solution to a technological problem is realized only with a laboratory or hands-on situation. Likewise, it is difficult to perform a design process effectively without having some theoretical knowledge of how it is usually done. It is critical that elementary teachers realize that the technological literacy standards fall into key areas of understanding, and they can be addressed in a variety of instructional situations. You will notice the following: Standards 1-3: Students will develop an understanding of the nature of technology, including the features and characteristics of technological development.
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Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. VA: ASCD.

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Models for Introducing Technology: A Standards-Based Guide

Standards 4-7: Students will develop an understanding of technology and society and the resulting impacts made by technological development, past, present, and future. Standards 8-10: Students will develop understandings and skills related to design, including invention, innovation, and problem solving. Standards 11-13: Students will develop abilities to function in a technological world, including the use and maintenance of technological products and systems. Standards 14-20: Students will develop an understanding of the designed world, realizing the numerous products and services created by diverse technologies. The instructional units presented as models for teaching technology in this document focus on Standards 1420. However, you will see how Standards 1-13 are addressed through connected lessons or activities inherent in each unit. This is a critical feature of all technology study experiences. It is the responsibility of each teacher to blend (with varying emphasis) instructional components, enabling students to meet numerous standards. Chapter 2 begins with a discussion about Designing. Since Standards 8-13 are directly or closely related to the design process, it seems prudent to include a review of what design really means. By involving young students in the design of something, you enable them to reveal unique intelligences and/or learning styles that truly enhance cognition. This review also includes steps for applying the design process. For elementary teachers new to the concept of designing, this should be most helpful as they begin introducing their students to this unique and challenging process. The next two sections present a review of the Natural World and Human-Made World. It is so important at the elementary level for students to compare and contrast the natural environment with the devices, systems, structures, and products created through human ingenuity in the Human-Made World. Teachers should help young students understand that all materials available in the natural world can be used to create all kinds of devices in the human-made world. The understanding that humans are capable of changing their environment in order to meet their needs and wants is essential knowledge. At the elementary level, all curricula address understandings about the natural environment. The earliest observations by students are essential and natural for them to perform as they discover their world. But, equally critical, is the awareness of the technologies that share the natural environment. Both must be observed, discussed, and understood to realize the complete picture of their immediate environment. It is strongly recommended that this become the starting point for all instructional activities. Begin with students making observations of their immediate world, including the natural and human-made environments. As students explore the design process, they will need to understand and be able to use a variety of new tools or devices. The next section presents a discussion of introducing tools, machines, and materials into the elementary classroom. It is essential that teachers and students understand the benefits as well as the safety requirements for using and caring for these devices. Personal safety is a key component in all technology study activities. This section should be reviewed several times to help ensure a safe environment. One of the most important components of all lessons, including technology activities, is the use of a personal journal or engineering portfolio. Reading and writing remain the most essential skills in the elementary curriculum. All educators agree that these skills are enablers to continued learning. With this in mind, numerous strategies should be employed to help students refine these skills. The use of journals and portfolios is a practical solution to this challenge. A discussion of an engineering portfolio is presented to guide teachers as they use this personal reading and writing strategy with their students. Student examples of writing are presented throughout each activity in this book via the engineering portfolio.
x 2003 ITEA

Another key feature of any technology study at the elementary level is the use of a classroom store, shopping mall, or materials center. All activities will require unique materials in order to complete the design requirements. You will see a wide variety of materials presented in each activity in this document. The use of a store or special area in the classroom for students to go shopping to procure the required materials is a practical and relevant strategy. Students will be able to develop and refine their mathematical skills with regard to calculating cost of materials, making correct change, managing money, maintaining budgets, and more. Details on how to establish this area in the classroom are presented. Numerous examples of how the store concept is beneficial are revealed through each activity in the book. The final section of Chapter 2 presents the models or activities for teaching technology at the elementary level. Remember, these activities focus on Standards 14-20. They address an understanding of the Designed World, which includes an exploration for students in the following areas: medical technologies, agricultural technologies, energy and power technologies, information and communication technologies, transportation technologies, manufacturing technologies, and construction technologies. These areas comprise the Designed World as defined in STL. Once again, it is important to understand that Standards 1-13 are addressed through connection activities inherent in each unit. For elementary teachers who are attempting to include technology units as part of their teaching, it seemed most appropriate to offer examples that would help explore Standards 14-20 as technology studies content. This is not to diminish the value of any of the standards. It is rather an approach that offers a blended or integrated approach to covering all 20 standards. If you review each activity carefully, you will discover how all the standards are directly or indirectly addressed. In addition, every effort was made to make connections to core subjects as well. Again, the intent of this guide is to provide a few models for getting started with a study of technology in the elementary grades. It will always be the responsibility of the teacher to conduct appropriate professional reading and then make decisions regarding instruction based on his/her unique situation and student population. Teachers will ultimately make the final decisions about what goes on in their classrooms each day. This collection offers powerful examples for enhancing your instruction with new and relevant content and engaging instructional methodologies. The guide concludes with a comprehensive listing of numerous resources used to create this collection. You will notice the wide variety and diverse nature of these resources. Again, this was developed to help elementary teachers become knowledgeable and confident with a study of technology in their classrooms.

Models for Introducing Technology: A Standards-Based Guide

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