technological literacy: the proper focus to educate all students

摘要

As T&E education seeks to survive a shortage of teachers and funding, among other factors, it must proceed with caution. The field should remain true to its hands-on, design-based roots but must also provide rigorous instruction that applies STEM skills and situates it as a valuable stakeholder among the core content areas. Dropping the T would not solve the public's misconception of what we teach, rather the authors believe another name change to the field would increase this misunderstanding. Adding engineering to our name has helped provide some clarification in what we do and remedies the common misconception that technology education is instructional technology. Technological literacy is the right focus for the future because it provides an opportunity for T&E education to reach more students, not just those interested in specific vocational skills or becoming profes- sional engineers. The inclusive approach has served the field well over many years. There is room for manufacturing programs in the midwest, gaming development courses in the south, and traditional courses in rural areas. Making a change to a purist engineering education or returning to an industrial arts focus will not adequately serve our field and will increase pressure to close down secondary and higher education programs nationwide. The inclusive technological literacy approach that serves all students continues to be the best direction for our field at this time.