MARCH 2001 VOL. 60 NO. 6 - International Technology and ...

MARCH 2001 

VOL. 60 NO. 6

Publisher, Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE 

Editor-In-Chief, Kathleen B. de la Paz 

Assistant Editor, Kathie F. Cluff 

MARCH 2001 

Volume 60, No. 6 

ITEA Board of Directors 

Barry Burke, DTE, President 

Anthony Gilberti, Past President 

David McGee, President-Elect 

Harold Holley, Director, ITEA-CS 

Thomas Bell, DTE, Director, Region 1 

Lynn Basham, Director, Region 2 

Duane Rogers, DTE, Director, Region 3 

Kim Durfee, Director, Region 4 

John Ritz, DTE, Director, CTTE 

William Havice, DTE, Director, TECA 

James McCracken, Director, TECC 

Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE, Executive Director 

ITEA is an affiliate of the American Association for the 

Advancement of Science. 

The Technology Teacher ISSN: 0746-3537 is published 

eight times a year (September through June with combined 

December/January and May/June issues) by the 

International Technology Education Association. 

Subscriptions are included in member dues. U.S. Library 

and nonmember subscriptions are $70; $80 outside the 

U.S. Single copies are $7.50 for members; $8.50 for nonmembers, 

plus shipping—domestic @ $5.00 and outside 

the U.S. @ $16.00 (surface). 

Email: iteacomm@iris.org 

World Wide Web: www.iteawww.org 

Advertising Sales: 

ITEA Publications Department 

703-860-2100 

Fax: 703-860-0353 

Subscription Claims 

All subscription claims must be made within 60 days of 

the first day of the month appearing on the cover of the 

journal. For combined issues, claims will be honored within 

60 days from the first day of the last month on the 

cover. Because of repeated delivery problems outside the continental 

United States, journals will be shipped only at the customer’s 

risk. ITEA will ship the subscription copy, but assumes 

no responsibility thereafter. 

The Technology Teacher is listed in the Educational Index 

and the Current Index to Journal in Education. Volumes 

are available on Microfiche from University Microfilm, 

P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. 

Change of Address 

Send change of address notification promptly. Provide old 

mailing label and new address. Include zip + 4 code. Allow 

six weeks for change. 

Postmaster 

Send address change to: The Technology Teacher, Address 

Change, ITEA, 1914 Association Drive, Suite 201, 

Reston, VA 20191-1539. Second class postage paid at 

Herndon, VA and additional mailing offices. 

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 

DEPARTMENTS 

ITEA 

Online 

7 

ITEA 

Members Page 

FEATURES 

2 

ITEA/NASA-JPL 

Learning Activity 

3 

In the News 

& Calendar 

You & ITEA 

14 19 

22 

IDSA 

Activity 

10 Genetic Disorders: An Integrated Curriculum 

Project 

Describes a unit of study that provides an integrated approach to 

studying an area of Biotechnology, through corroboration among 

faculty and students. 

W.J. Haynie, III and Doug Greenberg 

31 Technology Education — Process or Content 

Examines how society has created a dichotomy between the 

teaching of science and technology. 

Harry T. Roman 

35 ”Implementing the Standards” — Viewpoints 

from a Teacher Educator 

Discusses implementing the new STL from a teacher educator’s 

viewpoint. 

Edward M. Reeve 

38 2001 Leaders to Watch 

6 

Resources 

in Technology

Editorial Review Board 

Chairperson 

Roger B. Hill 

University of Georgia 

Frank R.J. Banks 

The Open University, UK 

Bruce Barnes 

Olson Middle School 

Vincent Childress 

NC A&T State University 

Charles J. Corley 

McCall Middle School, MA 

Terry R. Crissey 

Forest Hill School District, PA 

Michael K. Daugherty 

Illinois State University 

Jack Davidson 

Kokomo High School 

Eric Elder 

Warren East Mid School, KY 

Daniel Engstrom 

Indiana Jr. High School, PA 

Gene Gloeckner 

Colorado State University 

Martin L. Greenwald 

Montclair State University 

Richard Grimsley 

Texas Education Agency 

Everett N. Israel 

Putnam, IL 

Charles D. Johnson 

University of Northern Iowa 

Rick D. Kalk 

James F. Byrnes High School, 

SC 

2 

Marvin Lancaster 

Graigmont High School, TN 

Kevin D. Miller 

Wisconsin Dept. of Public 

Inst. 

Michael A. Mino 

Education Connection, MA 

Ivan T. Mosley, Sr. 

South Carolina State Univ. 

Beth Speizer 

Franklin Park School, NJ 

Andy Stephenson 

Scott County High School, 

KY 

Gregory P. Sullivan 

Lynchburg City Schools, VA 

Anna Sumner 

Westside Middle School, NE 

Scott Warner 

Ball State Un., Muncie, IN 

Kenneth D. Welty 

University of Wisconsin-Stout 

Richard Weymer 

Manhein Twp. School 

District, PA 

P. John Williams 

Edith Cowan University, 

Australia 

Editorial Policy 

As the only national and international association dedicated 

solely to the development and improvement of technology 

education, ITEA seeks to provide an open forum for the free 

exchange of relevant ideas relating to technology education. 

Materials appearing in the journal, including advertising, 

are expressions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect 

the official policy or the opinion of the association, its officers, 

or the ITEA Headquarters staff. 

Referee Policy 

All professional articles in The Technology Teacher are refereed, 

with the exception of selected association activities and 

reports, and invited articles. Refereed articles are reviewed 

and approved by the Editorial Board before publication in 

The Technology Teacher. Articles with bylines will be identified 

as either refereed or invited unless written by ITEA 

officers on association activities or policies. 

To Submit Articles 

All articles should be sent directly to the Editor-in-Chief, 

International Technology Education Association, 1914 

Association Drive, Ste. 201, Reston, VA 20191-1539. 

Please submit photographs to accompany the article, a 

copy of the article on disc (PC compatible), and five hard 

copies. Maximum length for manuscripts is 8 pages. 

Manuscripts should be prepared following the style 

specified in the Publications Manual of the American 

Psychological Association, Fourth Edition. 

Editorial guidelines and review policies are available by 

writing directly to ITEA. Contents copyright © 2000 by 

the International Technology Education Association, Inc., 

703-860-2100. 

ITEA ONLINE 

Now Available on the ITEA website: 

The Technology Teachere: 

❉ 

Excerpts from a speech at a TECA Regional 

Conference 

Discusses the many rewards of joining the technology 

teaching profession. 

Gregory P. Sullivan 

Also currently online: 

Visit ITEA’s Online Company/Product Directory at 

www.iteawww.org/onlinedirectory.pdf for information and links to 

the people who make the products that will make your job easier. 

Several new companies will be exhibiting in Atlanta and are listed 

here; take a look before you arrive. If you will not be attending 

the conference, this is the place to visit the companies that help 

teachers. If you know of a company that should be listed here, let 

us know at (703) 860-5028 and we will contact them. 

You are invited to apply to present at ITEA’s 64 th Annual 

Conference in Columbus, OH on March 14-16, 2002. The 

conference theme will be “Positioning Technological Literacy in 

the Mainstream of Education.” The application is online at 

www.iteawww.org/2002ohio.pdf. 

Look for the ITEA Placement Center located near the registration 

area in the Apparel Mart in Atlanta where conference attendees 

can post a resume or a job-opening ad. ITEA members can also 

post their resume, free, on the ITEA Online Placement Service. 

Go to www.iteawww.org/E6.html. 

There is still time to register for the 5 th China-U.S. Conference on 

Education. “Forging 21 st Century Communities through 

Education.” Beijing, People’s Republic of China, June 12-15, 

2001. This program is designed to promote understanding and 

build partnerships between U.S. and Chinese counterparts. Go to 

www.iteawww.org/B.html for information. 

www.iteawww.org 

THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • March 2001

Attention ITEA Conference 

Attendees 

ITEA’s 63 rd Annual Conference and 

Exhibition will be held in Atlanta, 

Georgia March 22-24 th . “Teaching 

Technology in a Virtual World” is the 

theme for this year’s conference. The 

ITEA annual conference promises to 

provide teachers with new and 

exciting ideas for educating students 

of all grade levels. The conference 

also gives educators an opportunity 

for better understanding of the 

constant changes that take place in 

technology education. 

Make your hotel reservations 

NOW!!! 

After March 1, 2001, housing rates on 

ITEA contracted hotels rise! You also 

risk higher rates at non-contracted 

hotels and a long walk to the 

AmericasMart Apparel Mart, where 

the ITEA registration area and 

resource booth will be. The Westin 

Peachtree Plaza and the Hilton 

Atlanta are the official hotels of the 

ITEA 63rd Annual Conference. 

The Westin Peachtree Plaza 

Peachtree at International Boulevard 

Atlanta, Georgia 30343-9986 

Telephone (404) 659-1400 

Hilton Atlanta 

255 Courtland Street, NE 

Atlanta, GA 30303 

Telephone (404) 659-2000 

When making reservations, 

mention that you are with ITEA 

in order to receive the group rate. 

ITEA’s Standards Effort Wins 

Two Awards of Excellence 

The International Technology 

Education Association was recently 

notified that their work with 

Standards for Technological Literacy has 

won two awards from the American 

Society of Association Executives 

(ASAE) as a part of their 2001 Associations 

Advance America Awards. 

ASAE is the “association for association 

executives” and represents stateof-the-art 

work in association business. 

ITEA was among the winners in 

two categories of recognition known 

as the Award of Excellence. This 

honor automatically puts the entry in 

the running for the 2001 Associations 

Advance America Summit Award. 

The Summit Awards will be presented 

during ASAE’s annual meeting in 

Philadelphia or during their Summit 

Award Dinner, which is held in 

Washington, DC. 

The first Award of Excellence was 

given for setting standards to be used 

in guiding a profession. The second 

award was for establishing a content 

base for the study of technology. 

ITEA was congratulated for having 

programs that truly embody the spirit 

of the Associations Advance America 

campaign and for its outstanding 

effort to make America a better place 

in which to live. 

ITEA President, Barry N. Burke, 

DTE, praised members of the profession 

for their hard work and continued 

leadership that has allowed ITEA’s 

Technology for All Americans Project 

to be worthy of such recognition. 

Burke noted that, “ITEA members have 

given us significant input over the years 

to allow us to achieve at this level.” 

Massachusetts Science and 

Technology/Engineering 

Frameworks 

Massachusetts has become the first 

state in the union to require all students 

to have engineering as part of 

the regular curriculum, by a vote of 

the Massachusetts Department of 

Education on December 20, 2000. 

The Tufts University Center for 

Engineering Education Outreach is 

preparing to assist teachers and school 

districts as they make the transition to 

IN THE NEWS & CALENDAR 

the new frameworks by providing 

engineering curriculum, professional 

development for teachers, and various 

workshops that align with the new 

frameworks. The frameworks 

document can be accessed through 

the Massachusetts Department of 

Education website or the Tufts 

University Engineering Department 

website. 

Beginner Robot 

OWI has a new entry in their award 

winning Beginner series of educational 

electronic robot and science kits. 

RocKit Robot is a spunky little robot 

with a new futuristic style that 

includes high performance and superior 

materials. Appropriate for ages 10 

and up, RocKit Robot is an intelligent 

robot with a touch/sound sensor. If it 

comes in contact with an object or 

hears a loud noise (such as hands 

clapping) RocKit Robot automatically 

reverses, then turns left before embarking 

on a new course. An ideal gift for 

the educator, hobbyist, or budding 

scientist, this fun kit contains complete 

step-by-step instructions, preassembled 

printed circuit board, condenser 

microphone, and an easy-toassemble 

mechanical drive system. 

For more information, contact OWI 

at (310) 515-1900 or via email at 

owikitsales@pacbell.net. 

Women in Technology 

Clip Art/Photo Gallery 

The Institute for Women in Trades, 

Technology, and Science (IWITTS) is 

collecting a gallery of free clip art and 

March 2001 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER 3


photos of women in non-traditional 

occupations. Easy to locate images of 

women in traditionally male occupations 

such as computer technician, 

telecommunications, engineer, carpenter, 

and more are categorized by occupation 

and can be viewed quickly via 

the thumbnail gallery at 

http://www.iwitts.com. 

Financial Aid for Continuing 

Education 

America’s Learning eXchange, part of 

America’s Career Kit (ACK) sponsored 

by the U.S. Department of Labor, has 

created an Internet-based tool to help 

you find financial aid from a variety 

of public and private resources to continue 

your education. The Financial 

Aid Advisor provides a brief list of 

questions designed to show you what 

you might qualify for, where to go for 

more complete information on eligibility, 

and how to apply. Visit 

www.alx.org and click on “Financial 

Aid Advisor” under Career Tools. 

Financial assistance to continue 

lifelong learning is available from a 

variety of federal and state agencies, 

private companies, foundations, 

schools and colleges, banks and lending 

institutions as well as the U.S. 

Department of Education, U.S. 

Armed Forces, the Veteran’s Administration, 

the U.S. Department of 

Labor and other federal agencies. 

Applicants must meet the specific 

eligibility criteria designated by those 

individual agencies. 

