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Illinois School Board Journal
September/October 2001

Misuse of the word ‘technology’ in schools

by Halil I. Avci

Since becoming a school board member nearly two years ago, I have noticed that in primary and secondary schools, the word "technology" is often used to mean the use of computers in education and school administration. This over-generalization without regard to the true meaning of the word "technology" is not only inappropriate for schools, but is also likely to hurt students' chances to excel in engineering and technology fields when they enter college.

The situation can be rectified with simple modification to school curricula and by using more appropriate terminology to designate school programs and courses that relate to technology and computers.

The Webster's Dictionary (1994 Edition) defines technology as "the application of scientific knowledge to serve man in industry, commerce, medicine and other fields." The American Heritage College Dictionary (1997 Edition) defines it as "(a) the application of science, especially as it relates to industrial and commercial objectives, (b) the scientific method and material used to achieve a commercial or industrial objective."

Technology is the product of human ingenuity. It manifests itself in the form of tools, machinery and methods that make life easier. This vast notion applies to anything from building a fire by rubbing two sticks together to electronic furnaces in modern homes, from horse-drawn carriages to supersonic airplanes, from sun dials to digital watches, from smoke signals to use of satellites and computers to send electronic messages instantly around the globe. In areas as diverse as energy, transportation, agriculture, medicine and environment, technology plays a key role in meeting the demands of society.

As we bring our students from primary grades through junior high and high school, we should try to instill in them an awareness that almost everything they use in their daily lives is the result of someone's invention: someone's inquiring mind about the workings of nature and putting the knowledge gained into practice to make things better.

If we want our students to succeed in the sciences and engineering fields in college, and in the working world, we need to open their minds at an early age and help them realize that technological products they use every day were invented by people like them. A computer is one of those products, but is not the only one that defines technology.

It would be unthinkable for a school district to have a world studies program where only the history and culture of North America are taught; a music program that involves only the piano; an athletics program with basketball as the only activity; or a language arts program with only poetry. However, some school districts seem to have technology programs where computers and the use of the computers are the only things taught. They seem to teach technology classes in which the only subjects offered are related to the use of computers. In my opinion, these districts are channeling the thinking of their students about technology into a narrowly focused field and closing their minds to the rest of the wonderful world of technology.

If you look at the mix of graduate students at any large engineering college, you will notice that the majority of students are foreign nationals. There appears to be a general lack of interest on the part of U.S. nationals to pursue advanced degrees in engineering.

Undoubtedly there are many factors that influence someone's decision to pursue advanced degrees in engineering or any other field. However, early childhood influences in elementary schools could be a factor in making that choice.

What should primary and secondary schools do with regard to technology education? How should they teach their students to effectively use computers in general, and the Internet in particular, to further their education and to prepare them for tomorrow's world?

Today everyone recognizes that the way we communicate and do business is greatly influenced by computers. No doubt students need to learn to use them effectively and responsibly, similarly to the way they use other products of technology including bicycles, televisions, telephones, cars, etc.

I believe the first thing schools need to do is properly label programs and courses that deal only with computers. A few names that come to mind are "computer technology," "information technology," "computer-aided learning" and "Internet resources."

The second thing schools should do is to provide a link between classes that give students a broad general overview of technology and computer classes. Most schools already have science and technology classes that touch upon a wide variety of technical subjects. The teachers of such classes can be asked to present a general discussion of what technology is, how it progressed over the past several hundred years in general, and the past 20 to 30 years in particular.

The development of the computer and how it came to be used as widely as it is could be part of that general discussion. Science and technology teachers also can teach one or two periods at the start of the computer courses or the school can request a guest lecturer from nearby colleges, technical firms or national laboratories. Most large technical organizations have speaker bureaus that would be more than happy to provide occasional speakers on general topics such as the technology of their industry and its role in society.

When it comes to computers and technology, schools need to educate and train students in the use of computers without closing young, inquiring minds to other fields of technology. They need to remember that the torch fueling the technological advances to keep the United States moving ahead will have to be carried by the students they are raising today.

They can achieve both objectives with a more accurate description of computer-related subjects and by putting computers in the proper context within the overall field of technology.