Teaching Elements and Principles of Bridge Design - International ...
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APRIL 2005 Volume 64, No. 7<br />
<strong>Teaching</strong> <strong>Elements</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>Principles</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bridge</strong> <strong>Design</strong><br />
Also: Where to Get a Degree<br />
in Technology Education<br />
www.iteawww.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
APRIL 2005<br />
Volume 64, No. 7<br />
Publisher, Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE<br />
Editor-In-Chief, Kathleen B. de la Paz<br />
Editor, Kathie F. Cluff<br />
ITEA Board <strong>of</strong> Directors<br />
Anna Sumner, President<br />
George Willcox, Past President<br />
Ethan Lipton, DTE, President-Elect<br />
Doug Wagner, Director, ITEA-CS<br />
Tom Shown, Director, Region 1<br />
Chris Merrill, Director, Region 2<br />
Dale Hanson, Director, Region 3<br />
Doug Walrath, Director, Region 4<br />
Rodney Custer, DTE, Director, CTTE<br />
Michael DeMir<strong>and</strong>a, Director, TECA<br />
Patrick N. Foster, Director, TECC<br />
Kendall N. Starkweather, DTE, Executive Director<br />
ITEA is an affiliate <strong>of</strong> the American Association for the<br />
Advancement <strong>of</strong> Science.<br />
The Technology Teacher, ISSN: 0746-3537, is published<br />
eight times a year (September through June with combined<br />
December/January <strong>and</strong> May/June issues) by the<br />
<strong>International</strong> Technology Education Association,<br />
1914 Association Drive, Suite 201, Reston, VA 20191.<br />
Subscriptions are included in member dues. U.S. Library<br />
<strong>and</strong> nonmember subscriptions are $80; $90 outside the U.S.<br />
Single copies are $8.50 for members; $9.50 for<br />
non-members, plus shipping—domestic @ $6.00 <strong>and</strong><br />
outside the U.S. @ $17.00 (surface).<br />
Email: iteacomm@iris.org<br />
World Wide Web: www.iteawww.org<br />
Advertising Sales:<br />
ITEA Publications Department<br />
703-860-2100<br />
Fax: 703-860-0353<br />
Subscription Claims<br />
All subscription claims must be made within 60 days <strong>of</strong> the<br />
first day <strong>of</strong> the month appearing on the cover <strong>of</strong> the journal.<br />
For combined issues, claims will be honored within 60 days<br />
from the first day <strong>of</strong> the last month on the cover. Because<br />
<strong>of</strong> repeated delivery problems outside the continental United<br />
States, journals will be shipped only at the customer’s risk.<br />
ITEA will ship the subscription copy, but assumes no<br />
responsibility thereafter.<br />
The Technology Teacher is listed in the Educational Index<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Current Index to Journal in Education. Volumes are<br />
available on Micr<strong>of</strong>iche from University Micr<strong>of</strong>ilm, P.O. Box<br />
1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.<br />
Change <strong>of</strong> Address<br />
Send change <strong>of</strong> address notification promptly. Provide old<br />
mailing label <strong>and</strong> new address. Include zip + 4 code.<br />
Allow six weeks for change.<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
2 ITEA Online<br />
3 In the News <strong>and</strong> Calendar<br />
5 You & ITEA<br />
9 IDSA Activity<br />
17 Resources in Technology<br />
23 ITEA/NASA-JPL Learning Activity<br />
FEATURES<br />
6 <strong>Teaching</strong> <strong>Elements</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Principles</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bridge</strong> <strong>Design</strong><br />
Discusses bridge construction as a popular classroom activity, emphasizing the<br />
basic principles <strong>of</strong> tension, compression, <strong>and</strong> counterbalance.<br />
Charles Beck<br />
12 Where the Women Are: Research Findings on Gender<br />
Issues in Technology Education<br />
Research findings about gender issues in technology education, including a<br />
Self-Check Questionnaire.<br />
W.J. Haynie, III<br />
28 St<strong>and</strong>ards Article: A Proactive Approach to<br />
Technological Literacy<br />
This article suggests that a proactive approach to advocating technological literacy<br />
is important in changing the greater public’s misconceptions <strong>of</strong> what it means to<br />
be technologically literate.<br />
Katherine Weber<br />
31 2005 Directory <strong>of</strong> ITEA Institutional Members<br />
36 Mastering the Essentials for a Career in Technology<br />
Education<br />
An engineer/inventor lists the key areas <strong>of</strong> competency young technology education<br />
teachers should be developing while still in college.<br />
Harry T. Roman<br />
Postmaster<br />
Send address change to: The Technology Teacher, Address<br />
Change, ITEA, 1914 Association Drive, Suite 201, Reston,<br />
VA 20191-1539. Periodicals postage paid at Herndon, VA<br />
<strong>and</strong> additional mailing <strong>of</strong>fices.<br />
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
ITEA ONLINE<br />
Editorial Review Board<br />
Co-Chairperson<br />
Co-Chairperson<br />
Dan Engstrom<br />
Stan Komacek<br />
California University <strong>of</strong> PA California University <strong>of</strong> PA<br />
Steve Anderson<br />
Nikolay Middle School, WI<br />
Stephen Baird<br />
Bayside Middle School, VA<br />
Lynn Basham<br />
MI Department <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
Jolette Bush<br />
Midvale Middle School, UT<br />
Philip Cardon<br />
Eastern Michigan University<br />
Michael Cichocki<br />
Salisbury Middle School, PA<br />
Gerald Day<br />
University <strong>of</strong> MD-ES<br />
Mike Fitzgerald<br />
IN Department <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
Tom Frawley<br />
G. Ray Bodley High School, NY<br />
John W. Hansen<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Houston<br />
Roger Hill<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
Angela Hughes<br />
Morrow High School, GA<br />
Laura Hummell<br />
Manteo Middle School, NC<br />
Frank Kruth<br />
South Fayette MS, PA<br />
Ivan Mosley, Sr.<br />
Jackson State University<br />
Don Mugan<br />
Valley City State University<br />
Terrie Rust<br />
Oasis Elementary School, AZ<br />
Monty Robinson<br />
Black Hills State University<br />
Andy Stephenson<br />
Scott County High School, KY<br />
Greg V<strong>and</strong>er Weil<br />
Wayne State College<br />
Steve Waldstein<br />
Dike-New Hartford Schools, IA<br />
Scott Warner<br />
Millersville University <strong>of</strong> PA<br />
Katherine Weber<br />
Des Plaines, IL<br />
Eric Wiebe<br />
North Carolina State Univ.<br />
Editorial Policy<br />
As the only national <strong>and</strong> international association dedicated<br />
solely to the development <strong>and</strong> improvement <strong>of</strong> technology<br />
education, ITEA seeks to provide an open forum for the free<br />
exchange <strong>of</strong> relevant ideas relating to technology education.<br />
Materials appearing in the journal, including advertising,<br />
are expressions <strong>of</strong> the authors <strong>and</strong> do not necessarily reflect<br />
the <strong>of</strong>ficial policy or the opinion <strong>of</strong> the association, its<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers, or the ITEA Headquarters staff.<br />
Referee Policy<br />
All pr<strong>of</strong>essional articles in The Technology Teacher are<br />
refereed, with the exception <strong>of</strong> selected association activities<br />
<strong>and</strong> reports, <strong>and</strong> invited articles. Refereed articles are<br />
reviewed <strong>and</strong> approved by the Editorial Board before<br />
publication in The Technology Teacher. Articles with bylines<br />
will be identified as either refereed or invited unless written<br />
by ITEA <strong>of</strong>ficers on association activities or policies.<br />
To Submit Articles<br />
All articles should be sent directly to the Editor-in-Chief,<br />
<strong>International</strong> Technology Education Association, 1914<br />
Association Drive, Suite 201, Reston, VA 20191-1539.<br />
Please submit photographs to accompany the article, a<br />
copy <strong>of</strong> the article on disc (PC compatible), <strong>and</strong> five hard<br />
copies. Maximum length for manuscripts is 8 pages.<br />
Manuscripts should be prepared following the style specified<br />
in the Publications Manual <strong>of</strong> the American Psychological<br />
Association, Fifth Edition.<br />
Editorial guidelines <strong>and</strong> review policies are available by<br />
writing directly to ITEA or by visiting www.iteawww.org/<br />
F7.htm. Contents copyright ©2005 by the <strong>International</strong><br />
Technology Education Association, Inc., 703-860-2100.<br />
NEW ON ITEA’S WEB SITE<br />
The Technology Teacher e<br />
Automatic Processing <strong>of</strong> Digital Images: Learning Automation<br />
Techniques in Adobe Photoshop Image Editing Program<br />
Describes how students <strong>of</strong> graphic communications can benefit from<br />
learning digital imaging automation techniques.<br />
Milos Krsmanovic<br />
Also available online:<br />
Innovation Station—Your Gateway to<br />
Children’s Engineering<br />
Please join ITEA’s newest learning<br />
community—elementary educators interested in<br />
bringing out every student’s creative ability to design,<br />
build, tinker, <strong>and</strong> construct. Innovation Station was created for teachers<br />
who want to get their students actively involved in learning. No special<br />
requirements are necessary other than having a passion for teaching.<br />
Innovation Station (IS) is a teacher’s resource to get answers, learn<br />
about new ideas, become aware <strong>of</strong> “what works” with other teachers,<br />
<strong>and</strong> much more.<br />
Try this new learning community. There is no cost! Join the teachers<br />
who are pursuing excellence in elementary teaching <strong>and</strong> learning. Go to<br />
www.iteawww.org/LearningCommunities/InnovationStation/IS.html<br />
to subscribe.<br />
Application to Present in Baltimore - 2006<br />
The Application to Present at ITEA’s 68th Annual<br />
Conference in Baltimore, MD is now available<br />
online at http://tp1.clearlearning.com/<br />
hshealey/ITEA2005.tp4. The conference will be held March 23-25, 2006.<br />
Applications must be electronically received by June 15, 2005.<br />
www.iteawww.org<br />
2 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
NEWS AND CALENDAR<br />
IN THE NEWS & CALENDAR<br />
What Happened With<br />
Education in the Latest<br />
National Budget?<br />
The following quick summary was<br />
provided in The Washington Post by<br />
writer, Michael A. Fletcher: The<br />
administration is requesting $56<br />
billion for the Education Department,<br />
a cut <strong>of</strong> half a billion dollars, or 0.9<br />