To find out more about how to use 

America’s Learning eXchange and 

other components of America’s Career 

Kit, visit the ALX website at 

www.alx.org, call (301) 585-5050, or 

contact Bill Holleran at 

estn@boscobel.com; Lisa Pellegrin at 

lpellegrin@boscvobel.com, or Michael 

Rudd at mrudd@bocobel.com. 

4 

Calendar 

MARCH 1, 2001 

Preregistration deadline for the 63 rd 

Annual ITEA Conference and 

Exhibition, which will be held in 

Atlanta, GA March 22-24, 2001. 

Professional members will save $70 

by registering prior to the deadline. 

Forms and additional information are 

available on the ITEA website at 

www.iteawww.org, or call (703) 

860-2100. 

MARCH 8-13, 2001 

The PATT-11 Conference will be held 

in Haarlem, the Netherlands. The 

conference theme is “New Media in 

Technology Education” with subthemes 

of 1) New media for reaching 

standards in technology education, 

2) New media and pupils’ concepts of 

technology, and 3) New media and 

teaching and learning processes. For 

deadlines and other conference information, 

contact conference coordinator 

Dr. Marc J. de Vries at Eindhoven 

University of Technology via email at 

M.J.d.Vries@tm.tue.nl. 

March 22-24, 2001 The 63 rd 

Annual ITEA Conference and 

Exhibition will be held in 

Atlanta, Georgia. The conference 

theme is “Teaching Technology 

In a Virtual World” and includes 

topics such as “Providing 

Virtual/Real World Experiences,” 

“Developing Standards-Based 

Curriculum,” “Strategies for 

Perceptual Learning,” and 

“Creating Linkages/ 

Partnerships.” Details are 

available on the ITEA website at 

www.iteawww.org. 


The Society of Manufacturing 

Engineers (SME), The Association for 

Manufacturing Technology (AMT), 

and the American Machine Tool 

Distributors’ Association (AMTDA) 

are sponsoring the Advanced 

Productivity Exposition (APEX) in 

Los Angeles, CA. APEX will also be 

presented in Nashville, TN from April 

10-11, Minneapolis, MN from May 

15-17, West Springfield, MA from 

May 22-24, and at other locations in 

the fall of 2001. Call SME Customer 

Service at (800) 733-4763 for additional 

information. 


The NYSTEA Annual Conference 

and Exhibition will be held at the 

Sagamore Hotel in Bolton Landing, 

NY. For additional information, 

contact Dr. Allan Dybas at 

aldybas@northnet.org. 

APRIL 6, 2001 

The Department of Applied 

Engineering and Technology at 

California University of Pennsylvania 

will hold its 34 th Annual Spring 

Technology Conference. The theme 

of this year’s conference is “Salute Our 

Graduates,” recognizing the department’s 

graduates of the past 60+ years, 

and demonstrating the possibilities 

available for future graduates. 

MAY 3, 2001 

“Space Day 2001…the Odyssey 

Continues,” the global celebration 

dedicated to the extraordinary 

achievements, benefits, and opportunities 

in the exploration and use of 

space. Through a brand new series of 

Design Challenges that focus on living 

and working in space, an array of 

exciting tools and promotion, and an 

ever-expanding outreach effort, children 

in grades 4, 5, and 6 are encouraged 

to reach for the stars — and their 

place in the universe. For more 


information, visit the Space Day 

website at www.spaceday.com. 

MAY 15-16, 2001 

ITW Ransburg Electrostatic Systems 

and Owens Community College will 

sponsor a training program titled 

“Fundamentals of Electrostatic 

Painting” in Toledo, OH. 1.2 

Continuing Education Units will be 

awarded for this two-day intensive 

workshop, which will include both 

classroom instruction and spray lab 

activity. Attendees should be involved 

with or interested in electrostatic 

application of finishing materials. 

To register, contact the Owens 

Community College, Center for 

Development and Training at (800) 

466-9367, ext. 7357. Workshop 

information is available online at 

www.owens.cc.oh.us/CDT/. 

JUNE 12-15, 2001 

The Fifth Annual China – U.S. 

Conference on Education will be held 

in Beijing, PRC. Proposed topics 

include Educational Technology, 

Curriculum Reform, Student 

Centered Instruction, School/ 

Community Partnerships, and 

Professional Development. Persons 

registering are required to attend the 

full four-day program. Conference 

packages and post-study tours are 

available from Global Interactions, 

Inc. at (602) 906-8886. 

JUNE 15, 2001 

Deadline for submission of proposals 

for participation (as a presenter or 

chairperson) for the 64 th Annual 

ITEA Conference and Exhibition, 

“Positioning Technological Literacy in 

the Mainstream of Education.” 

The conference will be held in 

Columbus, OH March 14-16, 

2002. Application information and 

forms can be found on the ITEA 

website at www.iteawww.org. 

JUNE 21-25, 2001 

The 23 rd Technology Student 

Association (TSA) Annual Conference 

will be held in Richmond, VA. For 

additional information, visit the TSA 

website at www.tsaweb.org, email 

general@tsaweb.org, or call (703) 

860-9000. 

JUNE 29-JULY 2, 2001 

The International Primary Design and 

Technology Conference will be held 

in Birmingham, England. The conference 

will address issues relating to 

primary school design and technology 

worldwide and is designed to offer 

participants the opportunity to learn 

about the approaches different countries 

have adopted and to celebrate the 

outstanding quality of work done with 

young children in this curriculum 

area. For additional information, 

contact Prof. Clare Benson at 

clare.benson@uce.ac.uk. 


AUGUST 8-10, 2001 

The Virginia Technology Education 

Association (VTEA) will hold its 

Summer Conference in Blacksburg, 

VA. The conference will offer a new 

format with specially designed workshops 

where attendees will have an 

exciting hands-on experience with 

the new Standards for Technological 

Literacy. To register, or for more 

information, contact conference 

director Allen Bame at abame@vt.edu, 

(540) 231-8170 or secretary-treasurer 

Jerry Weddle at jweddle@rcs.K12.va.us, 

(540) 562-3706. 

List your State/Province Association 

Conference in TTT and on ITEA’s 

Web Calendar. Submit conference 

title, date(s), location, and contact 

information to iteapubs@iris.org. 

Hearlihy 

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YOU & ITEA 

6 

NEW PUBLICATIONS CATALOG 

ITEA’s new 2001 Publications Catalog will be available this month. 

The catalog highlights several new standards-based publications. Also 

available are a number of new gift items such as ITEA denim shirts, 

backpacks, portfolios, and attaches. ITEA will mail a copy of the new 

Publications Catalog to each ITEA member. The new Catalog will be 

accessible on the ITEA website in the near future. 

ITEA’s Post-Conference Workshops Scheduled for 

Saturday, March 24 

Post-Conference Workshops offer valuable information and teaching 

strategies for all. Many airfares will be reduced with a Saturday night 

stay over; make the most of your time in Atlanta and register for a 

Post-Conference Workshop. For more information, contact ITEA at 

(703) 860-2100. 

3:00pm-7:00pm The Technology Standards: How Should 

Technology Teacher Education Respond? 

3:00pm-7:00pm 2001 Technology Teacher Boot Camp 

3:00pm-7:00pm Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology 

Workshop 

3:00pm-7:00pm Creating a Dynamic Technology Education Program 

2:30pm-7:00pm Engineering and NASA – What Teachers and Students Need to Know 

3:00pm-7:00pm Design and Innovate 

Technology Education Directions in NC 

North Carolina is a founding member of the CATTS Consortium and has been using CATTS 

Consortium standards-based curriculum resources as a catalyst for change in technology education 

curriculum and programs in North Carolina. Thomas Shown, a Technology Education Consultant 

in the North Carolina Department of Instruction, sees the Consortium resources as providing 

strong guidance for implementing Standards for Technological Literacy and ultimately translating 

into state curriculum that enhances the academic achievements of students. 

This year is pivotal for technology education in North Carolina. In summer 2001, leadership 

teams made up of technology teachers and teacher educators will incorporate CATTS Consortium 

materials into the new middle grades Exploring Technology Systems course curriculum and the 

new high school Fundamentals of Technology course curricula. Both curricula are due to be 

released in July 2002. Curriculum content will include the “new to North Carolina” medical technologies 

and agricultural and related biotechnologies systems concepts and principles. 

By 2004, North Carolina’s Technology Education Program will encompass and be congruent 

with Standards for Technological Literacy for middle and high school grade levels and by 2008, a 

curriculum will be in place for the elementary grades reflecting the technological literacy standards. 

Involvement in the Consortium is helping to bring this vision even closer to an exciting 

educational reality. 


Passing 

Dr. John L. Feirer, a nationally recognized authority in technical and industrial education, passed 

away in December, 2000. Feirer was recognized by the American Industrial Arts Association (later 

ITEA) with its Academy of Fellows Award. He was a faculty member at Western Michigan 

University for 44 years. Many members of the profession are well acquainted with at least one of 

Feirer’s 27 books written on such topics as metalworking, woodworking, building construction, 

and the metric system. 

Unsung Hero 

Edward M. Reeve, a professor at Utah State University, has been selected as 

ITEA’s unsung hero in this issue of The Technology Teacher. Dr. Reeve is 

currently a “Standards Specialist” for ITEA. In that role, he assists regions, 

states, provinces, and localities by making presentations or conducting 

workshops on Standards for Technological Literacy. 

Ed has also acted as Chairperson of ITEA’s Conference Program 

Committee for the past three years. He has worked with other committee 

members and ITEA’s meeting planner to arrange times and locations for 

each conference session in Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta. He 

also works to ensure that presenter names, titles, and conference sessions are 

listed correctly in the conference program. In addition to his duties as 

Program Committee Chair, Ed also contributed countless hours as a 

volunteer for the Salt Lake City conference. 

Dr. Reeve’s work with ITEA conference programs started many 

years ago when, as a graduate student, he was Program Coordinator 

for the Columbus Conference. Since that time, he has been very 

active in many projects relating to ITEA curriculum and conferences. 

At Utah State, Reeve is responsible for teaching graduate and 

undergraduate courses related to technology education and drafting. 

His responsibilities are aimed primarily at advancing the profession of 

industrial technology education through research, teaching, and service/extension. 

Dr. Reeve has also worked internationally as a part of 

the Thailand Skills Development Project as well as the Vocational 

Training Project for the People of Bangladesh. He was recognized as an 

Outstanding Young Professional by ITEA, Technology Educator of the 

Year by the Utah Industrial Education Association, and both Teacher 

and Researcher of the Year by the ITE Department at Utah State. 

ITEA MEMBERS PAGE 


ITEA MEMBERS PAGE 

Thirteen states have entered into a unified membership with ITEA. 

Connecticut Maryland Texas Wisconsin 

Florida Minnesota Utah 

Georgia Missouri Vermont 

Indiana New York Virginia 

HAS YOUR STATE CONSIDERED 

UNIFIED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP? 

❐ Each affiliate association has the opportunity to enter into a unified relationship with ITEA. 

This relationship serves to strengthen both associations and provides an important thrust and 

emphasis at the elementary level. 

❐ This unified arrangement will provide the following benefits to the affiliated association: 

• Each elementary school (school, not individual) that becomes a member of ITEA will 

automatically become an elementary school member of the state association. 

• All elementary school memberships in the affiliate association are ITEA members. 

• For each $120 elementary membership that ITEA receives, the state association will 

receive back $20. 

• ITEA will process memberships 

and send renewal notices on the 

school’s anniversary date. 

• ITEA will provide promotional 

literature to promote membership. 

The affiliate may wish to 

do the same. 

• ITEA and the affiliate association 

agree to provide a solid program 

of professional development, 

membership services, and 

other activities that will provide 

the elementary school with a 

membership benefit at both the 

state/provincial and national 

levels. 

• Full-time staff from elementary 

school members will be able to 

attend the annual conference at 

discounted professional member 

rates. 

• Elementary school members can 

purchase curriculum materials 

at the member discount rate. 

❐ This unified arrangement becomes 

official on receipt of a letter from 

the affiliate association indicating 

agreement to the responsibilities and 

services as outlined. 

Visit our Web site to learn 

more. Complete title descriptions, 

company information, 

and interactive features. 

www.goodheartwillcox.com 

TECHNOLOGY 

2000 copyright 

This text presents 

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8 THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • March 2001

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Genetic Disorders: An 

Integrated Curriculum Project 

These inventions…brought the academic 

10 

study to life in a way very familiar to 

technology education teachers. 

Leaders in technology education have 

been promoting collaboration with 

teachers in other disciplines and integrated 

curriculum projects for decades 

(DeVore & Lauda, 1976; Maley, 

1959; and Starkweather, 1975). 

Likewise, the Technology for All 

Americans Project (ITEA, 1995) also 

calls for cross-disciplinary and integrated 

study. One area of technology 

education that has received the least 

actual implementation is Biotechnology. 

Though four other clusters of 

content are frequently represented in 

secondary schools (Manufacturing, 

by W. J. Haynie, III 

Doug Greenberg 

Construction, Transportation, and 

Communication), Biotechnology is 

frequently combined as a minor part 

of one of these four or simply ignored. 

