TECHNICALLY SPEAKING WHY ALL AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY potx

[...]... impacts For example, a technologically literate public would generate a TECHNICALLY SPEAKING more abundant supply of technologically savvy workers who would be more likely to have the knowledge and abilities—and find it easier to learn the skills they need for jobs in today’s technology- oriented workplaces To the extent the study of technology encourages students to pursue scientific or technical careers,... effective approaches to improving the technological literacy of students or the public at large Recommendation 11 The White House should add a Presidential Award for Excellence in Technology Teaching to those that it currently offers for mathematics and science teaching A Final Word Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology should help inform the public—especially the portion... engineering, politics, ethics, law, and other factors People who operate under this misconception have a limited ability to think critically about technology to guide the development and use of a technology to ensure that it provides the greatest benefit for the greatest number of citizens Another common misconception is that technology is either all good or all bad rather than what people and society make... we cannot predict To take full advantage of the benefits and to recognize, address, or even avoid the pitfalls of technology, Americans must become better stewards of technological change Present circumstances suggest that we are ill prepared to meet that goal This report TECHNICALLY SPEAKING represents a mandate—an urgent call—for technological literacy in the United States What Is Technology? In the... Questions About Technology • • • • • • 20 What are the short-term and long-term risks of developing or using the technology? What are the costs of not developing or using the technology? Who will have access to the technology? Who will control it? Who will benefit and who will lose by the technology? What will the impact of the technology be on me, my family, and my community? TECHNICALLY SPEAKING workplace,... in technology can lead to a better understanding of the underlying technology and could be used as the basis for teaching about the nature, history, and role of technology in our lives Recently, the federal government has paid more attention to technician-preparation and school -to- career programs, as well as traditional vocational education College and universities offer a number of options for more. .. related to technological literacy appears in the appendix to the full report This “toolkit” will be useful not only to educators and policy makers but also members of the public who wish to learn more about the subject EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For the adult population already out of school, the informal education system offers opportunities for learning about and becoming engaged in a variety of issues related to. .. recommendations relate to and support one another and should be considered as an integrated whole For instance, the availability of better data about technological literacy and how people learn about technology will inform activities in the education sector Initiatives to improve technological decision making are also likely to increase public sensitivity to the value of informed debate about technology This,... BIOGRAPHIES INDEX xii 147 CONTENTS TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Executive Summary t the heart of our modern technological society lies an unacknowledged paradox Although the United States is increasingly defined by and dependent on technology and is adopting new technologies at a breathtaking pace, its citizens are not equipped to make well-considered decisions or to think critically about technology As a society, we... humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants However, most people think of technology only in terms of its artifacts: computers and software, aircraft, pesticides, water-treatment plants, birth-control pills, and microwave ovens, to name a few But technology is more than its tangible products An equally important aspect of technology is the knowledge and processes necessary to create and operate . AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW MORE WHY ALL AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW MOREWHY ALL AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW MORE WHY ALL AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT TECHNOLOGYABOUT TECHNOLOGY ABOUT. alt="" TECHNICALLY SPEAKINGTECHNICALLY SPEAKING TECHNICALLY SPEAKINGTECHNICALLY SPEAKING TECHNICALLY SPEAKING WHY ALL AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW MOREWHY ALL AMERICANS