percent, from fiscal 2005—the first<br />
reduction in overall federal education<br />
spending in a decade. The budget<br />
would eliminate the Perkins loan<br />
program, which provides low-interest<br />
loans to low- <strong>and</strong> middle-income<br />
college students. The budget would<br />
use those savings to increase<br />
spending on Pell grants, which<br />
provide college grants to low-income<br />
students, <strong>and</strong> raise the maximum<br />
award $100, to $4,150. In all, 48<br />
education programs would be<br />
terminated, including those providing<br />
college-readiness training to lowincome<br />
high school students <strong>and</strong><br />
federal vocational education<br />
initiatives that the White House said<br />
are not performing well or duplicate<br />
other federal efforts. Some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
savings would be used to increase<br />
spending in several programs,<br />
including $1.5 billion to extend<br />
federal No Child Left Behind testing<br />
<strong>and</strong> accountability requirements into<br />
the nation’s high schools.<br />
ITEA’s current efforts are to continue<br />
to be a part <strong>of</strong> larger coalitions that<br />
are seeking science, technology,<br />
engineering, <strong>and</strong> mathematics<br />
(STEM) funding <strong>and</strong> to support<br />
continued funding for the vocational<br />
community. ITEA will continue to<br />
educate its members <strong>and</strong> other<br />
interested colleagues in procedures<br />
to gain more funding at the state<br />
level. Selected states are having<br />
successes with funding, <strong>and</strong> all are a<br />
result <strong>of</strong> the members being active in<br />
communicating with their elected <strong>and</strong><br />
appointed representatives or <strong>of</strong>ficials.<br />
ITEA’s efforts included a March<br />
Legislative Symposium in conjunction<br />
with the Triangle Coalition for<br />
Science & Technology Education.<br />
Information can be found on ITEA’s<br />
Web site—www.iteawww.org.<br />
ITEA’s 2005 Kansas City Conference<br />
will have programs that address<br />
legislative issues <strong>and</strong> strategies that<br />
have proven success at the state<br />
level.<br />
For more information or assistance<br />
with legislative issues, contact<br />
itea@iris.org or call 703-860-2100.<br />
New German<br />
Translation<br />
<strong>of</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
There is a new<br />
German<br />
translation <strong>of</strong><br />
Advancing<br />
Excellence in<br />
Technological<br />
Literacy: Student Assessment,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development, <strong>and</strong><br />
Program St<strong>and</strong>ards (AETL) (ITEA,<br />
2003). St<strong>and</strong>ards für eine allgemeine<br />
technische Bildung 2 is now available<br />
from Gerd Höpken, Susanne<br />
Osterkamp, <strong>and</strong> Gert Reich (Hg.),<br />
2004, 180 Seiten, zahlreiche<br />
Abbildungen, Best.-Nr. 385, ¤ 20,00,<br />
ISBN: 3-7883-0385-9.<br />
ITEA Placement Service<br />
Did you know that ITEA provides a<br />
placement service for its members? If<br />
you are considering a job change or<br />
looking for a qualified technology<br />
educator, ITEA is your connection to<br />
positions in technology education.<br />
ITEA individual members can place<br />
their resumes on the ITEA Web site<br />
free <strong>of</strong> charge for two months, <strong>and</strong><br />
schools, colleges, <strong>and</strong> universities<br />
can post position openings for $100<br />
for one month or $175 for two<br />
months.<br />
Check out ITEA’s Placement Service<br />
in “Members Only” at<br />
www.iteawww.org. You will find<br />
many new position announcements<br />
<strong>and</strong> resumes. Forgot your password<br />
for Members Only? E-mail<br />
iteambrs@iris.org.<br />
Summer Opportunity<br />
Building on the successes <strong>of</strong> last<br />
year’s inaugural teacher’s institute,<br />
this year 24 teachers will have an<br />
opportunity to learn about teaching<br />
wireless technology literacy, micro<br />
controllers, robotics basics, <strong>and</strong><br />
bringing space technology into their<br />
classrooms during two American<br />
Radio Relay League (ARRL) Education<br />
<strong>and</strong> Technology Program teacher’s<br />
institutes to be held at ARRL<br />
headquarters in Newington, CT on<br />
June 13-17 <strong>and</strong> August 1-5.<br />
The theme <strong>of</strong> this year’s program is<br />
Make the Science <strong>of</strong> Radio Come<br />
Alive, <strong>and</strong> participating teachers can<br />
expect to work hard at the institute.<br />
Each 8 to 5 day is filled with lectures,<br />
h<strong>and</strong>s-on activities <strong>and</strong><br />
demonstrations, building,<br />
programming, robotics competition,<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> course, time is set aside to<br />
operate W1AW. The first three days<br />
<strong>of</strong> the institute include instruction on<br />
how to teach wireless technology,<br />
day four is on microcontroller basics,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the finale is how to teach basic<br />
robotics. The class materials are a<br />
mix <strong>of</strong> basic theory coupled with<br />
pedagogical (teaching) strategies the<br />
teachers can use immediately when<br />
they return to their classrooms.<br />
Each teacher will receive his or her<br />
own resource library <strong>of</strong> relevant ARRL<br />
publications, instructional kits <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
by the Education <strong>and</strong> Technology<br />
Program, the course materials for<br />
“What is a Microcontroller,” <strong>and</strong> the<br />
“BOE-BOT” Robot kit.<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 3
NEWS AND CALENDAR<br />
If you are a teacher who is interested<br />
(licensed or not), or if you know <strong>of</strong> a<br />
teacher who could benefit from the<br />
teacher’s institute, contact Mark<br />
Spencer, ARRL Education <strong>and</strong><br />
Technology Program Coordinator, 225<br />
Main St., Newington, CT 06111, 860-<br />
594-0396, mspencer@arrl.org<br />
for more details <strong>and</strong> the application<br />
procedures. The applications to<br />
attend the institute are due by May<br />
15, <strong>and</strong> the 12 slots for each <strong>of</strong> the<br />
two institutes will be filled on a firstcome,<br />
first-served basis.<br />
"More Students, Higher<br />
Prices, Tougher<br />
Competition"<br />
The National Alliance <strong>of</strong> State<br />
Science <strong>and</strong> Mathematics Coalitions<br />
has shared the following article<br />
regarding trends in higher education:<br />
The Wall Street Journal identifies 10<br />
trends in higher education that bear<br />
watching in coming years. Among<br />
them:<br />
• Tuition will continue to rise, partly<br />
in response to reduced state<br />
funding to public institutions <strong>and</strong><br />
bidding wars among private<br />
institutions for hotshot pr<strong>of</strong>essors.<br />
• Financial aid based on merit will<br />
continue to gain in popularity as<br />
colleges compete for the brightest<br />
students.<br />
• Colleges will look increasingly to<br />
distance learning <strong>and</strong> competency<br />
assessments to ease classroom<br />
crowding.<br />
• As universities seek to<br />
differentiate themselves, they will<br />
mix the liberal arts with science<br />
<strong>and</strong> technology to create new<br />
interdisciplinary studies.<br />
• More colleges will emphasize the<br />
quality <strong>of</strong> their teaching.<br />
SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, 31<br />
January 2005 (p. R04),<br />
www.wsj.com (subscribers only)<br />
CALENDAR<br />
April 3-5, 2005<br />
The 67th Annual ITEA Conference <strong>and</strong><br />
Exhibition, “Preparing the Next<br />
Generation for Technological<br />
Literacy,” will be held in Kansas City,<br />
MO. With an entirely new schedule,<br />
including exp<strong>and</strong>ed registration <strong>and</strong><br />
resource booth hours, several new<br />
networking/social events, <strong>and</strong>, yes,<br />
even a free lunch, the Kansas City<br />
conference promises to be one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
most exciting in years. Visit<br />
www.iteawww.org for the most upto-date<br />
details.<br />
April 11-16, 2005<br />
The Department <strong>of</strong> Education,<br />
partnering with the National Science<br />
Foundation <strong>and</strong> other U.S.<br />
government agencies <strong>and</strong> scientific<br />
societies, is sponsoring Excellence in<br />
Science, Technology, <strong>and</strong><br />
Mathematics Education Week<br />
(ESTME Week). Details can be found<br />
at www.estme.org.<br />
May 5, 2005<br />
Space Day national celebration in<br />
Washington, DC—the culmination <strong>of</strong><br />
the yearlong “Return to the Moon”<br />
Space Day events. Full details <strong>and</strong><br />
registration forms are available on the<br />
Space Day Web site at<br />
www.spaceday.org.<br />
May 18-20, 2005<br />
DeVilbiss, Binks <strong>and</strong> Owens<br />
Community College have teamed up<br />
to present a Spray Finishing<br />
Technology Workshop in Toledo, OH.<br />
Two Continuing Education Units will<br />
be awarded to participants in this<br />
intensive three-day program.<br />
Attendees should be involved with<br />
industrial, contractor, or maintenance<br />
spray finishing applications, or spray<br />
equipment sales <strong>and</strong> distribution. For<br />
additional information, call 800-466-<br />
9367, ext. 7357, e-mail<br />
sprayworkshop@netscape.net, or<br />
visit the Web site at www.owens.edu/<br />
workforce_cs/index.html.<br />
June 24-28, 2005<br />
The 5th <strong>International</strong> Primary <strong>Design</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> Technology Conference,<br />
Excellence through Enjoyment, will be<br />
held at the Quality Inn, Hagley Road,<br />
Birmingham, Engl<strong>and</strong>. The conference<br />
will be hosted by CRIPT (Centre for<br />
Research into Primary Technology).<br />
The conference will include research<br />
papers, case studies, practical<br />
workshops, visits to primary schools,<br />
<strong>and</strong> displays <strong>of</strong> resources. The<br />
Conference Language is English. For<br />
additional information, contact<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Clare Benson, CRIPT, UCE;<br />
Fax: +44 121 331 6147;<br />
clare.benson@uce.ac.uk.<br />
June 28-July 2, 2005<br />
The National Technology Student<br />
Association (TSA) conference will be<br />
held in Chicago, IL. Visit<br />
www.tsaweb.org for additional<br />
information.<br />
June 28-July 2, 2005<br />
The National TECA Leadership<br />