There are several reasons for this lack 

of attention to Biotechnology. It is 

likely that many teachers feel that they 

lack the knowledge and skills needed 

to teach Biotechnology. Many schools 

do not have appropriate equipment 

and supplies in the Technology 

Education department to present a 

well-developed Biotechnology 

program. There are also fewer existing 

curriculum resources and vendoravailable 

pre-packaged resources in 

this area, that have stood the test of 

time, than exist for the other four areas 

of technology. Many districts choose 

to leave Biotechnology as the responsibility 

of the Science Department, 

Health Department, Agriculture 

Department, or other units and confine 

technology education to the more 

traditional areas listed above. 

At the same time that our own 

leadership in technology education 

has been striving for integration, 

collaboration, and inclusion of Biotechnology, 

leaders in several other 

curricula areas have been promoting 

the study of technology within their 

respective disciplines and various 

levels of interdisciplinary activity 

(AAAS, 1993; NCDPI, 1999; 

NCTM, 1995; NCSS, 1994). There 

are some well-developed materials and 

several demonstration sites showing 

good ideas at work, but neither Biotechnology 

as a curricula area of technology 

education nor curriculum integration 

and collaboration between 

technology education and other 

disciplines is widespread. 

The unit of study described here, 

developed by Doug Greenberg (a 

Science teacher at Southeast Raleigh 

High School), is an effective means to 

study an area of Biotechnology 

through corroboration among faculty 

and students in an integrated 

approach. Technology education and 

science are both studied in this unit 


along with significant links to health, 

social sciences, language arts, communication 

skills, mathematics 

(statistics), and other areas of the 

curriculum. The unit of study centers 

on the topic of genetic disorders. 

The Assignment 

Students, in their science class, were 

assigned to research information 

concerning a genetic disorder of their 

choosing. The research was to be 

broad and use various sources, but it 

had to minimally include reading all 

of the information on the website of 

the primary official support or 

research organization or association 

concerning the selected genetic 

disorder. Following attainment of a 

preliminary understanding of the 

nature, causes, effects, and prognoses 

of the disorder, students were 

required to identify and contact a 

willing “pen pal” who has the chosen 

genetic disorder. Contact could be 

made via any of several forums 

including e-mail, postal service, video 

conferencing, or other means. 

Students were not simply “turned 

loose” on the community to go 

“snooping.” The teacher had first 

contacted the organizations to alert 

them that the project was being 

conducted and seek their input and 

cooperation. Students were also 

instructed in how to seek information 

via questions that were tactful, 

unobtrusive, and considerate. Roleplaying 

activities were used in class to 

help students become sensitive in 

their interviewing techniques. To 

further insure that the affective 

instruction was effective before 

clients were contacted, students had 

to submit a script of the questions 

they intended to ask prior to the contact, 

and a full printed transcript of 

both sides of each conversation or 

interview was required by the teacher. 

All interviews were to remain 

confidential except as authorized by 

the client. 

March 2001 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER 

GENETIC DISORDERS: AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM PROJECT 

A research paper was required as 

well as a videotaped oral presentation 

incorporating PowerPoint or other 

technology. During the interviews 

with clients, one key point students 

were to discover was a need or difficulty 

caused by the disorder that 

might be solved or coped with via 

technology. Students were then to 

“invent” something (device, aid, 

technique, etc.) that would help the 

client. These inventions were presented 

via sketches and technical drawings 

and modeled with mock-ups, 

working prototypes, or other types of 

models. Collaboration between 

technology education teachers and 

their students helped with plans and 

construction of the actual models. 

Specific information the students 

were to gain in the interviews 

included: 

1) The name of the genetic disorder 

(including informal names as 

well as scientific ones), 

2) The protein that causes the 

disorder, 

3) The genetic defect that causes the 

disorder (what chromosome?), 

4) The manner in which the genetic 

defect is inherited (sex chromosomes, 

autosomal chromosomes, 

etc.), 

5) Signs and symptoms of the 

disorder (other than genetic 

tests) and typical age of 

presentation of these signs, 

6) Types of persons most affected 

(gender, race, etc.), 

7) Environmental factors which 

may be causative or which exacerbate 

the symptoms (alcohol, 

drugs, folic acid deficiency, leadbased 

paints, presence of chemicals, 

air quality, water quality, 

allergies, etc.), 

8) Quality of life assessment (what 

is a typical day like for the 

client?), 

9) Life expectancy, and 

10) Information shared by the client 

or of interest to the students. 

The research paper could take the 

form of a homepage. The paper or 

homepage was due two days before 

the scheduled oral presentation. 

In addition to the required elements, 

students could augment the 

assignment in several ways — some 

of which yielded extra credit. 

Actually building the “invention” for 

the client to use was an option. To 

enable this option, students were 

encouraged to seek donated materials 

from local businesses (thereby involving 

the community in the project). 

Donations to the associated charity, 

which were also generated by student 

efforts, resulted in community 

involvement and extra points. 

Inventions that were recognized in a 

formal contest or event (such as TSA 

conferences, science fairs, VICA, or 

others) also earned extra credit. 

Lastly, since our community was 

hosting the International Special 

Olympics this year, students who volunteered 

to help conduct the games 

could earn extra credit. All of these 

means of involving the community 

with the program, and the students 

in the community, were seen as 

special strengths of this unit of study 

because they help to promote the 

school and its programs—especially 

those involved with the project. 

The “Inventions” 

The word “inventions” must be used 

somewhat loosely here because some 

of the devices or aids which students 

conceived may already be in existence 

or may be simply impossible. However, 

as many technology education 

teachers have discovered, getting 

students to think creatively about 

technology and its applications is a 

very valuable way to help them 

understand technology. The “design 

brief” assignments prevalent in so 

many technology classes actually simulate 

what students are applying in 

the real world with this aspect of the 

genetic disorders project. Here are 

11


some examples of “inventions” proposed 

by the students in the first 

semester of the project: 

1) A glove which detects blood sugar 

levels or other blood chemistry levels 

without a painful finger prick; 

2) Electronic device incorporating a 

receiver, a translator, and a transmitter 

to detect and interpret the 

brain waves of a person with 

Mobius Syndrome and then speak 

for them with the clarity that they 

cannot produce themselves; 

3) Specially configured computer keyboard 

to help a dwarf type faster 

with smaller and sometimes “chubby” 

hands; 

4) A “game-style” board that a person 

with Tourette’s Syndrome could 

wear with a pointer they could use 

to highlight messages such as “don’t 

want to talk now,” “leave me 

alone,” or “I need to rest”; 

5) A special bed for Multiple Sclerosis 

patients, which has a roll-out sink 

unit with a freshwater supply tank, 

sprayer, and graywater holding tank 

and can be rolled to an installed 

sink for servicing; 

6) A foot extender to enable more 

normal walking and driving for 

dwarfs or other people with shorter 

than average legs; 

7) An ID card with a barcode that 

would allow hospitals to read all 

needed chart data and medical history 

for an Alzheimer’s patient; and 

8) Special glasses, which spray a fine 

mist of moisturizer into the eyes of 

clients who have Sjogren’s 

Syndrome and cannot produce 

tears. 

It is clear that these students have 

done some very creative thinking in 

development of these inventions and 

that this aspect of the assignment 

made a major impact on the effectiveness 

of the interviews. Seeking information 

about the clients’ needs might 

help them add an aspect of genuineness 

and relevance to the assignment 

12 

Foot extender to enable a dwarf to drive. 

that far surpasses that of the typical 

technology education design brief or 

the traditional liberal arts “term 

paper.” Hearing the needs from real 

people certainly must have inspired 

these students to go the extra mile in 

their work. 

The Project Expands 

The results reported here were 

obtained in the first semester of the 

project. Plans for the coming year 

include seeking greater involvement 

with the technology education teachers 

and their classes, allowing more 

time for the construction of the 

inventions, and encouraging videoconferencing 

as the means of conducting 

interviews. During the first semester, 

many of the models or prototypes 

were not as well constructed as they 

could have been due to lack of time 

and facilities. However, working with 

the technology education classes will 

solve this problem and add to the 

meaning and reality of the assignment. 

In the optimal situation, the 

students would be enrolled in both 

the science and technology classes. 

Such students will have good access to 

both venues for their study and construction 

of models. However, for 

those students who are in the science 

class but not enrolled in the technology 

class, technology students may 

serve as “engineering consultants” to 

help develop the invention ideas and 

then help the science students construct 

their prototypes and models. 

This solves the problem of technologically 

illiterate students coming to the 

technology laboratory and expecting 

to be allowed to use the band saw 

without prior safety training — their 

“engineering consultants” can do the 

hazardous work and help them understand 

what is or is not possible. Here 

again, the situation is actually a role 

play of what occurs in the real world 

of industry because frequently the 

design engineers propose things that 

simply will not work until the consulting 

technicians in the production 

shops help to refine those ideas into 

workable prototypes. The importance 

of this aspect of the design process 

should be pointed out to both the 

science and the technology students. 

Involvement of teachers in the 

other disciplines of the school should 


follow. Mathematics teachers could 

use these results and information to 

teach elementary statistics. Certainly, 

the linkages with language arts and 

communications are clear. Social 

science teachers should point out the 

impacts of PL 94-142 and its effect on 

the lives of disabled people and all 

citizens who, since its enactment, have 

had to learn how to help accommodate 

their needs instead of hiding 

them away. Health teachers should 

help students understand the causes of 

genetic disorders and how to cope 

with them when they are present. 

At Southeast Raleigh High School, 

a science teacher led this exemplary 

integration project. There is no reason 

why the same project could not be 

used as a catalyst for curriculum integration, 

a vehicle for the study of 

Biotechnology, and an important 

learning unit by technology education 

teachers. Technology education classes 

could expand the discussion to 

include the pros and cons of advanced 

bioengineering technology and the 

ethical considerations associated with 

such techniques. These discussions, 

Eye misting glasses for Sjogren’s Syndrome patients. 



and the design/production techniques 

and considerations, will likely be given 

far more attention in the technology 

classes than in the science classes. 

Thus, though they cooperate and deal 

with the same theme topics, both 

science and technology classes will 

have their own important thrust and 

content. 

Summary 

The study of genetic disorders by 

science students evolved into a large 

scale integrated learning activity with 

a very strong link to technology education. 

Through their research, students 

came to understand the needs of 

persons who have the disorders and 

were able to conceive “inventions” to 

help them. When these inventions 

were drawn and students constructed 

models or prototypes, they brought 

the academic study to life in a way 

very familiar to technology education 

teachers. The community involvement 

promoted by this project has many 

potential positive effects for the school 

and its programs. It is recommended 

that technology education teachers use 

an approach such as this to attain the 

goals espoused in our new content 

standards (ITEA, 2000) which call for 

the study of Biotechnology, curriculum 

integration, and corroboration 

with teachers in other disciplines. 

References 

American Association for the Advancement of 

Science, Project 2061. (1993). Benchmarks 

for science literacy. New York: Oxford 

University Press. 

DeVore, P. W., and Lauda, D. P. (1976). 

Implication for industrial arts. In L. H. 

Smalley (ed.) Future Alternatives for Industrial 

Arts, 25th Yearbook of the American Council 

on Industrial Arts Teacher Education, 

Bloomington, IL: Mcknight. 


(1996). Technology for all Americans: A 

rationale and structure for the study of 

technology. Reston, VA: Author. 


(2000). Standards for technological literacy: 

content for the study of technology. Reston, VA: 

Author. 

Maley, D. (1959). Research and experimentation 

in the junior high school. The Industrial Arts 

Teacher, 18(3), 12-16. 

National Council for the Social Studies. (1994). 

Curriculum standards for social studies: 

Expectations of excellence. Washington, DC: 

Author. 

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 

(1995). Assessment standards for school mathematics. 

Reston, VA: Author. 

North Carolina Department of Public 

Instruction. (1999). Science: Standard course 

of study and grade level competencies K-12. 

Raleigh, NC: Author. 

Starkweather, K. N. (1975). A study of potential 

directions for industrial arts toward the year 

2000 A.D. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, 

University of Maryland. 

W. J. Haynie, III, is an associate professor at 

North Carolina State University. 

Doug Greenberg is a science teacher at 

Southeast Raleigh High School. 

This was a refereed article. 

13

MAPPING THE WATERY HILLS 

AND DALES 

Mapping the Watery Hills and Dales 

Unless you spend a lot of time at sea—or flying over it— 

it’s hard to keep in mind that far more of our planet is 

under water than above water. It’s also hard to imagine 

that the deepest parts of the ocean are far deeper than the 

highest mountains are high. But it’s true! That’s a lot of 

salt water. 

A Big Energy Transport System 

In addition to all the seaweed, fish, and whales that call all 

this water their home, the oceans also hold a huge amount 

of heat. The top three meters (about ten feet) of the ocean 

contains as much heat energy as the whole atmosphere of 

Earth (which extends up hundreds of miles). 

The water in the world’s oceans isn’t all the same 

temperature. In some places, like near Earth’s equator, 

the water soaks up a lot of heat energy from the Sun. In 

other places, like near the North and South Poles, the 

water cools off, since not much direct sunlight reaches 

those places. 

Since water flows easily, it moves all around the Earth, 

picking up heat in one place and carrying it someplace 

else. All this moving heat energy is mostly what 

causes weather. Thunderstorms, rain, snow, 

wind, hurricanes, droughts, hot weather, freezing 

weather—in a very complicated way the 

oceans are in charge of them all. For example, 

“El Niño” is what we call the condition 

when a lot of warm water gathers in one 

place in the Pacific Ocean and causes 

unusual weather in many places all over 

the world. 

