|
Technology
Standards and Benchmarks
Technology
Standard and Benchmarks Standard 3:
Understands the relationships among science, technology, society,
and the individual
Level III (Grade
6-8)
- Knows that
scientific inquiry and technological design have similarities
and differences (e.g., scientists propose explanations for questions
about the natural world that are always tentative and evolving,
and engineers propose solutions relating to human problems, needs,
and aspirations; both science and technology depend on accurate
scientific information and they cannot contravene scientific laws)
- Knows that
science cannot answer all questions and technology cannot solve
all human problems or meet all human needs
- Knows ways
in which technology has influenced the course of history (e.g.,
revolutions in agriculture, manufacturing, sanitation, medicine,
warfare, transportation, information processing, communication)
- Knows that
technology and science have a reciprocal relationship (e.g., technology
drives science, as it provides the means to access outer space
and remote locations, collect and treat samples, collect, measure,
store, and compute data, and communicate information; science
drives technology, as it provides principles for better instrumentation
and techniques, and the means to address questions that demand
more sophisticated instruments)
- Knows ways
in which technology and society influence one another (e.g., new
products and processes for society are developed through technology;
technological changes are often accompanied by social, political,
and economic changes; technology is influenced by social needs,
attitudes, values, and limitations, and cultural backgrounds and
beliefs)
- Knows ways
technology is used to protect the environment and prevent damage
caused by nature (e.g., new building technologies protect cities
from earthquakes, bacteria are used in cleaning water)
Level IV (Grade
9-12)
- Knows that
science and technology are pursued for different purposes (e.g.,
scientific inquiry is driven by the desire to understand the natural
world and seeks to answer questions that may or may not directly
influence humans; technology is driven by the need to meet human
needs and solve human problems)
- Knows ways
in which social and economic forces influence which technologies
will be developed and used (e.g., cultural and personal values,
consumer acceptance, patent laws, availability of risk capital,
the federal budget, local and national regulations, media attention,
economic competition, tax incentives)
- Knows that
alternatives, risks, costs, and benefits must be considered when
deciding on proposals to introduce new technologies or to curtail
existing ones (e.g., Are there alternative ways to achieve the
same ends? Who benefits and who suffers? What are the financial
and social costs and who bears them? How serious are the risks
and who is in jeopardy? What resources will be needed and where
will they come from?)
- Knows that
technological knowledge is often not made public because of patents
and the financial potential of the idea or invention; scientific
knowledge is made public through presentations at professional
meetings and publications in scientific journals
- Knows examples
of advanced and emerging technologies (e.g., virtual environment,
personal digital assistants, voice recognition software) and how
they could impact society
- Knows that
mathematics, creativity, logic, and originality are all needed
to improve technology
- Knows the
role of technology in a variety of careers
- Knows that
the rate of technological development and diffusion is increasing
rapidly, even though individual technologies may be developed
at a slow pace due to technical difficulties or consumer resistance
- Knows that
technology can benefit the environment by providing scientific
information, providing new solutions to older problems, and reducing
the negative consequences of existing technology (e.g., monitoring
a habitat or measuring greenhouse gases, improving renewable energy
sources, and creating scrubbers to improve coal-burning facilities)
Technology
Standard and Benchmarks Standard 5:
Understands the nature and operation of systems
Level III (Grade
6-8)
- Knows that
a system can include processes as well as components
- Knows how
part of a system can provide feedback when its output (in the
form of material, energy, or information) becomes input for another
part of the system
- Identifies
the elements, structure, sequence, operation, and control of systems
- Knows that
systems are usually linked to other systems, both internally and
externally, and can contain subsystems as well as operate as subsystems
Level IV (Grade
9-12)
- Knows that
a system usually has some properties that are different from those
of its parts, but appear because of the interaction of those parts
- Knows that
understanding how things work and designing solutions to problems
of almost any kind can be facilitated by systems thinking, which
employs mathematical modeling and simulation
- Knows that
in defining a system, it is important to specify its boundaries
and subsystems, indicate its relation to other systems, and identify
what its input and its output are expected to be
- Knows how
feedback can be used to help monitor, control, and stabilize the
operation of a system
- Knows that
even in simple systems, accurate prediction of the effect of changing
some part of the system is not always possible
- Knows that
complex systems are subject to failure and are designed with various
elements and procedures (e.g., performance testing, overdesign,
redundancy, more controls) that help reduce system failure
- Knows that
systems are embedded within larger systems, including technological,
social, and environmental systems
|
Selected Standards and Benchmarks
used by permission:
Copyright
2003 McRel
Mid-continent Research for
Education and Learning
2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500
Aurora, CO 80014
Telephone: (303) 337-0990
www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks
|