Conference will be held in<br />
conjunction with the National TSA<br />
Conference at the Sheraton Chicago<br />
Hotel & Towers in Chicago, IL. All<br />
TECA members are invited to attend.<br />
Contact your TECA advisor for<br />
information.<br />
List your State/Province Association<br />
Conference in TTT, TrendScout, <strong>and</strong> on<br />
ITEA’s Web Calendar. Submit conference<br />
title, date(s), location, <strong>and</strong> contact<br />
information (at least two months prior<br />
to journal publication date) to iteapubs@iris.org.<br />
4 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
YOU AND ITEA<br />
YOU & ITEA<br />
ITEA Launches<br />
Elementary Learning<br />
Community<br />
Please join ITEA’s newest learning<br />
community—elementary educators<br />
interested in bringing out every<br />
student’s creative ability to design,<br />
build, tinker, <strong>and</strong> construct.<br />
Innovation Station was created for<br />
teachers who want to get their<br />
students actively involved in<br />
learning. No special requirements<br />
are necessary other than having a<br />
passion for teaching.<br />
Innovation Station (IS) is a teacher’s<br />
resource to get answers, learn<br />
about new ideas, become aware <strong>of</strong><br />
“what works” with other teachers,<br />
<strong>and</strong> much more. Subscribers are<br />
welcome to participate in<br />
discussions pertaining to teaching<br />
techniques that help with learning<br />
about the basics in education, go<br />
where st<strong>and</strong>ards-based materials<br />
are being implemented, <strong>and</strong> see<br />
how others effectively use<br />
manipulative activities that don’t<br />
exceed your capability as a teacher.<br />
Join the teachers who are pursuing<br />
excellence in elementary teaching<br />
<strong>and</strong> learning. Go to<br />
www.iteawww.org/Learning<br />
Communities/InnovationStation/<br />
IS.html to subscribe. It’s FREE!<br />
New ITEA<br />
Publications Catalog<br />
The 2005 ITEA Publications Catalog is<br />
now available online at<br />
www.iteawww.org. Browse the<br />
catalog for all the<br />
latest ITEA gift<br />
items <strong>and</strong><br />
publications.<br />
Additionally, take a<br />
look at the new<br />
addenda to<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ards for<br />
Technological<br />
Literacy:<br />
• Measuring Progress: A Guide to<br />
Assessing Students for<br />
Technological Literacy<br />
• Realizing Excellence: Structuring<br />
Technology Programs<br />
• Planning Learning: Developing<br />
Technology Curricula<br />
• Developing Pr<strong>of</strong>essionals:<br />
Preparing Technology Teachers<br />
Also included is information on<br />
grants, scholarships, <strong>and</strong> awards.<br />
Check out the 2005 Publications<br />
Catalog today!<br />
NCLB News:<br />
<strong>International</strong> Studies<br />
Show Mixed Results<br />
Among U.S. Students<br />
The latest results <strong>of</strong> two major<br />
international studies present a mixed<br />
picture <strong>of</strong> the academic abilities <strong>of</strong><br />
American students. In the 2003<br />
Trends in <strong>International</strong> Mathematics<br />
<strong>and</strong> Science Study (TIMSS),<br />
American fourth- <strong>and</strong> eighth-graders<br />
significantly outperformed many <strong>of</strong><br />
their international peers. While<br />
eighth-graders—including boys, girls<br />
<strong>and</strong> minority students—improved<br />
their scores compared to past TIMSS<br />
studies (1995 <strong>and</strong> 1999), scores for<br />
fourth-graders remained static in both<br />
subject areas.<br />
In the 2003 Program for <strong>International</strong><br />
Student Assessment (PISA), U.S.<br />
ninth- <strong>and</strong> tenth-graders (15-yearolds)<br />
performed below the<br />
international average in math literacy<br />
<strong>and</strong> problem-solving. This lag among<br />
high school students, says President<br />
Bush <strong>and</strong> U.S Secretary <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
Margaret Spellings, underscores the<br />
need for annual learning assessments<br />
for all students in Grades 9-11. Under<br />
the No Child Left Behind Act, such<br />
assessments currently apply only to<br />
students in Grades 3-8.<br />
The PISA results were released in<br />
December 2004 by the Paris-based<br />
Organization for Economic<br />
Cooperation <strong>and</strong> Development. A<br />
report on America’s PISA results,<br />
published by the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Education’s National Center for<br />
Education Statistics (NCES), is<br />
available at<br />
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa, or by<br />
calling 1-877-4ED-PUBS with<br />
identification number ERN3787P,<br />
while supplies last.<br />
The 2003 TIMSS report is the third<br />
release since 1995 from the<br />
Amsterdam-based <strong>International</strong><br />
Association for the Evaluation <strong>of</strong><br />
Educational Achievement. For NCES’<br />
report on the U.S. TIMSS results,<br />
visit http://nces.ed.gov/timss, or call<br />
1-877-4ED-PUBS with identification<br />
number ERN3791P, while supplies<br />
last. Source: U.S. Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Education, The Achiever, [February 1,<br />
2005].<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 5
TEACHING ELEMENTS AND<br />
PRINCIPLES OF BRIDGE DESIGN<br />
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
Charles Beck<br />
<strong>Bridge</strong> construction is a popular<br />
classroom activity. However, the<br />
basic principles <strong>of</strong> tension,<br />
compression, <strong>and</strong> counterbalance are<br />
not always clearly represented <strong>and</strong><br />
defined. The common materials used<br />
to construct model bridges, such as<br />
straws, toothpicks, Legos, <strong>and</strong><br />
building blocks, are <strong>of</strong>ten too flexible<br />
or stationary to demonstrate the<br />
principles that keep bridges upright<br />
<strong>and</strong> functional. If the basic principles<br />
are not clearly demonstrated,<br />
students will fail to underst<strong>and</strong> how<br />
bridges are able to support heavy<br />
loads. Upper elementary <strong>and</strong> middle<br />
school students can design simple<br />
models that demonstrate the<br />
essential elements <strong>and</strong> basic<br />
principles <strong>of</strong> bridge design.<br />
ITEA St<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
<strong>Design</strong>ing model bridges addresses<br />
several <strong>of</strong> ITEA’s St<strong>and</strong>ards for<br />
Technological Literacy (ITEA,<br />
2000/2002). For example, by<br />
identifying basic elements <strong>and</strong><br />
principles <strong>of</strong> bridge design, students<br />
develop an underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the<br />
“attributes <strong>of</strong> design” (St<strong>and</strong>ard 8)<br />
<strong>and</strong> “engineering design” (St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
9). Students “select <strong>and</strong> use<br />
constructive technologies” (St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
20) when they design model bridges<br />
<strong>and</strong> test their ability to support loads.<br />
Most states have Instructional<br />
Frameworks or St<strong>and</strong>ards that require<br />
classroom teachers to expose their<br />
students to the basic physical<br />
principles <strong>of</strong> engineering <strong>and</strong><br />
technology. Based on the<br />
By designing model bridges, students can<br />
begin to appreciate how engineers construct<br />
elements that produce tremendous force,<br />
such as arches <strong>and</strong> cables.<br />
Figure 1: Arch <strong>Bridge</strong> Construction <strong>Principles</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Elements</strong><br />
constructivist theory to learning,<br />
students need to design models to<br />
underst<strong>and</strong> these principles.<br />
Materials<br />
The drawings illustrate two common<br />
types <strong>of</strong> bridges—the arch <strong>and</strong> the<br />
suspension. The arch bridge (see<br />
Figure 1) may be constructed from<br />
Styr<strong>of</strong>oam or wooden wedges. Paper<br />
clips or cotter pins are used to secure<br />
the abutments. To prevent the<br />
wedges from wobbling, they should<br />
be about two inches in thickness.<br />
The suspension bridge (see Figure 2)<br />
is constructed from balsa for the<br />
towers, deck, <strong>and</strong> anchorages. The<br />
illustration shows short side decks<br />
<strong>and</strong> cable spans. The students may<br />
want to lengthen the side decks <strong>and</strong><br />
their cable spans to resemble an<br />
actual suspension bridge. The cables<br />
<strong>and</strong> suspenders are made from paper<br />
clips linked together. In order to show<br />
tension, the deck should only be<br />
1/16” to 1/8” in thickness. The tower<br />
framework is about 1/4” in thickness.<br />
The paper clips or pins must pass<br />
through the abutments <strong>and</strong><br />
anchorages <strong>and</strong> into the baseboard.<br />
Students may use glue or paper clips<br />
to secure the tower cross beams to<br />
the uprights <strong>and</strong> the foundations to<br />
the baseboard. It should not be<br />
difficult to push paper clips through<br />
balsa. These materials are available<br />
in most arts <strong>and</strong> crafts supply stores.<br />
6 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
Figure 2: Suspension <strong>Bridge</strong> Construction <strong>Principles</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Elements</strong><br />
Students should be encouraged to<br />
experiment <strong>and</strong> problem-solve with<br />
the elements. For example, they<br />
should experience what happens<br />
when loads, such as toy cars or metal<br />
weights, are placed on the bridges,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the paper clips are removed from<br />
the abutments <strong>and</strong> anchorages. They<br />
will observe how the wedges collapse<br />
from the outward compression, <strong>and</strong><br />
how the towers lean <strong>and</strong> the deck<br />
sags from the tension. If the deck is<br />
cut in half, the tension on the cables<br />
<strong>and</strong> towers will become more visible<br />
when a load is placed on the deck.<br />
The suspension bridge illustration<br />
shows how each half <strong>of</strong> the deck is<br />
supported by a pair <strong>of</strong> cables.<br />
<strong>Bridge</strong> <strong>Principles</strong><br />
The arch bridge must counterbalance<br />
a great deal <strong>of</strong> compression, whereas<br />
the suspension bridge must<br />
counterbalance a tremendous amount<br />
<strong>of</strong> tension. Figures 1 <strong>and</strong> 2 illustrate<br />