Global Weather Spies in the Skies 

To understand weather, we have to 

understand the oceans and how they 

move heat around the Earth. Jason-1 

is a new Earth-orbiting spacecraft 

that will study the oceans. It will be 

launched in the summer of 2001. It 

will continue to expand the data 

that has been collected by the 

TOPEX/Poseidon spacecraft, 

which since 1992 has been 

orbiting Earth at an 

altitude of over 

1300 kilometers 

(800 miles). 

Jason-1 will 

use an altimeter 

(al-TIM-uh-ter) to 

measure the height 

of the ocean surface. 

As the spacecraft 

flies over an ocean, 

the altimeter sends a 

radio signal down to 

the surface of the 

water. The signal 

bounces off the 

water and back up 

to the spacecraft. 

By measuring how 

long it takes for the 

radio signal to 

bounce back and by 

precisely measuring 

the locations of the 

spacecraft, the 

altimeter can determine 

the height of 

the ocean’s surface at that point. Using this information, 

scientists can create very detailed maps of the ocean surfaces 

all around the world. The higher the ocean’s surface, 

the warmer the water. Jason-1’s altimeter will be even 

more sensitive than TOPEX/Poseidon’s. Like TOPEX/ 

Poseidon, Jason-1 has an instrument called a radiometer 

(ray-dee-AH-muh-ter) that will measure and take into 

account the amount of water in the air (for example, in 

clouds), which also affects the speed at which the radio 

signal travels. 

Both these spacecraft make very detailed maps of ocean 

topography—that is, the hills and valleys on the ocean’s 

surface. Scientists can then study these maps, see how the 

topography changes from day to day and week to week, 

and better understand and predict global weather patterns. 

Where on Earth Are We? 

How can these spacecraft make such exact maps? After all, 

they not only have to know very accurately the height of 

the ocean’s surface, but they also have to keep track within 

a few centimeters of exactly where they are in space relative 

to Earth.

The task of finding out the exact position at any instant 

of an object traveling at over 25,000 kilometers per hour 

would be extremely difficult, even on the ground, but with 

TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1, the spacecraft are 1300 

kilometers above us in space! How is this feat possible? 

There are actually three instruments onboard 

TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 that help to measure their 

position. One of them, the Global Positioning System 

Demonstration Receiver (GPSDR), uses signals from a 

constellation of 24 Global Positioning System (GPS) 

satellites that were previously launched into space by the 

U.S. Department of Defense. 

In the following activity, we will explore how Jason-1 

will use signals broadcast from the GPS satellites to find 

out its exact location in space. 

From How Fast to How Far 

Jason-1 finds its location using two principles: (1) distance 

versus time and (2) triangulation. 

Each GPS satellite puts out a radio signal with a unique 

repeating pattern. Radio signals travel at a fixed speed (the 

speed of light), so in a certain amount of time, the signal 

travels a certain distance. If the time of travel is doubled, 

the distance the signal traveled is also doubled. If we know 

the time it takes for the signal to travel from a GPS satellite 

to Jason-1, we can calculate the distance from the 

Jason-1 spacecraft to that particular GPS satellite. 

If we use only one GPS satellite, we know only that the 

location of Jason-1 is somewhere on the surface of a sphere 

whose radius is the distance the signal traveled. We can get 

an idea of how this looks in two dimensions by using 

circles to show all places that are an equal distance from 

the point in the center. The point thus represents a GPS 

satellite and the circle represents all the possible locations 

of the Jason-1 spacecraft. 

To pinpoint the exact location of Jason-1 on that circle, 

we must receive signals from more than one GPS satellite. 

If we use two GPS satellites, we would get two spheres (or 

circles in our simple approximation), representing Jason-1’s 

possible positions with respect to each of the two GPS 

satellites. Notice that the two circles overlap in two places. 

That means that Jason-1 could be at either of the two 

overlapping points and still be the correct distance from 

each of the satellites. This is better, but still not good 

enough. 

The Magic Number Three 

To find out which of the two intersections is its correct 

location, Jason-1 must use the signal from a third GPS 

satellite. Notice that in the third diagram, there is only 

one point that is intersected by all three circles. This 

method of pinpointing a location using the known distance 

from three different points is called triangulation.

Actually, the GPS will use a minimum of four satellites to 

pinpoint Jason-1’s exact position in space. The fourth satellite 

is used to synchronize the clocks between Jason-1 and the 

GPS satellites. In order to find the position, you must know 

the precise time, so the fourth satellite is used for time. 

Additional satellites (from five to eight all together) enhance 

the accuracy of the position information. 

The positions of each of the 24 GPS satellites is known 

with a great deal of precision. (Find out how at the end of 

this article.) The reason for having 24 GPS satellites in 

space is to ensure that at least four of them are within the 

line of site of any point on Earth or in space at all times. 

Often there will be many more than the minimum four 

GPS satellites visible at any given time. 

Make Your Own RPS (Room Positioning 

System) 

We can demonstrate in the classroom how the GPS works 

to precisely locate objects with respect to Earth. We will 

divide the class into two groups. One group will use triangulation 

to record the positions of several objects placed in 

a room. Using measurements from this first group, the 

second group will try to determine the exact placement of 

the objects in the first room and recreate the pattern in the 

second room. 

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED: 

Two rooms with three chairs each 

6 balls of string 

20 paper cups 

1 or 2 meter sticks 

PROCEDURE: 

1. In the middle of the first room (the “West 

Room” in the illustration), arrange three chairs 

in a triangle, each chair about 15 feet from the 

others. These chairs represent the known 

location of three GPS satellites. 

2. Place some cups (numbered 1-10) 

around the room, in a pattern, if you 

wish. (Make sure some of the cups are 

inside the triangle formed by the three 

chairs, and some are outside.) These 

cups represent the exact location of 

the Jason-1 spacecraft at different 

times. 

In the “West Room,” measure distance from each cup 

(representing various locations of Jason-1) to each of the 

three chairs (representing GPS satellites), and record 

these measurements in a data table. In the “East 

Room,” using the data table only to find each cup 

position, use strings to define circles representing the 

measured distance from cup to each chair, then place the 

cup at precisely the point where the three circles 

intercept. 

3. Draw the locations of the chairs and the cups on a 

piece of paper for reference. 

4. Place a student on each chair in the triangle (labeled 

A, B, and C) and have them hold a ball of string. 

5. For each cup, pull the string from each of the chairs 

(GPS satellite) to a cup (a Jason-1 spacecraft location), 

and measure the length of the string using the 

meter stick. Record this distance on a data chart as 

Cup#1: A= _cm, B=_cm, and C=_cm and so on for 

each cup. 

6. Once the locations of all 10 cups have been 

obtained, pass the data chart to the next room (the 

“East Room” in the illustration), which also has three 

chairs placed in the center of it in a similar triangular 

fashion.

From Cup # 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Distance to Chair (cm) 

A B C 

7. Using the three measurements of distance (A, B, C) 

for each cup, have the students in the second room 

try to recreate the exact locations of the 10 cups 

from the first room. 

8. Once all 10 cups are placed, compare the placement 

with the reference diagram that was drawn from the 

first room. 

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: 

1. In the demonstration, what did the three chairs 

represent? 

2. What did the cups represent? 

3. What did the lengths of string A, B, and C for 

each cup represent? 

4. How is real life GPS triangulation different from 

our model in the classroom? 

ANSWERS: 

1. The known positions of three GPS satellites. 

2. Different possible locations of the Jason-1 spacecraft 

in time. 

3. The distance from the GPS satellite to the Jason-1 

spacecraft, based on time it took for the GPS signal to 

travel to Jason-1. 

4. Only three reference points are needed to locate a stationary 

object by the triangulation method. 

However, when the objects are moving very fast with 

respect to each other, the precise time of each measurement 

is very important, thus, the need for the 

fourth satellite. 

How the Global Positioning System Works 

The picture shows the distribution of multiple satellites in orbit 

around the earth. However, the GPS satellites are much farther 

out than the ones shown in this picture. If you measure the 

width (diameter) of the Earth in the picture, the GPS satellites 

orbit about one and one-half times that distance above Earth. 

The 24 GPS satellites travel in six different circular orbits 

(four satellites sharing the same orbit) all inclined 55 degrees 

from the equator. This way, at any given time, any 

spot on earth or in space can be in the direct line 

of site of at least six nearby GPS satellites. 

Triangulation can be performed as long 

as the location in question can draw a 

straight, unobstructed line to at least 

four GPS satellites.

Each satellite orbits at an altitude of nearly 11,000 

miles. This altitude was chosen so that each satellite would 

orbit once every 12 hours, or twice a day. The GPS 

consists of three parts: 

1. The satellites. 

2. The ground control stations. 

3. The end-user GPS receivers. 

The Nuts and Bolts 

1. Twenty-four GPS satellites in medium Earth orbit 

each have onboard atomic clocks to provide 

extremely accurate time. 

2. Ground stations track the exact locations 

of each satellite and keep the clocks synchronized 

with each other. 

3. Each GPS satellite transmits an accurate 

position and time signal. GPS receivers 

on other satellites, such as Jason-1, not 

only receive the position and time information 

from the signal, but also take 

into account the Doppler effect on the 

signal itself. That is, when two satellites 

(for example, a GPS satellite and Jason- 

1) are moving closer to each other, the 

radio signal at the receiving satellite 

appears a bit squished. If the two 

satellites are moving farther apart, the received radio 

signal appears a bit stretched out. The receiving 

satellite “knows” how the signal should look (that is, 

its wavelength when it was transmitted), so the 

Doppler shift tells how fast and in what direction 

the two satellites are moving with respect to each 

other. 

The receiver (such as the one on Jason-1) measures 

the time delay for the signal to reach it (as well 

as the Doppler shift). This delay is the direct measure 

of the distance to the satellite. Measurements 

collected simultaneously from four (or more) satellites 

are processed to solve for the three dimensions 

of position, velocity, and time. 

What Else Can GPS Do? 

You can go to the Internet site http://gpshome.ssc.nasa.gov 

and learn about ways GPS is used all over the world. Try 

to come up with a list of 5 to 10 different uses. Break 

them into the following categories and describe them: 

Location: Determining a basic position 

Navigation: Getting from one location to another 

Tracking: Monitoring the movement of people and 

things. 

Mapping: Creating maps of the world. 

Timing: Bringing precise timing to the world. 

You can also find very good interactive tutorials about 

GPS on the Web. 

This article was contributed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 

California Institute of Technology, reflecting research carried 

out under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration. It was written by Enoch Kwok and Diane 

Fisher. Mr. Kwok is a high school teacher and consultant. 

Ms. Fisher is a science and 

technology writer and 

designer of The Space Place, 

a website with fun and 

educational space-related 

activities at http:// 

spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov. 

For more about the oceans and El 

Niño and a recipe for delicious and educational “Blame El 

Niño Pudding,” go to http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/ 

topex_make1.htm. For more information about the 

Jason-1 mission, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/jason1/.

The Junk Project 

The Junk Project…can be 

communicated, interpreted, and 

understood at many levels. 

This article was written in order to 

share an introductory design project 

given to beginning students in industrial 

design. Industrial design requires 

a person to have a good grasp of a 

number of issues that together create 

the products we use every day. Each 

product, whether it is a vehicle, a 

by Carl Garrant 

package, a piece of furniture, an appliance 

or a display, is a design and the 

result of the design process. The intention 

of the project is multidimensional. 

As you will see, there is a common 

thread from which the teacher, as a 

facilitator, can diversify. Certain issues 

can be emphasized or restrained. Feel 

free to expand upon the scenario and 

introduce elements you deem appropriate. 

You can change, eliminate, or 

expand upon this project according to 

your own constraints. Now, on with 

the “The Junk Project.” 

IDSA 

Phase 1: Have students bring to 

class an appliance that no longer 

works. (You may ask them to bring in 

more than one appliance for reasons 

that will be discussed later.) These can 

be found at garage sales and junkyards. 

It is often a great adventure for 

the class to visit the local antique 

stores and become familiar with the 

appliances and furniture commonly 

used in the past. This usually leads to 

some very interesting and revealing 

conversations. 

Have an at-large discussion as to 

why each appliance no longer works. 

Is the problem obvious or hidden? 

How much did the appliance originally 

cost? How many other appliances 

look similar and function in the same 

manner as the one they chose? How 

old is the appliance? How much 

would a person pay today for the 

same kind of product? Have each student 

share his or her experiences with 

the product. Do the students like or 

dislike how it looks? Why? Is the 

product easy to use? Is it apparent 

how to use the product? Would you, 

or could you, buy a similar model 

today? If not, why not? 

Phase 2: Have students disassemble 

the appliance. If you don’t have a 

shop, you may need to borrow some 

tools, or have the students bring 

tools to class. For safety’s sake, avoid 

using power tools to disassemble 


IDSA 

components. This is a great “in class” 

experience, as students become very 

focused and engaged while dissecting 

the appliance. Usually, there is an electric 

motor, some wiring, mechanical 

parts, and housings. Bring to their 

attention that there are both electrical 

and mechanical components that 

function together in order to make 

the appliance work. Ask the students 

to define electricity. How is it converted 

into work? How does an electric 

motor work? You might ask a 

local repairperson to visit the class and 

share the problems she/he has had 

with certain appliances or even particular 

brands. 