how the arch <strong>and</strong> suspension bridges<br />
are subject to the following three<br />
principles:<br />
• Tension—pulling force that tends<br />
to stretch an element. In a<br />
suspension bridge, the center<br />
span deck is pulling downward on<br />
the center span cables.<br />
• Compression—pushing force that<br />
tends to shorten an element. In an<br />
arch bridge, one wedge presses<br />
the wedge next to it. The<br />
abutments must withst<strong>and</strong> the<br />
outward compression or force <strong>of</strong><br />
all the wedges. In a suspension<br />
bridge, the cables press down on<br />
the towers.<br />
• Counterbalance—connecting<br />
elements that provide opposing<br />
forces. In the arch bridge, the<br />
abutments provide a<br />
counterbalance to the outward<br />
compression <strong>of</strong> the wedges. In<br />
the suspension bridge, the<br />
anchorages provide a<br />
counterbalance to the tension<br />
pulling on the cables.<br />
<strong>Bridge</strong> <strong>Elements</strong><br />
The three main elements for the arch<br />
bridge include:<br />
• Wedges—tapered elements that<br />
interlock <strong>and</strong> compress each other<br />
• Abutments—ground level<br />
supports to withhold outward<br />
compression<br />
• Scaffolds—temporary supports<br />
for positioning <strong>and</strong> holding<br />
wedges<br />
The six main elements for<br />
constructing the suspension bridge<br />
include:<br />
• Cables—staying elements to<br />
support the deck <strong>and</strong> load<br />
• Towers—vertical elements for<br />
hanging cables<br />
• Suspenders—elements for<br />
linking the cable to the deck<br />
• Anchorages—elements to<br />
counterbalance cable tension<br />
• Foundations—elements used to<br />
hold towers in position<br />
• Deck—surface element for load<br />
crossing<br />
<strong>Bridge</strong> Construction<br />
Given a bridge illustration with<br />
measurements, students should be<br />
able to construct a model similar to<br />
the drawing. Students should be able<br />
to cut the materials safely using a<br />
coping saw. Construction becomes a<br />
cooperative learning experience if the<br />
students work in small groups <strong>of</strong><br />
three or four members, with each<br />
member assigned a particular bridge<br />
element.<br />
The illustration <strong>of</strong> the arch bridge<br />
suggests 12 wedges. The wedges can<br />
be colored to represent two adjacent<br />
spectrums or rainbows placed end-toend.<br />
The two wedges at the top<br />
should be red, with one orange wedge<br />
on each side, followed by yellow,<br />
green, blue <strong>and</strong> violet at the base.<br />
Two or three students working<br />
together should be able to position the<br />
wedges. The students should try<br />
constructing the arch bridge with <strong>and</strong><br />
without a scaffold. If the scaffold fits<br />
the bottom <strong>of</strong> the arch, it should help<br />
to hold the wedges in place until the<br />
arch is completed.<br />
Learning Assessment<br />
Student learning may be assessed<br />
based on three skill categories:<br />
cooperative, psychomotor, <strong>and</strong><br />
cognitive. For cooperative skills<br />
assessment, the teacher may use an<br />
observation sheet to record how well<br />
the team members work together <strong>and</strong><br />
problem-solve to construct a st<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
bridge. In addition to the teacher’s<br />
observation <strong>of</strong> psychomotor skills,<br />
the students should evaluate each<br />
team’s bridge construction based on<br />
a point system. Points are awarded<br />
based on how well each element<br />
fulfills its purpose, <strong>and</strong> how well the<br />
bridge demonstrates each principle.<br />
In regard to cognitive skills, the<br />
following set <strong>of</strong> questions will help to<br />
assess the students’ underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong><br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 7
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
the elements <strong>and</strong> principles <strong>of</strong> bridge<br />
construction. The questions may be<br />
assessed informally, such as a class<br />
review session. A more formal<br />
assessment could be a worksheet<br />
requiring written responses <strong>and</strong>/or<br />
labeling elements <strong>and</strong> principles on a<br />
drawing (see illustrations).<br />
• Why are the wedges tapered so<br />
that the narrow ends are facing<br />
downward?<br />
• Why is it important to secure the<br />
abutments before constructing<br />
the arch?<br />
• How would a scaffold beneath the<br />
wedges be helpful in constructing<br />
the arch?<br />
• What happens to the towers<br />
when you disconnect the cables<br />
from the anchorages <strong>and</strong> add a<br />
deck load?<br />
• How do the abutments serve to<br />
counterbalance the compression<br />
<strong>of</strong> the wedges?<br />
• How do the anchorages serve to<br />
counterbalance the tension on the<br />
cables?<br />
• How do the suspenders help the<br />
cable to support the deck <strong>and</strong><br />
load?<br />
• What happens to the center span<br />
deck when you disconnect the<br />
cables <strong>and</strong> add a deck load?<br />
• Why is it important to secure the<br />
anchorages <strong>and</strong> foundations before<br />
connecting the cables?<br />
Conclusion<br />
As an additional learning activity,<br />
students should research bridge<br />
technology on the Internet <strong>and</strong> view a<br />
video on bridge design. The PBS<br />
series on “Building Big with David<br />
Macaulay” (Macaulay, 2000) provides<br />
a video on “<strong>Bridge</strong>s” from ancient<br />
times to present day. It helps to<br />
address the role <strong>of</strong> bridges in society<br />
<strong>and</strong> the influence <strong>of</strong> bridges on<br />
history, while also addressing ITEA<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ards 6 <strong>and</strong> 7 (ITEA, 2000/2002).<br />
By designing model bridges, students<br />
can begin to appreciate how<br />
engineers construct elements that<br />
produce tremendous force, such as<br />
Vision + Commitment = Success<br />
arches <strong>and</strong> cables. They soon realize<br />
why these forces must be stabilized<br />
by counterbalancing elements, such<br />
as abutments <strong>and</strong> anchorages. After<br />
experiencing the principles <strong>of</strong> tension,<br />
compression, <strong>and</strong> counterbalance,<br />
students can apply this underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
to other monumental structures, such<br />
as towers, tunnels, <strong>and</strong> domes.<br />
References<br />
<strong>International</strong> Technology Education<br />
Association (2000/2002). St<strong>and</strong>ards for<br />
Technological Literacy: Content for the<br />
Study <strong>of</strong> Technology. Reston, VA:<br />
Author.<br />
Macaulay, D. (2000). Building Big with<br />
David Macaulay. Boston: WGBH Videos.<br />
Charles Beck is<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
Education at<br />
Framingham State<br />
College, Framingham,<br />
MA. He can be<br />
reached via e-mail at<br />
c.s.beck@<br />
verizon.net.<br />
This is a refereed article.<br />
ITEA would like to thank Paxton/Patterson for their vision<br />
<strong>and</strong> commitment to technology education <strong>and</strong> to building<br />
a stronger association. Through the partnership <strong>and</strong><br />
support <strong>of</strong> Paxton/Patterson, ITEA has received over 750<br />
new Pr<strong>of</strong>essional members since June 1, 2004.<br />
THANK YOU Paxton/Patterson!<br />
8 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
IDSA<br />
From IDSA<br />
Using Storyboarding Techniques to Identify <strong>Design</strong> Opportunities<br />
Kevin Reeder, IDSA<br />
The movie industry heavily relies on<br />
storyboards as an effective way to<br />
visually describe the process <strong>of</strong> a<br />
movie. The storyboard visually<br />
describes how the movie flows from<br />
beginning to end, how the characters<br />
are interacting, <strong>and</strong> where transitions<br />
<strong>and</strong>/or gaps exist in the storyline.<br />
The storyboard is an effective tool in<br />
industrial design as well. A storyboard<br />
visually describes how users will<br />
interact with the product from start to<br />
finish <strong>and</strong> depicts the individual steps<br />
in that process that need further<br />
examination <strong>and</strong> analysis. This<br />
detailed examination leads to<br />
innovative product solutions that<br />
successfully address a greater amount<br />
<strong>of</strong> the users’ needs <strong>and</strong> expectations.<br />
In the classroom, when students<br />
employ storyboards, they are better<br />
able to underst<strong>and</strong> the complexity <strong>of</strong> a<br />
product’s use <strong>and</strong> visualize areas for<br />
improvement.<br />
When students employ storyboards, they<br />
are better able to underst<strong>and</strong> the complexity<br />
<strong>of</strong> a product’s use <strong>and</strong> visualize areas for<br />
improvement.<br />
This article discusses storyboarding in<br />
terms <strong>of</strong> its value in communicating<br />
what the designed product will do <strong>and</strong><br />
how people will interact with it. It will<br />
also discuss storyboarding as a tool<br />
for identifying opportunities for innovation.<br />
The article will use examples<br />
from student course work to support<br />
its premise <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong>fer a project that<br />
employs the same techniques for use<br />
in the classroom.<br />
Storyboards<br />
Through research activities, industrial<br />
designers underst<strong>and</strong> how people<br />
interact with existing products.<br />
Storyboarding these activities allows<br />
the designer to visualize the user’s<br />
needs <strong>and</strong> interactions throughout the<br />
process <strong>of</strong> using a product. In this<br />
way, designers can focus on <strong>and</strong><br />
resolve difficult steps in completing a<br />
task while designing for the whole<br />
process. For instance, students at<br />
Georgia Tech recently designed a<br />
medical delivery cart for a hospital in<br />
Atlanta. Through research <strong>and</strong><br />
storyboarding, the students were able<br />
to visualize <strong>and</strong> juggle the design<br />
issues <strong>of</strong> storing medication, charging<br />
power sources, moving through<br />
crowded spaces, <strong>and</strong> dispensing<br />
medication. Solutions <strong>of</strong>fered bases<br />
with wider sections, swiveling,<br />
retractable surfaces, <strong>and</strong> latch-on<br />
shelves while still presenting an<br />
appropriate image, <strong>and</strong> a solid<br />
structure within a manufacturing<br />
budget. Through this project the<br />
students were better able to<br />
manipulate the myriad <strong>of</strong> design<br />
issues that needed to be addressed in<br />
order to design a superior medical<br />
delivery cart.<br />
Storyboards can also be used to help<br />
designers identify opportunities for<br />
innovation. The operational process<br />
Figure 1. A photographic storyboard constructed by team members, B. Ng <strong>and</strong> J.R. Gunderson, enacting the medical delivery process.<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 9
for a common electrical kitchen<br />
product may be:<br />
1. Remove the product from storage<br />
2. Plug the power cord into the outlet<br />
3. Turn it on<br />
4. Complete the task<br />
5. Turn it <strong>of</strong>f<br />
6. Remove the power cord from the<br />
outlet<br />
7. Clean the product<br />
8. Replace the product to storage<br />
IDSA<br />
The process may be prioritized to<br />
step number 4, “Complete the task.”<br />
By storyboarding this process, the<br />
designer can visualize <strong>and</strong> develop<br />
solutions for a step in the process<br />
that is not prioritized <strong>and</strong> perhaps not<br />
addressed by competitive products.<br />
In this manner, the new product<br />
surpasses market expectations by<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering more than “complete the<br />
task” to the consumer. As an<br />
academic exercise, students can<br />
visually underst<strong>and</strong> how the priority<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Design</strong> Objectives may change<br />
through the process <strong>of</strong> using the<br />
product. For example, in step 1,<br />
storing the power cord may be an<br />
important issue, while in step 4, cord<br />
storage has no importance.<br />
An example <strong>of</strong> employing visual<br />
storyboarding as a means to achieve<br />
innovation is shown in Figure 2,<br />
Lunchbox Storyboard. In this<br />
example, the designer addressed the<br />
stable market <strong>of</strong> lunch boxes, where<br />
change <strong>and</strong> innovation are limited to<br />
product graphics or surface<br />
materials. In this case, the designer<br />
storyboarded the process <strong>of</strong><br />
commuting to the <strong>of</strong>fice with a<br />
lunchbox <strong>and</strong> briefcase. By<br />
addressing this issue in general <strong>and</strong><br />
in particular, the designer was able to<br />
generate several innovative product<br />
solutions that address potentially<br />
new market segments in pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
lunch boxes.<br />
Figure 2. The Lunchbox Storyboard examines the possible uses.<br />
Constructing Visual Storyboards<br />
Visual Storyboards are exploration,<br />
analysis, conceptualization, <strong>and</strong><br />
communication tools <strong>and</strong>, as such,<br />
can be constructed in several ways.<br />
Movie storyboards are <strong>of</strong>ten h<strong>and</strong>drawn<br />
for speed <strong>and</strong> visualization <strong>of</strong><br />
the story <strong>and</strong> action. For industrial<br />
designers, both photographic <strong>and</strong><br />
h<strong>and</strong>-drawn methods are acceptable.<br />
Photographic recording (film, digital<br />
camera/video) <strong>of</strong> the research<br />
activities provides detailed images<br />
that can examined <strong>and</strong> presented<br />
digitally or as a printed hardcopy. In<br />
cases where photo documentation is<br />
not appropriate, recording role-playing<br />
exercises can help the design team to<br />
formulate questions for further<br />
examination (see Figure 1). H<strong>and</strong>drawn<br />
methods are most appropriate<br />
when quick examination <strong>and</strong><br />
conceptualization are the goals. It is<br />
important to note that h<strong>and</strong>-drawn<br />
storyboards are not limited by the skill<br />
<strong>of</strong> the designer <strong>and</strong>, as such, a stick<br />
figure is as valid a communication<br />
image as an artistically rendered<br />
figure. Regardless <strong>of</strong> the media, the<br />
storyboard allows the designer to<br />
examine the individual steps while<br />
remaining aware <strong>of</strong> the overall<br />
process.<br />
A Toothbrush Storage<br />
Device Project<br />
This project is constructed to<br />
encourage students to examine an<br />
apparently simple process in order to<br />
develop supportive products.<br />
Brushing teeth is appropriate for this<br />
project because students are familiar<br />
with the process <strong>and</strong> it can be<br />
delineated photographically or by<br />
h<strong>and</strong> drawings. Whatever the media,<br />
the goal is to study the process in<br />
fine detail in order to find a step that<br />
is best supported by hardware.<br />
To begin, the students, in groups <strong>of</strong><br />
two or three, should write/record<br />
their personal processes <strong>of</strong> brushing<br />
teeth in a step-by-step fashion <strong>and</strong><br />
share this with the group. The group<br />
then compares the different<br />
processes, with particular emphasis<br />
placed on individual variations. In<br />
doing this, students will, hopefully, be<br />
encouraged to share personal<br />
experiences <strong>and</strong> gain an<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> the different uses<br />
for the new product. With this<br />
information, the design team is ready<br />
to construct the storyboard.<br />
The group will decide to either sketch<br />
the process in perspective or multi-<br />
10 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
view projection (stick figures are<br />
sufficient) or to record the process<br />
photographically. Both methods have<br />
benefits. If sketching the process, the<br />
storyboard can be constructed from<br />
the personal processes described<br />
above. Photographically, a digital<br />
camera or digital video camera can<br />
easily record the step-by-step<br />
process <strong>of</strong> each member. At this<br />
point, the storyboard becomes a<br />
design tool. The design group scours<br />
the storyboard searching for<br />
instances where a new product<br />
would enhance or support the<br />
process. For instance, the group may<br />
find that an inconsistent placement <strong>of</strong><br />
the toothpaste causes frustration<br />
among the people preparing to brush.<br />
In this case, a storage device that is<br />
designed to retain the toothpaste<br />
(considering the variation in<br />
toothpaste packages) <strong>and</strong> encourage<br />
consistent placement <strong>of</strong> the toothpaste<br />
may be a really innovative,<br />
blockbuster <strong>of</strong> a new product idea.<br />
The final step in the project may be<br />
to build a model <strong>of</strong> the product idea<br />
<strong>and</strong> test it at each group member’s<br />
home. It is helpful to record the<br />
results <strong>and</strong> compare this to the<br />
storyboard. The model can be built <strong>of</strong><br />
foamcore, plastic sheet, or thin wood<br />
panels as the goal is to test the idea,<br />
not to produce the product. The<br />
project could exp<strong>and</strong> to include<br />
prototyping the new product based<br />
on the results <strong>of</strong> the test model <strong>and</strong><br />
also exp<strong>and</strong> to include a short<br />
production run to test on a larger<br />
group <strong>of</strong> potential users/consumers.<br />
Conclusion<br />
Storyboarding is a valuable tool to<br />
industrial designers <strong>and</strong> even more<br />
valuable to industrial design students.<br />
The technique encourages designers<br />
to examine, analyze, conceptualize,<br />
<strong>and</strong> communicate the different steps<br />
that constitute the interaction <strong>of</strong> a<br />
product to the person using it.<br />
Storyboarding can help student<br />
designers to better underst<strong>and</strong> the<br />
broad scope <strong>of</strong> product development<br />
as well as the value <strong>of</strong> designing the<br />
details while still considering the<br />
overall objective for the product.<br />
Kevin Reeder, IDSA,<br />
is an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
in the<br />
Industrial <strong>Design</strong><br />
Program at the<br />
Georgia Institute <strong>of</strong><br />
Technology. He<br />
can be reached via e-mail at Kevin.<br />
reeder@arch.gatech.edu.<br />
Get to Know an ITEA Member<br />
Brian Lien<br />
Technology Education Teacher, Princeton High School<br />
Cincinnati, Ohio<br />
What is your favorite thing about being a technology teacher?<br />
My favorite thing about being a technology education teacher is being able to teach the<br />
higher <strong>and</strong> lower achieving students in the same class <strong>and</strong> seeing them work together to<br />
solve problems. I really enjoy seeing my students underst<strong>and</strong> a math or science concept in a<br />
way that they never had in their math or science class. Because I teach high school, I enjoy<br />
watching the students grow <strong>and</strong> mature. As they become older <strong>and</strong> wiser, they delve deeper<br />
into the classes they take. This gets me excited <strong>and</strong> helps me stay fresh with what I am teaching.<br />
Why did you join ITEA?<br />
I joined ITEA because, as a college student, I had a wonderful college pr<strong>of</strong>essor who taught me that if I wanted to be<br />
treated like a pr<strong>of</strong>essional I had to act <strong>and</strong> dress like a pr<strong>of</strong>essional. When I began teaching, I met several teachers who<br />
were members <strong>of</strong> ITEA. Because <strong>of</strong> them, I became actively involved <strong>and</strong> took on leadership roles. I’ve benefited by<br />
meeting many wonderful people. These people have become lifelong friends <strong>and</strong> valuable sources <strong>of</strong> information.<br />
Please share your favorite teaching tip.<br />
Good parental contact is the best teaching tip I can <strong>of</strong>fer. Prior to the beginning <strong>of</strong> each class, I send a letter to my<br />
students' parents informing them <strong>of</strong> my teaching philosophy, expectations, <strong>and</strong> classroom rules. I also tell my parents<br />
that, if we work together, we will have a great year. I send home grades each week. I also send a postcard home once<br />
a quarter highlighting something positive about their child. Because <strong>of</strong> this, I get great parental support.<br />
Want to communicate with Brian? He can be reached at blien@princeton.k12.oh.us<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 11
WHERE THE WOMEN ARE: RESEARCH FINDINGS ON<br />