A homework project could be a 

presentation by each student on how 

his or her appliance works from outlet 

to final function. Another point that 

can be investigated and discussed is 

what materials are used to make the 

appliance’s parts. How were they 

made and assembled? Is there a certain 

order in which they were assembled? 

How can you tell? Have each 

student present his or her findings to 

the class. 

In addition, consider and discuss 

both the origin and the future of these 

manufactured parts. What would have 

been their appliance’s future if the students 

had not used them for this project? 

What is the appliance’s inevitable 

fate after the project is over? This is a 

wonderful opportunity to discuss 

issues of recycling, energy and material 

resource depletion, solid waste 

management and design’s impact 

upon the environment, etc. This is an 

important design consideration and a 

growing issue discussed in many 

boardrooms today. Just what is 

“Green Design?” 

20 

Phase 3: A team project: Stockpile 

all the parts from all the disassembled 

appliances. (This is where those extra 

parts can be helpful.). Make a list of 

simple tasks, e.g., turning on a wall 

switch, lighting a match, turning over 

a page of paper, drawing a figure, 

moving an object a certain distance, 

etc. Write these simple tasks on pieces 

of paper and have each team blindly 

choose one. Each team must then create 

a machine that will accomplish the 

task they have chosen. Likewise, this 

machine must be created only from 

the “junk” they have collected from 

disassembling their appliances, i.e., 

Rube Goldberg. (Hint: save all those 

self-tapping screws and fasteners.) 

Now each part has a new significance 

and may or may not actively 

participate in the “design” of a new 

product; a new product that will serve 

a specific function and appear a particular 

way due to design “constraints.” 

It is important that the students 

don’t throw out aesthetics with 

the bath water. Besides serving a function, 

good design must also have a 

welcome and attractive appearance. In 

other words, the new design must also 

look good, or at least be interesting 

from a structural perspective. For 

example, the moon lander was pure 

engineering at its best and had an 

“aesthetic” all its own. For that reason, 

the moon lander, jet airplanes and 

even some bridges are often considered 

beautiful designs. 

Just how the students can integrate 

beauty into their new appliances presents 

a great opportunity to bring to 

the project the artistic principles of 

surface, texture, color, plane, movement, 

etc. Maybe you’ll want to 

include the art instructor at your 

school to explain and discuss some of 

these visual principles. This might also 

allow for the expansion of the project 

as being a functional piece of kinetic 

sculpture. For fun and entertainment, 

you may also want to show the movie, 

The Road Warrior, before you begin 

this phase of the project. The movie 

illustrates that even “junk” can have a 

beauty all its own. 

Generally, the objective is to have 

the students explore and understand 

that the potential for success is often 

hidden behind the simple creation of 

new, different relationships. 

Hopefully, they will come away from 

the project with the understanding 

that creativity is very dependent upon 

how many potential ideas you have to 

begin with. And that only those few 

“appropriate” ideas, used in conjunction 

with others, will materialize into 

a successful design solution. 

What I find exciting about “The 

Junk Project” is that it can be communicated, 

interpreted, and understood 

at many levels. You’ll find the project 

very experiential as well as a unique 

vehicle for discovery, while also 

having some hands-on fun. The 

author encourages questions or 

comments to be sent via email to: 

cgarant@ccad.edu. 

Carl Garant is Dean of the Division of 

Industrial and Interior Design at the 

Columbus College of Art and Design, 

Columbus, Ohio. He has worked as a designer 

for a number of major corporations and consultant 

offices both in Chicago and Columbus, 

in addition to maintaining his own private 

practice. A lecturer and author, his book, The 

Tao of Design, was published in 1998. His 

second book, The Tao of the Circles, will be 

released in May 2001. 


RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY 

Weathering Storms — Designing 

Safe Rooms 

22 

Researchers are designing special 

structures that can withstand 

violent winds. 

Seeking protection from the weather 

has been to the advantage of humankind 

throughout history. Early 

dwellers sought shelter from storms 

near the overhangs of cliffs and within 

caves. Trees and bushes were also used 

for protection. Also, humans manufactured 

clothing to keep them warm 

and dry. As settlements developed, 

structures were made with walls and 

roofs to provide protection from the 

elements and the flying debris caused 

by storms. 

by Stephen L. Baird and 

John M. Ritz, DTE 

As civilizations spread and permanent 

homes were built, some dwellers 

took special precautions if they settled 

in areas known for their strong winds 

resulting from storms such as tornadoes 

and hurricanes. Storm cellars 

were constructed underground near 

the home. Shutters were placed over 

windows to protect inhabitants from 

flying debris. 

With today’s technology, researchers, 

engineers, and contractors look for 

other ways to protect us from severe 

weather. Buildings are constructed following 

codes to build safer habitats. 

Some purchase generators as an auxiliary 

means for providing electrical 

power to light and cool homes, if they 

should lose power. Fireplaces and 

kerosene heaters allow backups to 

standard heating systems. Nylon and 

insulated clothing keep us dry and 

warm. Newer technologies are being 

recommended for protection against 

deadly storms such as tornadoes 

and hurricanes. 

Most storms do not have winds 

that exceed 80 mph. Consequently, 

this is the wind speed that most building 

codes designate as a base that 

structures should withstand (Doswell, 

1999). However, violent winds from 

tornadoes and hurricanes sometimes 

surpass these levels. Therefore, 

researchers are designing special structures 

that can withstand violent 

winds. Within homes and commercial 

buildings, these rooms are referred to 

as “safe rooms.” 

Winds 

Wind is a common factor in our 

everyday weather. It is air in motion. 

The motions are caused by changes in 

the pressure of the atmosphere that 

surrounds the earth. The changes in 

pressure are caused by differential 

amounts of heat from the sun. While 

landmasses warm from the sun, their 

temperature may be different than the 

temperature absorbed by the oceans 

and lakes. As the earth rotates, these 

air differentials collide, thus causing 

winds. Warmer air tends to flow over 


colder, heavier air. When you watch 

TV weather reports, the forecasters 

refer to fronts or fast moving streams 

of air. If colder air is forced into 

warmer air masses, disturbances in the 

weather occur. Violent wind disturbances 

are called cyclonic winds. 

These can be referred to as tornadoes 

or hurricanes (typhoons or cyclones) 

(Encarta’98, 1997). 

Tornadoes are violent, whirling 

winds. They are also referred to as 

cyclones or twisters. They are created 

by the collision of fronts, which possess 

vastly differing temperatures. This 

collision causes updrafts, which form 

into dark funnels (the darkness results 

from dust being picked up by the 

updraft). Although tornadoes usually 

touch ground for short periods of 

time, their updrafts are so tightly spinning 

that they can generate destructive 

winds traveling from 300 to 500 mph 

(Encarta’98, 1997). 

The Fujita scale categorizes tornadoes’ 

wind speeds. An F0 category 

means light wind speeds, while an F5 

translates into incredible wind speeds. 

See Sidebar 1. 

Hurricanes are migratory tropical 

cyclones. They originate in regions 

near the equator and are caused by 

warm, moist air colliding with denser, 

colder air. Hurricanes spin counterclockwise 

and have centers that 

are much wider than tornadoes, 

ranging from 50 to over 100 miles in 

diameter. Hurricanes are gauged using 

the Saffir-Simpson scale and range 

from a C1, minimal (74 mph), to C5, 

catastrophic, over 150 mph. They are 

called typhoons if they are in the 

Pacific Ocean or cyclones if they 

occur in the Indian Ocean. See 

Sidebar 2. An excellent source of 

information on weather, listing over 

one hundred websites on topics such 

as forecasts, instrumentation, tornadoes, 

hurricanes, and photos is 

http://www.wind.ttu.edu/education/ 

teachers.htm. 


Weather Technology - 

Instrumentation 

With advances in technology, the 

paths of storms are closely watched 

and monitored. These advances 

include weather radar, weather satellites, 

and hurricane reconnaissance aircraft. 

Meteorologists are people 

trained to study the earth’s atmosphere 

and forecast weather. Prior to today’s 

advanced technology, people at weather 

stations located around the globe 

forecast the weather. If it were raining 

in San Francisco, it would probably 

rain in Kansas City a day or two later, 

depending on the speed and direction 

of winds. Early communications 

about weather were reported by 

telegraph from weather watchers at 

local observing stations. Because the 

directions of winds vary, you can 

see why this system of forecasting 

was inadequate. 

Today, computers are used to develop 

numerical models to predict the 

weather. Data are fed into weather 

programs from observation stations, 

weather radar, and satellites. Satellites 

can detect weather fronts and accompanying 

precipitation. Satellites and 

reconnaissance aircraft are very 

useful in monitoring hurricanes and 

predicting where they may come 

ashore. This allows for storm preparation 

and evacuations. Because tornadoes 

develop very quickly, our best 

detection of where they may occur is 

by use of weather radar. If conditions 

exist for a tornado to develop, radio 

and television and civil defense stations 

can post alerts and warn of 

potentially dangerous storms. Since 

many reside in areas that are threatened 

by severe storms, recent research 

in the construction industry has 

focused on building structures that 

can withstand severe winds. For commercial 

and residential structures, 

such developments for our protection 

have become known as “safe rooms.” 


SIDEBAR 1. TORNADO 

CATEGORY CLASSIFICATION 

AND TYPICAL DAMAGES. 

F0 Light: Chimneys are damaged, 

tree branches are broken, shallowrooted 

trees are toppled. 

F1 Moderate: Roof surfaces are 

peeled off, windows are broken, 

some tree trunks are snapped, 

unanchored mobile homes are overturned, 

attached garages may be 

destroyed. 

F2 Considerable: Roof structures 

are damaged, mobile homes are 

destroyed, debris becomes airborne 

(missiles are generated), large trees 

are snapped or uprooted. 

F3 Severe: Roofs and some walls 

are torn from structures, some 

small buildings are destroyed, nonreinforced 

masonry buildings are 

destroyed, most trees in forests are 

uprooted. 

F4 Devastating: Well-constructed 

houses are destroyed, some structures 

are lifted from foundations 

and blown some distance, cars are 

blown some distance, large debris 

becomes airborne. 

F5 Incredible: Strong frame houses 

are lifted from foundations, reinforced 

concrete structures are damaged, 

automobile-sized missiles 

become airborne, trees are completely 

debarked. 

23


SIDEBAR 2. HURRICANE 

CATEGORY CLASSIFICATION 

AND TYPICAL DAMAGE. 

C1 Minimal: Damage is done primarily 

to shrubbery and trees, 

unanchored mobile homes are 

damaged, no real damage is done to 

structures. 

C2 Moderate: Some trees are toppled, 

some roof coverings are 

damaged, major damage is done 

to mobile homes. 

C3 Extensive: Large trees are toppled, 

some structural damage is 

done to roofs, mobile homes are 

destroyed, structural damage is 

done to small homes and utility 

buildings. 

C4 Extreme: Extensive damage is 

done to roofs, windows, and doors; 

roof systems on small buildings 

completely fail; some curtain walls 

fail. 

C5 Catastrophic: Roof damage is 

considerable and widespread, 

window and door damage is severe, 

there are extensive glass failures, 

some complete buildings fall. 

24 

A safe room can be defined as a 

relatively small, windowless room, 

built to withstand the effects of wind 

pressures and the impact of flying 

debris generated from hurricanes, 

tornadoes, and violent windstorms. A 

safe room should consist of a floor, 

walls, roof, and a steel door entry system. 

The entire structure should be 

securely anchored to an adequate 

foundation system. Safe rooms 

should be located in an area that 

can be accessed easily and stocked 

with provisions necessary to 

weather a destructive windstorm. See 

Photo 1. 

Building a safe room is a concept 

that can be applied to existing houses 

and businesses and readily incorporated 

into the design and construction of 

a new structure. One of the main 

advantages of an in-house shelter is its 

accessibility from within the home. It 

eliminates the danger of trying to get 

to an outdoor or community shelter 

with the possibility of being hit by flying 

debris while in transit. The safe 

room can have a daily functional use 

such as a closet, bathroom, or utility 

room. It can also serve to relieve anxiety 

during a severe weather watch, 

enabling families/employees to continue 

their daily routine, knowing that a 

shelter exists nearby that can protect 

them should it be needed. 

Safe room research and development 

is the result of a partnership 

between FEMA and Texas Tech 

University’s Wind Engineering 

Research Center (WERC) and other 

engineering research facilities. The 

National Association of Home 

Builders’ Research Center evaluated 

the designs for construction methods, 

materials, and costs. Engineers at 

Texas Tech University confirmed the 

design requirements for the expected 

forces from wind pressure and the 

impact of typical flying debris. The 

shelters were designed with life safety 

as the primary consideration (Johnson 

County Project Impact, 1999). 

The design and construction of a 

safe room depends upon the type of 

house being built as well as the geographic 

location of the house. In areas 

susceptible to hurricanes and flooding 

from violent storms, a safe room 

should be constructed after careful 

consideration has been given to 

expected flood levels and the duration 

of floodwaters. Building a structure 

on an elevated foundation to raise it 

above expected flood levels could 

increase its vulnerability to wind 

damage. This combination of 

exposure to wind and flooding can 

have a significant impact on the 

design, effectiveness, cost, and 

viability of a shelter. 