GENDER ISSUES IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION<br />
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
W.J. Haynie, III<br />
This article reports some research<br />
findings about gender issues in<br />
technology education <strong>and</strong> relates<br />
some actual events that cause<br />
concern for our pr<strong>of</strong>ession. It also<br />
includes a Self-Check Questionnaire<br />
that teachers <strong>and</strong> other pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
can use to examine their own<br />
behaviors <strong>and</strong> speech patterns,<br />
which could be turning females away<br />
from their classes or our pr<strong>of</strong>ession.<br />
It is hoped that underst<strong>and</strong>ing some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the perceptions <strong>of</strong> women in the<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession may help us all make it a<br />
more comfortable environment for<br />
females.<br />
Prior to 1980, the industrial arts<br />
curriculum failed to attract many<br />
female students or teachers, but<br />
there were some early indicators that<br />
the more contemporary technology<br />
curriculum would be more appealing<br />
to females (Cummings, 1998; Hill,<br />
1998; S<strong>and</strong>ers, 2001; <strong>and</strong> Zuga,<br />
1998). Simultaneously, due to<br />
changes in society, women were<br />
more accepted in traditionally maledominated<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essions, <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
<strong>of</strong> acceptable behavior in crossgender<br />
social interactions were<br />
redefined (Foster, 1996; Haynie,<br />
1999; Stevens, 1996; <strong>and</strong> Wolters &<br />
Fridgen, 1996). Still, few women<br />
enter technology education even<br />
today. S<strong>and</strong>ers (2001) noted that,<br />
despite some gains in diversity,<br />
“technology education is still taught<br />
mostly by middle-aged white men”—<br />
the troubling question is: Why?<br />
Background<br />
The small body <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
literature concerning the lack <strong>of</strong><br />
Once investigations discover issues to<br />
address, the pr<strong>of</strong>ession can make the<br />
changes needed to attract <strong>and</strong> retain more<br />
female students <strong>and</strong> teachers.<br />
women in technology education, the<br />
need for more women, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
historical reasons <strong>and</strong> potential<br />
factors keeping females out has been<br />
spotty but useful (ITEA, 1994;<br />
Liedtke, 1995; Markert, 1996;<br />
Silverman & Pritchard, 1996;<br />
Trautman, Hayden, & Smink, 1995;<br />
<strong>and</strong> Volk & Holsey, 1997). Most <strong>of</strong><br />
this literature, however, consists <strong>of</strong><br />
opinion papers, library research, <strong>and</strong><br />
journal articles; there is very little<br />
original or data-driven empirical<br />
research on gender issues in<br />
technology education.<br />
What research is needed on women’s<br />
issues in technology education?<br />
Markert (1996) indicated that<br />
educators should note a wide<br />
assortment <strong>of</strong> behaviors they display<br />
(possibly unknowingly) that “create a<br />
chilly classroom or null academic<br />
environment for their female<br />
students” (p. 28). These behaviors<br />
must be identified <strong>and</strong> changed<br />
because “Speeches <strong>and</strong> reports that<br />
extol the benefits <strong>of</strong> gender equality<br />
are nothing more than empty rhetoric<br />
if they are not followed up with<br />
commensurate action” (Akubue,<br />
2001, p. 71). The empirical research<br />
conducted thus far, though helpful in<br />
identifying issues <strong>and</strong> demonstrating<br />
that more studies are needed, has<br />
done little to solve the problem.<br />
Rigorous quantitative <strong>and</strong> qualitative<br />
study is needed. Once investigations<br />
discover issues to address, the<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession can make the changes<br />
needed to attract <strong>and</strong> retain more<br />
female students <strong>and</strong> teachers. More<br />
<strong>and</strong> more, funding agencies such as<br />
NSF are dem<strong>and</strong>ing clear results from<br />
empirical research as the basis for<br />
spending their money. The works<br />
discussed here help to lay such a<br />
foundation that could be used to seek<br />
funding for further work.<br />
Recently, two research efforts have<br />
shed some light on gender issues in<br />
technology education (Haynie, 1999,<br />
& 2003). The 1999 effort was a<br />
survey based upon hard data that<br />
provided a basis for further research.<br />
The 2003 study was termed a “Quasi<br />
Ethnographic Interview Approach” in<br />
its title. That was an apt identifier<br />
because it did report data collected<br />
via interviews, but there were<br />
variations from traditional<br />
methodology. In that article, the<br />
author claimed that the triangulation<br />
required to draw useful conclusions<br />
was achieved via the survey, the<br />
interviews, <strong>and</strong> his own purposeful<br />
observations since 1966 (when he<br />
first developed interest in this topic).<br />
Methods <strong>and</strong> Findings <strong>of</strong> Two<br />
Related Studies<br />
In general terms, the methods <strong>of</strong> the<br />
1999 study consisted <strong>of</strong> a survey <strong>of</strong><br />
12 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
technology education pr<strong>of</strong>essionals at<br />
the 1997 Technology Student<br />
Association conference. Of 150<br />
instruments distributed, 95 were<br />
completed (63% response rate).<br />
Thirty-nine women <strong>and</strong> 56 men<br />
participated in the survey. The survey<br />
consisted <strong>of</strong> 52 items intended to<br />
determine respondents’ perceptions<br />
on issues or situations. Each<br />
statement was followed by a<br />
continuum that respondents marked<br />
with an "X" to indicate their<br />
perception (Mueller, 1986). Readers<br />
who desire details <strong>of</strong> the specific<br />
methods <strong>and</strong> findings are encouraged<br />
to read the full report in the Journal<br />
<strong>of</strong> Technology Education (Haynie,<br />
1999), which is available online at<br />
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/.<br />
The findings <strong>of</strong> the 1999 survey<br />
(Haynie) included: “(1) all technology<br />
education pr<strong>of</strong>essionals should regard<br />
the school environment as a setting<br />
that requires a more conservative<br />
demeanor than society at large, (2)<br />
they should realize that their colleagues<br />
are likely a little more conservative than<br />
the values implied by contemporary<br />
society, (3) they should be sensitive to<br />
constantly monitor the appropriateness<br />
<strong>of</strong> their own actions <strong>and</strong> adjust them<br />
according to the reactions <strong>of</strong> others,<br />
<strong>and</strong> (4) should treat all persons with<br />
respect <strong>and</strong> fairness—judging them on<br />
their performance <strong>and</strong> ignoring all other<br />
potentially divisive factors.” (p 39)<br />
The second effort was qualitative<br />
research based on ethnographic<br />
interview technique. The researcher<br />
followed guidelines in a classic work<br />
by Spradley (1979) for conduction <strong>of</strong><br />
fruitful ethnographic interviews. Borg<br />
<strong>and</strong> Gall (1989), Burgess (1985),<br />
Goetz <strong>and</strong> LeCompte (1984), <strong>and</strong><br />
Merriam (1988) were also consulted<br />
for help with design <strong>of</strong> the study <strong>and</strong><br />
instrument. A paper instrument was<br />
used to record data, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
interviews were tape recorded. To<br />
make the participants feel valued<br />
(Spradley, 1979) <strong>and</strong> to allow for a<br />
lengthy interview in comfort, the<br />
interviews were conducted<br />
individually in restaurants during a<br />
meal or dessert. Twelve women from<br />
various perspectives within the<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession were interviewed. TTT<br />
readers desiring to know more about<br />
the demographics <strong>of</strong> the informants,<br />
details <strong>of</strong> the instrument, <strong>and</strong> a full<br />
discussion <strong>of</strong> the methodology are<br />
directed to the complete 14-page<br />
report in the Journal <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Education (Haynie, 2003). (Note: This<br />
journal is available in hardcopy <strong>and</strong><br />
also online at http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/<br />
ejournals/JTE/ .)<br />
In the interviews <strong>of</strong> the 2003 study,<br />
the women reported the following<br />
perceptions: a basic comfort level<br />
<strong>and</strong> improvement since the<br />
curriculum change toward computers<br />
<strong>and</strong> away from heavy industry; a<br />
perceived difference between older<br />
<strong>and</strong> younger men in the pr<strong>of</strong>ession—<br />
a few <strong>of</strong> the older men were<br />
perceived to hold outdated or biased<br />
views; <strong>and</strong> a field historically<br />
dominated <strong>and</strong> governed by an “old<br />
boys club” with conformist values—<br />
more mature women felt they were<br />
pioneers who broke new ground<br />
when they entered this field.<br />
The news was generally good.<br />
Despite a few negative comments<br />
<strong>and</strong> examples, overall the informants<br />
reported that they felt very<br />
comfortable most <strong>of</strong> the time in<br />
technology education (TE), students<br />
respect them, they wish more girls<br />
would take courses <strong>and</strong> consider a<br />
TE pr<strong>of</strong>ession, <strong>and</strong> most men make<br />
appropriate efforts to insure their<br />
comfort. Actions the pr<strong>of</strong>ession could<br />
take to increase enrollment <strong>of</strong><br />
females <strong>and</strong> attract more female<br />
teachers include: equity camps,<br />
online courses that permit lateral<br />
entry teachers to prepare without<br />
ab<strong>and</strong>oning jobs or children,<br />
technology camps, lateral entry<br />
opportunities for a second career in<br />
TE, high visibility events such as TSA<br />
<strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards research efforts, <strong>and</strong><br />
possibly affirmative action efforts to<br />
attract women.<br />
In answer to other questions in the<br />
interviews, one informant pointed out<br />
that there are no females on the<br />
current ITEA Board (at that time) <strong>and</strong><br />
that the few who served before were<br />
“alone.” In most instances, though,<br />
the women felt that pr<strong>of</strong>essionals in<br />
technology education correctly<br />
recognized the expected language<br />
<strong>and</strong> behavior patterns in cross-gender<br />
relationships, <strong>and</strong> they acted<br />
accordingly. One woman followed<br />
this by saying there are no “skeletons<br />
in the closet” to find. Some questions<br />
attempted to find out the degree to<br />
which females advocated for<br />
themselves <strong>and</strong> others in various<br />
situations. In one <strong>of</strong> these items,<br />
when asked how they manage<br />
situations in which students crossed<br />
the line <strong>of</strong> decency, most informants<br />
agreed they would reprim<strong>and</strong><br />
students who used derogatory terms<br />
in description <strong>of</strong> homosexuals, or<br />
commented on another student’s<br />
body type or sex appeal.<br />
There were, however, reports <strong>of</strong><br />
isolated negative events. Actual<br />
<strong>of</strong>fensive events experienced<br />
included:<br />
• “At an ITEA conference, a former<br />
classmate hugged me too closely,<br />
clinging in the presence <strong>of</strong> my<br />
spouse.”<br />
• “At a conference an older man<br />
made a comment about the ‘good<br />
looking woman’ <strong>and</strong> it made me<br />
feel like a token instead <strong>of</strong> a<br />
valued pr<strong>of</strong>essional.”<br />
• “One pr<strong>of</strong>essor frequently made me<br />
feel like I stood out; it was isolated<br />
to only one person but it was<br />
obvious to everyone. I do not think<br />
he even knew he was <strong>of</strong>fending<br />
me.”<br />
• “One former faculty colleague<br />
used <strong>of</strong>fensive language<br />
frequently. Another actually made<br />
a sexual advance.”<br />
• “A man whom I seldom see except<br />
at conferences is a close hugger<br />
<strong>and</strong> sometimes makes ‘fresh’<br />
comments. I believe he thinks he is<br />
being cute or funny—I try to avoid<br />
him.”<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 13
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
• “At the national conference I was<br />
talking to a salesman at an<br />
exhibitor’s booth <strong>and</strong> a male<br />
colleague barged in, grabbed the<br />
salesman’s h<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> drew him<br />
away as if I were not even there.<br />
It made me feel that I was not<br />
taken seriously.”<br />
• “Personally, I have not had lots <strong>of</strong><br />
bad experiences, but other<br />
females have been coddled or<br />
minimized, <strong>and</strong> we could<br />
encourage <strong>and</strong> mentor females<br />
better.”<br />
When given an open-ended<br />
opportunity to speak about things that<br />
make them feel uncomfortable in our<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession, the women who responded<br />
noted: Inability <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>of</strong>ession to<br />
define ourselves to others; technical<br />
challenges (i.e. fix the s<strong>and</strong>er);<br />
isolation—I’m the only TE teacher at<br />
the school; rift between traditional<br />
industrial arts (IA) <strong>and</strong> modern TE<br />
teachers; there is a glass ceiling<br />
preventing advancement, but it may<br />
not be gender-specific; lack <strong>of</strong> broad<br />
technical experience; <strong>and</strong> age—I’m<br />
the youngest teacher at my school.<br />
Obviously, some <strong>of</strong> these concerns are<br />
not gender-specific <strong>and</strong> many new<br />
teachers would share them.<br />
The next question asked “What is the<br />
best thing about working in TE?”<br />
Several highlights <strong>of</strong> the responses<br />
included:<br />
• Feeling needed <strong>and</strong> that the<br />
subject is important (2).<br />
• Fun (5), Variety (3), Exciting (2),<br />
Creativity (2).<br />
• The people <strong>and</strong> the curriculum.<br />
• Family atmosphere.<br />
As confirmation <strong>of</strong> the survey <strong>and</strong><br />
interview results through observation<br />
(to provide triangulation) the<br />
researcher felt compelled to also<br />
report (in the 2003 study) two recent<br />
events that he witnessed that he<br />
believed illustrated uncomfortable<br />
treatment <strong>of</strong> women by men in our<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession. Both were in public<br />
forums at pr<strong>of</strong>essional conferences in<br />
Table 1. A Self-Check Questionnaire<br />
Actions & Perceptions<br />
Score<br />
1 Do I avoid gender stereotypes in my speech? 0 1 2 3<br />
2 Do I chastise students who generalize by gender? 0 1 2 3<br />
3 Do I expect the same performance from girls & boys? 0 1 2 3<br />
4 Would I want my daughter in a class like mine?<br />
5 Do I actively take note <strong>of</strong> others’ perceptions? 0 1 2 3<br />
6 Do I avoid patronizing statements to & about females? 0 1 2 3<br />
7 Do I avoid statements about peoples’ appearance? 0 1 2 3<br />
8 Would my daughter feel comfortable with statements I make<br />
in class? 0 1 2 3<br />
9 Do I avoid statements with sexual & salacious content? 0 1 2 3<br />
10 Do I avoid jokes with sexual & salacious content or innuendo? 0123<br />
11 Would I want my daughter’s teacher to tell the jokes I tell in class? 0 1 2 3<br />
12 Do I actively seek opportunities for females in TE? 0 1 2 3<br />
13 Do I avoid statements that undermine the dignity <strong>of</strong> those<br />
who differ from myself in any way (gender, race, culture, sexual<br />
orientation, others)? 0 1 2 3<br />
14 Would I want my daughter treated as I treat the girls in my class? 0 1 2 3<br />
15 Would I want my wife or mother treated as I treat my female<br />
colleagues? 0 1 2 3<br />
16 Do I actively help colleagues become sensitive to gender-related<br />
issues? 0 1 2 3<br />
17 Would my wife, mother, or daughter approve <strong>of</strong> my actions <strong>and</strong><br />
statements in these matters? 0 1 2 3<br />
Total Score:_________<br />
Key for Self Rating<br />
0 No, never, poor, well below<br />
average<br />
1 Sometimes, less than average for<br />
our society<br />
2 Yes, OK, about average for our<br />
society<br />
3 Often, good, more than average for<br />
our society<br />
Interpretation <strong>of</strong> Scores<br />
< 13 There is a serious problem to<br />
solve, people’s feelings are<br />
hurt<br />
14 - 21 There is lots <strong>of</strong> room for<br />
growth, females may <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
feel uncomfortable<br />
22 - 30 You are contributing to the<br />
problem somewhat, try to<br />
improve & grow<br />
31 - 42 Basically OK, but examine<br />
your low score areas<br />
> 43 Share your positive<br />
perceptions with colleagues,<br />
but you are not perfect either!<br />
We all have room for<br />
improvement.<br />
14 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
which a leading member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
organization made an inappropriate<br />
<strong>and</strong> embarrassing comment from the<br />
podium. In one <strong>of</strong> the events a man<br />
at the podium giving an award made<br />
reference to the male recipient<br />
spending time at “Hooters” (a<br />
restaurant chain that proudly flaunts<br />
its exclusive employment <strong>of</strong><br />
provocatively clad young women as<br />
waitpersons). (Note: Since the<br />
original draft <strong>of</strong> this report, the author<br />
has heard two more Hooters stories<br />
from the podia <strong>of</strong> national<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional meetings in TE). In the<br />
other event the chair forgot a<br />
woman’s name <strong>and</strong> called her<br />
“Marilyn.” When informed <strong>of</strong> his<br />
mistake, he said, “I got her confused<br />
with Marilyn Monroe.” The blonde,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional, female guest hid her<br />
dismay gracefully, but later<br />
responded to an apology from the<br />
researcher: “Thanks for your remarks.<br />
I think you are right on the money<br />
about these sorts <strong>of</strong> episodes having<br />
the effect <strong>of</strong> holding back progress<br />
toward [technology education]<br />
becoming a truly inclusive, civil, <strong>and</strong><br />
progressive pr<strong>of</strong>essional field.”<br />
Perhaps her response, as an outside<br />
observer, best summarizes a key<br />
finding <strong>of</strong> this work. How many<br />
women have a similar impression the<br />
first time they meet technology<br />
education pr<strong>of</strong>essionals?<br />
Rate Yourself on Sensitivity to<br />
Gender Issues<br />
Though Table 1, presented here, was<br />
not a part <strong>of</strong> the research studies<br />
discussed in this article, it is<br />
presented so that teachers <strong>and</strong> other<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals may reflect on how<br />
they may be perceived by female<br />
students <strong>and</strong> colleagues. The<br />
research clearly shows that most<br />
men in TE treat females with respect<br />
<strong>and</strong> avoid making them feel<br />
uncomfortable; does the atmosphere<br />
in your classroom invite females? The<br />
Self-Check Questionnaire will also<br />
help female colleagues insure that<br />
they are encouraging girls in their<br />
classes <strong>and</strong> other female colleagues.<br />
It may be helpful for females to<br />
consider the other side <strong>of</strong> the coin<br />
(male perspective) <strong>and</strong> for all<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals to consider the<br />
perceptions <strong>of</strong> persons from any<br />
marginalized groups.<br />
Conclusions<br />
Now let’s return to the formal<br />
findings <strong>of</strong> the research studies<br />
reported here. There were no<br />
contradictions in the findings among<br />
the three sources <strong>of</strong> triangulation:<br />
Observations (36 years), the 1999<br />
survey, <strong>and</strong> the 2003 interviews.<br />
Women are generally well accepted<br />
<strong>and</strong> comfortable in the technology<br />
education pr<strong>of</strong>ession, but there are<br />
some problems that make them feel<br />
isolated, patronized, minimized,<br />
conspicuous, or otherwise<br />
uncomfortable. Many <strong>of</strong> the problems<br />
leading to these feelings <strong>of</strong> isolation<br />
are due to the attitudes <strong>and</strong> actions<br />
<strong>of</strong> a small minority <strong>of</strong> men within our<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession who hold outdated views.<br />
These problems will best be<br />
eliminated if more women are<br />