In areas where basements are prevalent, 

attention to construction must 

also be considered when building a 

safe room. Typical construction techniques 

used in the building of exterior 

basement walls are not sufficient to 

withstand the impact from large flying 

objects (known as missiles in wind 

research) and need to be reinforced. 

In new construction, reinforcing the 

walls that will be used is cost effective, 

however reinforcement of existing 

walls is not practical or cost effective. 

In this case, an entirely separate structure 

within the basement would be 

the most practical and cost-effective 

method. The basement shelter must 

also have its own reinforced ceiling; 

the first floor above cannot be used as 

the ceiling of the structure, as it does 

not offer enough structural protection 

from the possible collapse of the structure 

above. When a safe room is to be 

located within a house, it should be 

built on the first floor and constructed 

independently of the existing 

structure. When this is not feasible, an 

interior room such as a bathroom, 

closet, or small storage room should 

be chosen. Typically, these rooms have 

only one door and no windows; an 

interior bathroom also offers the 

added advantage of a water supply 

and toilet. Metal roll-up shutters can 


e used to provide protection for the 

outside window and/or the doorway. 

An excellent source for information 

on building a safe room can be 

obtained online from FEMA, 

accessible at http://www. fema.gov./ 

mit/tsfs01.htm. The document title is 

Taking Shelter from the Storm: 

Building a Safe Room Inside Your 

House. It describes constructing safe 

rooms for new structures or building 

them within current buildings. See 

Photo 2. 

Attention to the design and construction 

of houses and their ability to 

withstand the forces of a tornado or 

hurricane is also underway in many 

states to help alleviate the loss of life 

and property damage. Florida is 

spending about two million dollars to 

build five “hurricane houses.” Visitors 

to these houses will be able to look 

through cutaways in the walls and 

ceilings to see the construction details 

that have been incorporated into the 

building of these houses. The walls 

will be constructed from hollow polystyrene 

blocks snapped together like 

Lego TM blocks, reinforced with steel 

bars, then filled with concrete. The 

result is a solid, concrete wall lined 

inside and out with insulating plastic, 

which is wind-resistant, fire-resistant 

and energy resistant. The windows are 

designed to withstand the impact of 

flying objects and to resist being 

sucked out of a building by storm 

pressures (Burney, 1999). 

In Oklahoma, the Department of 

Career and Technology Education has 

prepared a Contractor’s Guide to 

Building a Safe Room. This guide is to 

be used by contractors and homeowners 

in building safe rooms in conjunction 

with the FEMA publication, 

Taking Shelter from the Storm: 

Building a Safe Room Inside Your 

House (Oklahoma Department of 

Career and Technology Education, 

2001). In Kansas, Johnson County 

Community College has constructed a 

safe room on a trailer so it can be used 


Photo 1. Safe Rooms Construction. A foam wall section is being set on its foundation. 

The pre-assembled wall will be reinforced with steel rebar and filled with concrete. 

to tour their region and educate citizens 

on the benefits and construction 

techniques of safe rooms (Johnson 

County Project Impact, 1999). This 

research and education in new construction 

techniques is expensive but 

could result in substantial savings by 

reducing the losses incurred during a 

hurricane or tornado. 

Although constructing ready-made, 

storm resistant structures is a new area 

of research in the construction technologies, 

it is one that can be appreciated 

by anyone who has experienced 

the results of major storms. Cutting 

the loss of lives and buildings is 

important. The Federal government 

has made funding available to homeowners 

wishing to build safe rooms. 

As research develops new building 

methods and materials, more people 

will be able to feel safe if they happen 

to reside in an area prone to 

severe winds. 

Design Challenge 

Design a structure with the ability to 

withstand sustained hurricane force 

winds (minimum 74 miles per hour), 

for at least fifteen seconds. The structure 

should consist of three exterior 

walls with a roof system; the rear of 

the structure is to be left open so that 

the structure can be secured to the 

testing platform. The total height of 

the structure cannot exceed 14 inches. 

The overall length cannot exceed 12 

inches and the overall width cannot 

exceed 10 inches. The materials to be 

used are those provided by the 

instructor or materials that have been 

approved for use by the instructor. A 

detailed portfolio of drawings should 

be kept, along with materials used and 

an explanation of why materials and 

construction techniques were chosen. 

A design problem, along with design 

goals, should be established. A summary 

with conclusions should be 

included with the portfolio. The summary 

should include expected and 

actual results (research goals) of the 

wind testing of the structure. 

Groups 

Students can work together in small 

or large groups at the instructor’s 

discretion. 

March 2001 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER 25 

Photo by Dave Gatley/FEMA

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Materials 

A wide variety of materials should be 

made available to students such as: 

3/4" x 3/4" strips of wood, plywood, 

vinyl, strips of metal, felt paper, glue, 

a variety of appropriate sized fasteners, 

architectural model finishing supplies, 

etc. 

Designs and Construction 

Students should first brainstorm the 

requirements and constraints of their 

proposed structures. Working drawings 

of their structure should be prepared 

prior to modeling. Notes should 

be added to the drawings, covering 

special features that should make their 

safe room more durable. Models 

should then be constructed within 

the constraints established for this 

design problem. 

After initial testing, the structure 

plans should be modified and the structure 

should be redesigned, modeled, and 

again tested for wind resistance. Data 

from initial tests should be compared to 

those gathered from the redesign. 

PhotoJohnson County Project Impact 

Photo 2. A Safe Room in an Existing Structure. 

Testing 

A plywood platform with three sides 

and a top should be constructed to 

conduct the testing. The height of the 

testing structure should be approximately 

20 inches, the width about 18 

inches, and the length should be 

around 24 inches. The inside of the 

testing chamber should be lined with 

some type of impact-absorbing material 

such as foam or rubber. During 

testing, awareness of the possibility of 

flying debris outside the testing area 

should be kept in mind and safety 

glasses should be worn at all times. 

All those not directly involved in the 

actual testing should keep a safe distance 

from the testing area. An ideal 

choice for producing the desired wind 

speeds is a leaf blower; an anemometer 

can be used in conjunction with the 

test to determine the exact wind speed 

at which the structure fails. Clamps or 

through bolts can be used to secure 

the structures to the testing platform. 

If the top of the testing chamber is 

built using hinges and a clasp, it will 


make securing the structure to the 

testing platform much easier. 

Summary 

As technology has developed and been 

applied to structures and the weather, 

breakthroughs have resulted that can 

save lives and property. Winds will continue 

to cause havoc, but people will 

continue to migrate to regions that are 

in the pathways of storms. A key to 

weathering a storm is to have the information 

and communication technologies 

that gauge the likelihood of when 

the storm will arrive and to have the 

foresight to build structures that can 

withstand the pressures of the wind. 

Achieving the Content Standards 

for Technological Literacy 

Challenging students to design a 

structure with the ability to withstand 

hurricane force winds will lead them 

to a better understanding of many of 

the content standards adopted to 

achieve technological literacy. As the 

students research, design, build, and 

test a structure that has the potential 

for saving life, limb, and property, 

they will begin to master the content 

standards for technological literacy. 

As one designs curriculum and 

instruction, a new issue for the profession 

is to plan for how the instruction 

will lead to student’s mastery of the 

technological literacy content standards 

and benchmarks. As the authors 

analyzed the content of this issue of 

Resources in Technology, many benchmarks 

and standards became apparent. 

As you review this Resource for class 

adoption, compare it to the technological 

literacy benchmarks and standards. 

You should see that much focus 

has been placed on the standards 

found within the areas of The Nature 

of Technology, Technology and 

Society, Design, Abilities for a 

Technological World, and The 

Designed World. 



In particular, benchmarks such as 

natural world and human-made 

world, people and technology, things 

found in nature and in the humanmade 

world, tools, materials, and 

skills, creative thinking, usefulness of 

technology, development of technology, 

human creativity and motivation, 

product demand, nature of technology, 

rate of technological diffusion, 

goal directed research, and commercialization 

of technology should be 

realized for technological literacy 

Standard 1. In Standard 1, students 

will develop an understanding of the 

characteristics and scope of technology. 

In looking at the other standards and 

benchmarks, significant coverage is 

given to those related to technology 

and society, design, abilities for a technological 

world and the designed 

world’s construction technologies 

28 

(ITEA, 2000). Try this comparison as 

you develop challenging lessons for 

your students. 

References 

Burney, T. (1999, February 13). BUILT to withstand 

a BLOW [3 pages]. St. Petersburg 

Times. [On-Line]. Available: http:// 

www.sptimes.com/News/21399/Business/BU 

ILT_to_withstand_a_.html [2000, October 

19]. 

Doswell, C. (1999, October). Tornado-resistant 

construction, tornado safety, and reconstruction 

after disaster. [On-Line]. Available: 

http://webserv.chatsystems.com/~doswell/Tor 

nado_construction.html [2000, October 24]. 

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (1998, 

October). Taking shelter from the storm: 

building a safe room inside your house. 

[On-Line]. Available: http://www.fema.gov/ 

mit/tsfs01.htm [2000, October 23]. 



Content for the study of technology. Reston, 

VA: Author. 

Johnson County Project Impact. (1999, May). 

Tornado safe rooms. [On-Line]. Available: 

http://www.jocopi.org/saferoom.htm [2000, 

December 12]. 

Langreth, R. (1995, February). All wrapped up. 

Popular Science, 246, (2). 41. 

Microsoft. (1997). Encarta’98. Redmond, WA. 

Oklahoma Department of Career and 

Technology Education. (2001). Contractor’s 

guide to building a safe room. Stillwater, 

OK: Curriculum and Instructional Materials 

Center. 

Turk, M. (1999, February 9). U.S. begins to 

build safer, sturdier homes in high-risk disaster 

regions. [On-Line]. Available: 

http://www.disasterrelief.otg/Disasters/99020 

5mitigation/ [2000, December 2]. 

Stephen L. Baird is a technology education 

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Beach, VA. 

John M. Ritz, DTE, is professor and chair, 

Department of Occupational and Technical 

Studies, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, 

VA. 


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Technology Education — Process 

or Content? 

We have drawn an artificial wall 

between science and technology. 

The Mind-Hand Dichotomy 

For reasons unknown, there exists an 

overwhelming desire to draw an 

irrevocable distinction between science 

and technology, as though they are 

not related or even from the same 

planet. We tend to think of science as 

pure and wholesome, and technology 

as the hands-on blue-collar stuff. We 

associate technology with the repairperson 

or technician. Science and 

technology are branches of the same 

tree, with a common hope: to 

improve, control, and harness the natural 

world, thereby increasing the 

standard of living. 

Science and technology are inextricably 

linked as shown by the diagram 

in Figure 1. In a capitalist society such 

as ours, the business sector is financially 

motivated to satisfy the wants 

and needs of society. One may think 

of this nested feedback diagram as an 

illustrative description of “progress.” It 

is important to remember that this 

diagram is not a simple one-way street 

driven from left to right. Society 

drives the innovation process. Some 

experts have drawn the distinction 

that science, in its quest for new 

knowledge, finds the “nuggets of 

gold,” and engineers and technologists 

fashion the useful tools, products, and 

processes from it - of course with society 

providing the demand for the useful 

things in the first place. 

by Harry T. Roman 

Humans were technological animals 

long before they were scientific 

ones. The codification of scientific 

principles dates back to the 15th 

century, about 500 years. Humans 

have been putting tools to work for 

over 2000 years. The pyramids, the 

gothic cathedrals, the Roman aqueducts, 

The Parthenon, and the Seven 

Wonders of the Ancient World were 

all built before Galileo, Newton, 

Lavoisier, Boyle and others began the 

codification of science into the laws 

our children learn in school today. 

Both science and technology have a 

process or method that governs their 

quality; and yes, both have a content 

component as well. 

We happily teach science in school 

but are seemingly loath to teach technology 

in the same building. This is a 

vestigial hang-up, stemming from our 

professional/vocational system of 

education. We have drawn an artificial 

wall between “the mind” (science) and 

“the hand” (technology), which can 

only serve to hurt us in the long term. 

We tend to put great stock in raw 

intelligence, simply because we have 

constructed some statistically valid 

ways of measuring it (i.e., I.Q. tests). 

In the face of mounting evidence that 

man is a creature gifted with multiple 

intelligences, only one of which we 

have been able to measure, this 

dichotomy of science and technology 

cannot continue. 

I find this dichotomy very troubling. 

I believe it to be a huge turn-off in the 

K-12 system of education. Young folks 

are “naturally inquisitive creatures,” 

having an attraction for the immediate 

application of the things around 

them; and those things around them 

are the products of technology, which 

also contain the raw materials and 

laws of nature that scientists have discovered. 

Children have an appreciation 

for the “try this and see if it 

works cycle” and if it does not, try 

something else. It’s a joy to watch kids 

learn by trial and error, just as their 

ancestors did. To them, the world is a 

series of components they can put 

together in different ways to accomplish 

different things. They use both 

their minds and their hands to solve 

everyday problems. Perhaps this is 

why computers are so much fun for 

children. With computers, they are 

totally engaged. They do not see the 

mind-hand artificial wall their parents 


TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION — PROCESS OR CONTENT? 

and teachers have constructed. Given 

this discussion, it is enlightening to 

note that 50% of the frontal lobes of 

the brain are, by volume, dedicated to 

the use and control of the hands. It 

appears, to my way of thinking, that 

our hands and our minds were meant 

to work together. 

Somewhere in the 4th-6th grade 

we often start incurring educational 

casualties. Our children lose their fascination 

and awe with solving problems. 

Maybe the big school turn-off 

comes when we try to split the mindhand 

connection? 

Process and Content 

My own profession of engineering is a 

composite one. I have been educated 

to appreciate what the practical application 

of science, mathematics, and 

technology can accomplish when 

correctly blended with society’s wants 

and needs, and very importantly, its 

constraints. 

Figure 1. 

32 

I cringe when I hear educators say 

that science has process and content, 

but technology education has only 

process — no content. Technology, so 

to speak, is the place where the scientific 

rubber starts meeting the road. 

Technological know-how is about 

making the rubber last long enough to 

be useful to society. This is where the 

engineering profession comes in. 

The technology education process 

is about solving problems, and is more 

analogous to the engineering 

method/process than the engineering 

method/process is to the scientific 

method/process. Please appreciate this. 

The scientific method/process is about 

“discovery.” The engineering 

method/process is about “application.” 

The content of science is about the 

rules, laws, theories, and mathematics 

of it and related scientific subject matter. 

The content of engineering (and, 

by analogy, technology education) is 

about the science, mathematics, 

economics, environmental, and 

societal concerns associated with the 

application. Application is more global 

than discovery. The content of engineering 

and technology education is 

the integration of subject content 

across all of man’s activities and concerns. 

The engineering and technology 

education process reflects and 

incorporates the interdisciplinary 

aspect of man. If science is thought of 

as an introvert, engineering is an 

extrovert. Man is the most advanced 

animal because he/she not only 

thinks, but integrates as well. Humans 

assimilate, adapt, and improve. 

This may be the reason that technology 

education seems to have such a 

rough road, seemingly never able to 

get a slice of the academic day. 

We prevent our children from integrating 

their subjects — which is 

exactly what technology education 

strives to do. We have a huge vested 

interest and inertia in keeping the 


academic day neatly sliced into 50 

minute segments — even when we 

know the world of work is nothing 

like this. So ingrained is this compartmentalized 

thinking paradigm, that 

only once in a while do we encourage 

our youth to use information from 

other parts of their curriculum. We 

call these special times, term projects, 

and then we wonder why students 

don’t see the connection between their 

subjects. (It happens in engineering 

schools too!) 

I believe that humans are nonlinear 

beings, who need to be able to 

make intuitive leaps and analogies as 

part of the thinking process. The 

cerebral cortex of the brain is a rich 

neural network designed to accommodate 

this sort of activity. (And hands 

are tools to promote non-linear 

situations. To illustrate, watch a small 

child play with blocks.) The rigid 

and compartmentalized thinking we 

impose in school does not promote 

the interweaving of what we learn. 

The value of education to society 

lies in harnessing the interfaces 

between the subject matter; but, it 

lies fallow and unproductive if our 

education system does not allow its 

exploration. 

Our civilization is a fabric woven 

from all the activities of humans, both 

technical and non-technical. A 

healthy society is one in which a balance 

is achieved, where the many 

facets of itself have been harmoniously 

woven together or integrated. When 

an engineering design accomplishes 

this seamless intermeshing with the 

wants and needs of society, we engineering 

aficionados refer to the design 

as elegant. 

When I have worked with technology 

education students and their 

teachers, I have never failed to see 

firsthand the excitement that subject 

integration arouses. This is the educational 

joy and satisfaction that comes 

with open-ended problem solving. 


TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION — PROCESS OR CONTENT? 

The content of technology 

education lies in its ability to integrate, 

to explore, and to harness the 

interfaces between subjects — and 

therein also lies the fear that others 

have of it. Technology education 

breaks the 100+ year old paradigm 

of education as we know it. Revolutionary 

advances often break 

established traditions. 

The business world recognizes the 

integrative skills that technology education 

can build. They know that to 

grow and thrive in the increasingly 

competitive world market will require 

employees who are comfortable with 

unconstrained and creative idea generation. 

Employees in the information 

age will be solving open-ended problems 

all day long. Thinking out of the 

box will be a routine expectation in 

the workplace. This can only be done 

effectively with employees who were 

exposed to this type of problem 

solving as students. The business 

world will demand skills for which 

technology education students have 

been trained. I firmly believe the business 

world will drive (whether knowingly 

or not) a large movement toward 

technology education. 

Technology education is ahead of 

its time. The educational community 

is having trouble realizing and perhaps 

justifying its value, but it will come. If 

nothing else, the business community 

will exert pressure so that development 

of such skills gets greater 

attention in schools. 

The winds of change are already 

blowing through the halls of your 

school. Will your community let it in 

or close the door? 

Harry T. Roman is a technology development 

and transfer consultant for the Public 

Science Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) 

in Newark, NJ. He can be reached at 

harry.roman@pseg.com. 

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33

“Implementing the Standards” — 

Viewpoints from a Teacher 

Educator 

Technology teacher educators must 

meet the challenge of teaching their 

students about Standards for 

Technological Literacy: Content for the 

Study of Technology 

Introduction 


embrace the new Standards for 


Study of Technology (STL) and incorporate 

the standards into their programs. 

For many, this challenge 

includes modifying their own courses 

to reflect STL and teaching pre-service 

technology education majors about 

STL, including how to develop STLbased 

curriculum. The purpose of 

this article is to present the viewpoints 

of implementing the new STL from a 

teacher educator’s viewpoint. 

by Edward M. Reeve 

Teaching about STL 

In our teacher education program, 

pre-service technology education 

majors are first introduced to STL in 

an orientation course taken when they 

enter the technology teacher education 

program. In this program, they 

are provided with a brief overview of 

STL. In subsequent courses within 

the department, faculty is currently 

working to update their syllabi to 

contain references on how their course 

relates to STL. 

Students receive in-depth coverage 

of STL in the teaching methods 

course entitled “Program and Course 

Development.” This is a four-semester 

credit that meets one hour a day 

four days a week. Textbooks used to 

teach about STL include the Standards 

for Technological Literacy: Content for 

the Study of Technology, and an ITEA- 

CATTS publication entitled Teaching 

Technology: Middle School. 

The major activities in this course 

include reviewing a variety of national 

and state technology education 

curriculums and the required writing 

of a Curriculum Guide based on STL. 

The following provides an overview of 

the important concepts presented in 

teaching about STL. 

■ Brief History of Important 

Curriculum Development/Projects. 

Before introducing students to the 

new STL, it has been found helpful to 

provide them with a brief introduction 

to important curriculum developments/projects 

that have occurred in 

the field of technology education. 

This introduction provides students 

with the opportunity to reflect on the 

past so they can better understand 


“IMPLEMENTING THE STANDARDS” — VIEWPOINTS FROM A TEACHER EDUCATOR 

and appreciate the importance of 

STL. 

In the teaching method course, 

each curriculum development/project 

is briefly reviewed. Students are 

provided with information that relates 

the time period of when the item was 

developed, the major purpose or 

intent of the item, and information 

about the “key players” involved in 

the development/project. In the 

methods course, the following are 

briefly reviewed: 

• A Curriculum to Reflect 

Technology (Warner, 1947) 

• The Industrial Arts Curriculum 

Project (IACP) (circa,1971) 

• The Maley Plan (1973) 

• The Industrial Arts Standards 

(1982) 

• The Jackson Mills Curriculum 

Project (circa, 1980) 

• A Conceptual Framework for 

Technology Education (circa, 1990) 

■ Introduction to STL. Before presenting 

STL, students are given a brief 

presentation on Technology for All 

Americans: A Rationale and Structure 

for the Study of Technology. Emphasis 

in this presentation is given to: 

• The Funding and Supporting 

Sources of the Technology for all 

Americans Project (i.e., The 

International Technology Education 

Association, The National Science 

Foundation, and The National 

Aeronautics and Space 

Administration). 

• The Purpose of the Rationale and 

Structure. 

• The Original Universals of 

Technology. 

Once the “stage has been set,” students 

are ready to learn about STL. 

The presentation begins with a general 

discussion on the concept of standards. 

This discussion includes information 

about what they are, why they 

are needed, and gives examples of 

other disciplines that are using them. 

36 

Students are required to use the 

Internet to visit a variety of other 

educational sites that describe the 

organization’s own standards efforts. 

They are first required to visit 

the International Technology 

Education Association’s (ITEA) 

(http://www.iteawww.org) website 

and review all the information contained 

in the “Standards” section. 

Other required site visits include: the 

National Science Teachers Association 

(NSTA) (http://www.nsta.org), the 

National Council for the Social 

Studies (NCSS) (http://www.ncss.org), 

the National Council of Teachers 

of Mathematics (NCTM) 

(http://www.nctm.org), and 

the International Society for 

Technology in Education (ISTE) 

(http://www.iste.org). 

Once students have an understanding 

of the standards concept, they are 

provided with a one-page handout 

that lists all 20 Technology Content 

Standards. The five major categories 

and related Standards are briefly 

reviewed and discussed. Emphasis is 

placed on the fact that the first ten 

Standards deal with “knowing” 

(cognitive knowledge) and that the 

last ten Standards deal with “doing” 

(psychomotor activities). 

■ An In-Depth Review of STL. It 

is important for students to have an 

in-depth understanding about technology 

and the format used to present 

information about STL. This information 

is contained in chapters one 

and two of STL and is thoroughly 

covered in class. Critical information 

presented includes: 

• Chapter 1: Preparing for a 

Technological World: The need for 

technological literacy, learning 

about technology, learning to do 

technology, technological studies as 

an integrator, and technological literacy. 

• Chapter 2: Overview of Technology 

Content Standards: The technology 

content standards are not a curriculum, 

technology content standards 

are created with basic features, 

benchmarks are statements that provide 

the knowledge and abilities 

that enable students to meet a given 

standard, the purpose of vignettes, 

and recommendations for using 

technology content standards. 

■ Learning About Each Standard: 

It is important for students to learn 

about all of the Standards for 

Technological Literacy. To accomplish 

this, each student must make a formal 

presentation to the class on two to 

three Standards. In this activity, each 

student is given the challenge to 

review and become “an STL expert” 

on his or her assigned Standards. 

They are required to make a 15-20 

minute visual presentation (e.g., using 

overheads or PowerPoint) on their 

assigned Standards. In their presentations, 

students are required to present 

the standard, present sample benchmarks, 

and provide suggestions on 

how the Standard could be achieved 

(e.g., activities or assignments) in a 

technology education classroom. 

■ Developing and Modifying the 

Curriculum to Become STL-Based: 

Before beginning to develop or modify 

a curriculum to become STL-based, 

students review Chapter One in the 

ITEA-CATTS Teaching Technology: 

Middle School document that shows a 

variety of teaching methods that can 

be used to teach about technology. In 

the review of this chapter, an in-depth 

discussion on Design Briefs is presented 

and students are given an assignment 

to develop a technology education 

“Standards-based” Design Brief. 

To help students in this activity, 

Chapter Two in the book is reviewed. 

In this chapter, a variety of activities is 

presented that shows how STL may be 

addressed in the activity. 

Because most technology education 

curricula are not STL-based, students 


must learn how to modify existing 

technology education materials. The 

challenge is to take these materials and 

modify them so that they address 

STL. To accomplish this task, students 

are given samples of existing 

technology education curriculum 

materials (e.g., course textbook, curriculum 

guide, student activities, etc.) 

and are required to critically review 

and evaluate the materials and 

provide suggestions on how STL 

could be addressed. 

In this activity, students work in 

small groups and review selected technology 

education material. They are 

told to look for the stated goals 

(which can be thought of as the standards) 

and objectives (which can be 

thought of as benchmarks) associated 

with the materials and try to relate 

them to one or more of the 20 

Standards identified in STL. They 

are required to provide information or 

suggestions on how the material’s 

existing goals and objectives meet the 

current STL or provide suggestions on 

how the material could be modified 

to meet STL. Modification may 

include rewording the goals and 

objectives listed so that they address 

the current STL or the writing of new 

goals and objectives based on the 

material’s content. At the conclusion 

of the activity, the groups present their 

findings/modifications to the class 

for review. 

A major activity in the class is a 

small group project that requires students 

to develop a curriculum guide 

for a single technology education 

course. The curriculum must be 

Standards-based and include a section 

on the Standards and benchmarks 

addressed in the course. The major 

components of the curriculum guide 

include: 

• Cover Sheet/Title Page 

• Table of Contents 

• Recognition of the Curriculum 

“IMPLEMENTING THE STANDARDS” — VIEWPOINTS FROM A TEACHER EDUCATOR 


Development Team 

• Introduction to Course 

– purpose/mission 

– prerequisites 

• Philosophy 

– Technology Education 

– Course 

• Major Goals for the Course 

• Major Performance (Behavioral) 

Objectives for the Course 

• Standards Addressed in the Course 

– Benchmarks Stated 

• Curriculum Resource Materials 

– Print-based: textbooks, 

workbooks, magazines, etc. 

– Modules, Simulators and other 

Training Devices 

– Appropriate Internet Sites 

– Audio/Video 

– Computer-based media: 

CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, etc. 

• Major Units (topics/areas) of 

Instruction 

– Listing of Lessons in each Unit 

• Course Outline (Topics and Time) 

• Sample Course Activities or Sample 

Learning Activity Packages (LAPs) 

• General Safety and Conduct Rules 

• Assessment 

– Written 

– Performance 

• Course Syllabus 

• Appendix 

• Vita of Team Members 

In the development of their curriculum 

guides, a frequently asked 

question by students is “How many 

Standards must be included in the 

curriculum?” This is not always an 

easy question to answer. Students 

are told that they should try to 

include as many Standards as possible. 

They are reminded that for K-12 

students to be considered “technologically 

literate” they should have an 

exposure to all Standards and 

benchmarks during their school 

experiences in taking technology 

education courses. 

Conclusion 


meet the challenge of teaching their 

students about Standards for 


Study of Technology. In the technology 

education courses they teach, their 

syllabi should, at a minimum, address 

what related Standards are being covered. 

Finally, in senior level curriculum 

and teaching methods courses, 

students must receive an in-depth 

knowledge about STL and be given 

the opportunity to develop STL curriculum 

materials and activities. 

References 

Hales, J. & Snyder, J. (n.d.) Jacksons Mill industrial 

arts curriculum theory. Charleston: West 

Virginia Department of Education. 

International Technology Education Association - 

Center to Advance the Teaching of 

Technology and Science (ITEA-CATTS). 

(2000). Teaching technology: Middle school, 

Strategies for standards-based instruction. 

Reston, VA: Author. 



Content for the study of technology. Reston, 

VA: Author. 

Maley, D. (1973). The Maryland plan. New 

York: Bruce. 

Savage, E. & Sterry, L. (1990). A conceptual 

framework for technology education. Reston, 

VA: International Technology Education 

Association. 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State 

University. (1982). Standards for industrial 

art programs and related guides. Reston, VA: 

American Industrial Arts Association. 

Warner, W.E. (1948). A Curriculum to reflect 

technology. Columbus, OH: Epsilon Pi Tau. 

Edward M. Reeve, Ph.D., is a professor in 

the Department of Industrial Technology and 

Education, Utah State University, Logan, UT. 

He can be reached via email at 

fast@cc.usu.edu. 

37

38 

2001 Leaders 

to Watch 

Those who have contributed to the 

technology education field for many years 

are known for their teaching, written work, 

presentations, research, and recognition 

received from professional groups. The 

selected individuals who are highlighted 

here have shown outstanding leadership 

ability as educators early in their careers. 

This list is by no means inclusive. There 

are many other professionals in the field 

with similarly impressive qualifications. 

Individuals who want to recognize other 

technology educators with outstanding 

qualifications should forward their vitae 

and a sponsoring letter to ITEA for 

consideration. 

The leaders of our field are our future; 

we should promote and encourage them to 

realize their potential. 

Linda Anderson, Ph. D. 

Director of Career and Technology Education 

Birdville Independent School District 

Haltom City, Texas 

For eleven years, Dr. 

Linda Anderson has 

provided leadership as 

Director of Career and 

Technology in Birdville 

Independent School 

District, a district serving 

over 21,000 

students and encompassing 

five cities in 

northeast Tarrant 

County. She received her Ph.D. from University of 

North Texas in 1995. In addition to school district 

administration, Dr. Anderson served for fifteen years 

as adjunct professor at University of North Texas, 

teaching classes for teacher and administrator certification. 

Dr. Anderson served on the ITEA Conference 

Planning Committee in 1998. Through her leadership, 

technology education is a top priority in 

Birdville ISD’s budget process. She supports teacher 

involvement in professional organizations and 

encourages teachers to assume state and national 

leadership roles. Dr. Anderson was involved in the 

1995 International Technology Education 

Leadership Development Program. She received the 

Association of Texas Technology Education’s 

“Outstanding Administrator” award in 1995 and the 

North Texas Industrial Technology Association’s 

President’s Award in 1996. She is currently working 

on a teacher preparation project designed to help 

alleviate the technology education teacher shortage 

in Texas. 

Dr. Anderson served the Career and Technology 

Administrators of Texas as Secretary, President, Past- 

President, and has been elected Treasurer for a threeyear 

term. In July of 2000, she received the state 

Administrator of the Year award of the Career and 

Technology Administrators of Texas. 

Linda Anderson believes in the integration of 

technology education throughout the school’s 

curriculum offerings and is committed to continuous 

expansion and improvement of the programs in 

Birdville ISD. Through Dr. Anderson’s leadership, 

the U.S. Department of Education has cited 

Birdville ISD as exemplary. She embraces change 

and has a commitment to providing quality 

instructional programs for students that are in line 

with current industry standards. A mindset of 

continuous improvement, with input from business 

and industry, is a philosophy that is shared by the 

teachers in her district. She supports the belief that 

technology education provides a foundation that 

benefits all students. 


Patrick N. Foster, Ph. D. 

Educational Program Specialist 

Career and Technical Education Division 

Arizona Department of Education 

Phoenix, AZ 

Over the past decade, 

Patrick Foster has 

endeavored to promote 

two important aspects 

of technology education: 

its history and its 

elementary-school program. 

During that time, 

he has published more 

than 40 articles and presented 

more than 30 

papers at national conferences on these topics. He is 

the co-editor of the 1997 CTTE yearbook on the 

topic of elementary-school technology education. 

After graduating from Central Connecticut State 

University, Foster taught industrial technology to 

children in grades 2-5 at Burris Elementary School 

in Muncie, IN. In that position, he focused on 

technology education as a means of integrating the 

elementary curriculum. Students participated in the 

full range of designing and construction, as well as 

beginning to think critically about technology. 

He was then appointed Instructor of Industry & 

Technology at Ball State University, where he taught 

a required technology education class to pre-service 

elementary teachers while continuing to teach at 

Burris. Foster later served as an Instructor for the 

University of Missouri College of Education while 

working on his doctorate. 

From 1997-1999, Foster was department chair 

of Applied Technology at Greenway High School in 

Phoenix, AZ, where he taught various courses 

including general technology and computer-aided 

drafting. Since 1999, Foster has been a program 

specialist in the Career and Technical Education 

division of the Arizona Department of Education. 

He has worked with administrators and teachers all 

over Arizona to improve programs in a variety of 

technical areas. 

Roger B. Hill, Ph.D. 

Associate Professor 

Department of Occupational Studies 

The University of Georgia 

Athens, GA 

Roger Hill joined the 

faculty at the University 

of Georgia in 1993 after 

completing his Ph.D. at 

the University of 

Tennessee. He has 

developed a close working 

relationship with the 

Georgia Industrial 

Technology Education 

Association (GITEA) 

and implemented several 

new technology education courses to better prepare 

teachers for the field. His expertise in 

communication systems and information technolo- 

gies has helped propel the technological studies program 

area at the University of Georgia to its status as 

one of the best in the country. 

Dr. Hill completed his undergraduate degree in 

Industrial Arts Education at North Carolina State 

University, where he had opportunity to study under 

Delmar Olson. After teaching at Needham 

Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina 

for four years, he attended Northern Illinois 

University and completed a Master’s degree. He 

then accepted a position at Hiwassee College in 

Madisonville, TN, where he became Professor of 

Technology Education and Coordinator of 

Academic Computing. Numerous students studied 

with him there and later became outstanding technology 

education teachers. 

A 1994, 1997, and 1999 recipient of the 

Association for Career and Technical Education 

Technology Education Division Research Award, Dr. 

Hill is an active member of ITEA, GITEA, CTTE, 

NAITTE, AVERA, and ACTE and he sponsors the 

University of Georgia TECA chapter. He received 

the Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary 

Professional Promise at the University of Tennessee 

in 1990, has received numerous other awards for 

leadership and professional service, and currently 

serves as president-elect for the National Association 

of Industrial and Technical Teacher Educators. 

Dr. Hill recently became chair of The Technology 

Teacher editorial board, providing leadership for the 

manuscript review process that assures quality in 

peer-reviewed articles included in the publication. 

He has also authored chapters in two recent CTTE 

2001 LEADERS 

yearbooks and written numerous articles in 

professional journals. His research focuses on 

enhancing technological literacy through development 

of work ethic and ethical decision making. 

He is strongly committed to preparing highly 

competent technology education teachers who 

have solid teaching and communication skills, 

broad content knowledge, and quality of 

character. 

Howard Middleton, Ph.D. 

Director of Studies 


Griffith University 

Queensland, Australia 

Howard Middleton has 

taught in high schools 

and worked as a technology 

curriculum 

project officer and 

technology curriculum 

consultant before taking 

up his present position 

at Griffith University in 

1989. Dr. Middleton 

has lead the technology 

education program 

team at Griffith since July 1996. In that time, the 

popularity of the program has increased to the point 

where it has the second highest entry score of all 

secondary teacher education programs within the 

Faculty of Education. 


2001 LEADERS 

Dr. Middleton led the technology team in 

establishing the Technology Education Research 

Unit (TERU), the only Unit in Australia dedicated 

to researching technology education. Dr. Middleton 

is the foundation Director. 

Dr. Middleton has given numerous conference 

presentations within Australia, overseas, and is a 

regular presenter at ITEA conferences. He presented 

a keynote address at the International Conference on 

Technology Education in the Asia-Pacific Region, in 

Taiwan, where he described the development of 

technology education in Australia. 

He has authored a number of book chapters, 

journal articles, and government reports. He has a 

particular interest in research that explores the 

thinking processes students use when solving 

technological problems and of the contribution that 

technological learning activities make to students’ 

education. 

W. Douglas Miller 

Supervisor of Technology Education 

Missouri Department of Elementary and 

Secondary Education 

Jefferson City, MO 

Mr. Miller’s passion 

and enthusiasm for 

educational excellence 

provides strong leadership 

to Missouri’s technology 

education stakeholders. 

Since 1997, 

Doug has opened communication 

channels, 

provided financial, 

technical, and leadership 

assistance to Missouri’s TE programs, and has 

been instrumental in expanding the state’s Technology 

Student Association. 

Doug continually improves the communication 

channels for Missouri’s TE teachers by enhancing the 

Department’s website, which is updated daily. He also 

uses a real-time electronic newsletter that is immediately 

distributed to all TE personnel. At any given 

time during the day, the state’s instructors can access 

the latest information by accessing the Department’s 

website or logging into their e-mail system. 

Doug currently manages the State’s Technology 

Education Grant Awards program that annually 

distributes equipment, curriculum, and professional 

development dollars to the local TE programs. Each 

year, he facilitates over $600,000 in grant awards to 

local TE programs. He is also instrumental in providing 

technical assistance for all 800 Missouri TE 

teachers and the 89,000 students who participate in 

Missouri’s TE program. 

Doug continues focusing on implementing 

strong leadership activities in the state’s TE programs. 

In a state that had three TSA Chapters and 

20 participating students, Doug’s work has facilitated 

TSA growth that now exceeds 30 chapters and 

includes 1600 students. 

Doug received his Bachelor of Science degree in 

Industrial Technology Education from Southwestern 

Oklahoma State University in 1978. He received his 

Master’s Degree in Industrial Vocational Technical 

40 

Education from Central Missouri State University in 

1997. He has taught at both the middle and high 

school levels, and has also served as a district coordinator 

and department chair for industrial technology 

programs. He is a multi-year recipient of the 

“Who’s Who Among American Teachers.” He 

received the Missouri Industrial Technology 

Education Association’s Outstanding Service Award 

in 1998 for leading the suburban Kansas City affiliate 

in its best growth year on record. 

Doug Miller continues providing leadership 

through self-motivation and dedication to education. 

His desire is to encourage new leaders to recognize 

their ability and duty while also encouraging 

seasoned leaders to share their wisdom with the 

field. His goal is to see technology education sharing 

a key role in preparing all students for the 

future, regardless of their educational path. 

P. John Williams 

Senior Lecturer 


Edith Cowan University 

Mt. Lawley 

WA Australia 

John Williams began 

his career teaching 

industrial arts in a 

small high school in 

South Australia in 

1977. After teaching 

for some years, he 

moved to the U.S. to 

continue studies and 

completed his doctorate 

at Andrews 

University in 1986. 

Since then, he has worked as a technology educator 

in the U.S., Africa, and Australia and now coordinates 

undergraduate, postgraduate, and on- and offshore 

programs in Design and Technology at Edith 

Cowan University in Western Australia. 

In addition to numerous research projects, 

Williams has written eight books, contributed chapters 

to three, and published 31 articles in professional journals 

in Europe, the U.S., Africa, and Australia. He has 

presented at over 50 conferences, 30 of which have 

resulted in published refereed proceedings. 

Williams is on the Editorial Review Board of the 

Journal of Technology Education and The Technology 

Teacher, and is the editor of the Australian Council 

for Education through Technology’s professional refereed 

journal. 

He is currently Chair of the National 

Committee on Technology Teacher Education, 

Australian Council for Education through 

Technology and a member of the Research 

Committee of the Council on Technology Teacher 

Education. 

He is interested in international developments in 

technology education, and works part time coordinating 

his university’s activities in the Indian Ocean 

and Southern African region, including technology 

teacher upgrade programs in Mauritius, Botswana, 

and Seychelles. 

Reason #8: 

We’ve been 

committed 

to helping 

teachers and 

students for 

29 years. 

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MARCH 2001 VOL. 60 NO. 6 - International Technology and ...

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