encouraged to enter the pr<strong>of</strong>ession<br />
<strong>and</strong> advance to positions <strong>of</strong><br />
leadership in which they may serve<br />
as role models. The general manner<br />
in which men <strong>and</strong> women interact in<br />
the pr<strong>of</strong>ession is healthy <strong>and</strong> normal<br />
within the context <strong>of</strong> our current<br />
social mores <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>of</strong><br />
behavior. Men within the pr<strong>of</strong>ession<br />
should be careful to avoid comments<br />
that call attention to the gender <strong>of</strong><br />
female students or colleagues. We<br />
should all emphasize the abilities <strong>and</strong><br />
attributes that make all people<br />
valuable within the pr<strong>of</strong>ession. The<br />
evolving nature <strong>of</strong> the curriculum,<br />
coupled with retirement <strong>of</strong> some key<br />
older men who hold the most biased<br />
viewpoints, will slowly work to<br />
reduce the frequency <strong>of</strong> negative<br />
events <strong>and</strong> make the pr<strong>of</strong>ession more<br />
attractive to women. More evidencebased<br />
research by other<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals is needed on these <strong>and</strong><br />
related topics.<br />
References<br />
Akubue, A. I. (2001). Gender disparity in<br />
third world technological, social, <strong>and</strong><br />
economic development. The Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
Technology Studies, 27(2), 64-73.<br />
Borg, W. R. & Gall, M. D. (1989).<br />
Educational research. New York:<br />
Longman.<br />
Burgess, R. G., ed. (1985). Strategies <strong>of</strong><br />
educational research: Qualitative<br />
methods. Philadelphia: Falmer.<br />
Cummings, J. (1998). Foreword. In B. L.<br />
Rider (Ed.), Diversity in technology<br />
education (pp. iii-v). New York:<br />
Glencoe.<br />
Foster, W. T. (1996). Technology, the arts,<br />
<strong>and</strong> social constructivism: R2D2 meets<br />
Degas. In R. L. Custer & A. E. Wiens<br />
(eds.), Technology <strong>and</strong> the quality <strong>of</strong> life<br />
(pp. 239-272). New York: Glencoe.<br />
Haynie, W. J. (1999). Cross-gender<br />
interaction in technology education: A<br />
survey. Journal <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Education, 10(2), 27-40.<br />
Haynie, W. J. (2003). Gender issues in<br />
technology education: A quasi<br />
ethnographic interview approach.<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Technology Education, 15(1),<br />
15-29.<br />
Hill, C. E. (1998). Women as technology<br />
educators. In B. L. Rider (Ed.), Diversity<br />
in technology education (pp. 57-75).<br />
New York: Glencoe.<br />
Goetz, J. P., & LeCompte, M. D. (1984).<br />
Ethnography <strong>and</strong> qualitative design in<br />
educational research. Chicago: Aldine.<br />
<strong>International</strong> Technology Education<br />
Association. (1994). ITEA strategic<br />
plan: Advancing technological literacy.<br />
Reston, VA: ITEA.<br />
Liedtke, J. (1995). Changing the<br />
organizational culture <strong>of</strong> technology<br />
education to attract minorities <strong>and</strong><br />
women. The Technology Teacher,<br />
54(6), 9-14.<br />
Markert, L. R. (1996). Gender related to<br />
success in science <strong>and</strong> technology. The<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Technology Studies, 22(2),<br />
21-29.<br />
Merriam, S. B. (1988). Case study research<br />
in education: A qualitative approach.<br />
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.<br />
Mueller, D. J. (1986). Measuring social<br />
attitudes. New York: Teachers College<br />
Press.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>ers, M. (2001). New paradigm or old<br />
wine? The status <strong>of</strong> technology<br />
education practice in the United States.<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Technology Education, 12(2),<br />
35-55.<br />
Silverman, S. & Pritchard, A. M. (1996).<br />
Building their future: Girls <strong>and</strong><br />
technology education in Connecticut.<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Technology Education, 7(2),<br />
41-54.<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 15
Spradley, J. (1979). The ethnographic<br />
interview. New York: Harcourt Brace<br />
Jovanovitch.<br />
Stephens, G. (1996). Technology, crime &<br />
civil liberties. In R. L. Custer & A. E.<br />
Wiens (eds.), Technology <strong>and</strong> the<br />
quality <strong>of</strong> life (pp. 345-380). New York:<br />
Glencoe.<br />
Trautman, D. K., Hayden, T. E., & Smink, J.<br />
M. (1995). Women surviving in<br />
technology education: What does it<br />
take? The Technology Teacher, 54(5),<br />
39-42.<br />
Volk, K., & Holsey, L. (1997). TAP: A<br />
gender equity program in high<br />
technology. The Technology Teacher,<br />
56(4), 10-13.<br />
Wolters, F. K., & Fridgen, J. D. (1996). The<br />
impact <strong>of</strong> technology on leisure. In R. L.<br />
Custer & A. E. Wiens (eds.),<br />
Technology <strong>and</strong> the quality <strong>of</strong> life (pp.<br />
459-500). New York: Glencoe.<br />
Zuga, K. F., (1998). A historical view <strong>of</strong><br />
women’s roles in technology education.<br />
In B. L. Rider (Ed.), Diversity in<br />
technology education (pp. 13-35). New<br />
York: Glencoe.<br />
W. J. Haynie, III,<br />
Ph.D. is an associate<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor at North<br />
Carolina State<br />
University, Raleigh,<br />
NC. He can be<br />
reached via e-mail at<br />
jim_haynie@ncsu.edu.<br />
This is a refereed article.<br />
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FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
16 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY<br />
RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY<br />
Wheels <strong>and</strong> Tires<br />
John M. Ritz, DTE<br />
Automobile wheels (rims <strong>and</strong><br />
hubcaps) have been catching the<br />
eyes <strong>of</strong> car enthusiasts for years.<br />
<strong>Design</strong>ers have used their creativity<br />
to make better products both<br />
structurally <strong>and</strong> aesthetically.<br />
Hubcaps were one <strong>of</strong> the early<br />
aesthetic accessories added to<br />
wheels to hide the nuts used to<br />
fasten the wheels onto the vehicle.<br />
Later, MAG wheels (originally made<br />
<strong>of</strong> magnesium alloys to take on a<br />
spoke effect) were developed to<br />
increase the strength <strong>and</strong> sporty<br />
appearance <strong>of</strong> the wheels. Both are<br />
found in the current market; many are<br />
replaced with fads held by automotive<br />
enthusiasts. Some believe that the<br />
wheels <strong>and</strong> tires are the most visible<br />
styling statement beyond the<br />
automobile’s color <strong>and</strong> shape. This<br />
Resources in Technology will look at<br />
automotive wheels <strong>and</strong> tires.<br />
Humans learned early that simple<br />
tools could make their work easier.<br />
Heavy objects, e.g., rocks, trees,<br />
boats, could be rolled by wedging<br />
small logs under them <strong>and</strong> pushing or<br />
pulling. No doubt this is where the<br />
concept <strong>of</strong> the wheel developed.<br />
History has shown that early wheels<br />
were more easily made by fastening<br />
planks together instead <strong>of</strong> using one<br />
piece <strong>of</strong> heavy wood. Later, spoke<br />
systems were developed to lighten<br />
the weight <strong>of</strong> the wheels while<br />
maintaining strength. Tires were<br />
added to the wheels to increase<br />
useful life <strong>and</strong> to make the ride less<br />
bumpy.<br />
Today’s vehicles that ride on l<strong>and</strong>,<br />
roadways, <strong>and</strong> railways, are all<br />
developments or extensions <strong>of</strong> the<br />
early two-wheeled cart. The structure<br />
Underst<strong>and</strong>ing the numbers on the sides <strong>of</strong><br />
tires might lead to longer life tires <strong>and</strong><br />
improved driving safety.<br />
or propulsion <strong>of</strong> the vehicles has<br />
changed, but the basic concepts <strong>of</strong><br />
moving a load or people have stuck<br />
to the basic vehicle concept. Today,<br />
no vehicle is more <strong>of</strong> a necessity<br />
than the automobile. Driving is a rite<br />
<strong>of</strong> passage for teenagers in<br />
developed countries.<br />
Automotive Wheels<br />
Early automotive wheels were no<br />
more than bicycle wheels. These<br />
spoked wheels had metal tires or<br />
rims to increase their life. Because <strong>of</strong><br />
durability <strong>and</strong> automobile weight,<br />
solid rims were designed. These<br />
were forged <strong>and</strong> welded together.<br />
Today, wheels are either made <strong>of</strong><br />
steel or other metallic alloys.<br />
Traditional steel rims are forged <strong>and</strong><br />
welded together. Alloy wheel<br />
construction is undertaken in three<br />
manufacturing methods. Forged<br />
wheels, thought to be the best<br />
manufacturing technique, are made<br />
by taking an alloy billet (solid piece <strong>of</strong><br />
material) <strong>and</strong> compressing it through<br />
heat <strong>and</strong> pressure. This produces a<br />
very strong, lightweight wheel. Low<br />
pressure cast wheels are made by<br />
pouring molten metal into a mold that<br />
is the shape <strong>of</strong> the desired wheel.<br />
Counter pressure casting, the third<br />
way to produce automotive wheels,<br />
uses a vacuum to pull the hot metal<br />
into the mold. This method reduces<br />
the presence <strong>of</strong> air voids in the<br />
formed metal.<br />
Specialty wheels are everywhere in<br />
the automotive market. Storefront,<br />
magazine, <strong>and</strong> newspaper ads show<br />
how wheels can change the looks <strong>of</strong><br />
your automotive product. Many try to<br />
personalize their vehicle with a new<br />
set <strong>of</strong> wheels. Spinners are a current<br />
fad <strong>and</strong> catch your eyes when they<br />
continue to spin after the vehicle<br />
comes to a stop. If you are in the<br />
market for new wheels or tires, some<br />
knowledge <strong>and</strong> research can prove to<br />
be helpful in buying products that not<br />
only look good, but also increase the<br />
performance <strong>of</strong> your ride.<br />
Manufacturers recommend that<br />
replacement wheels <strong>and</strong> tires on<br />
automotive products be matched with<br />
those from the original design<br />
specifications. With the increased<br />
concentration on looks <strong>and</strong><br />
performance, people want to make<br />
their vehicles look special. Some are<br />
plus- or minus-sizing their wheels <strong>and</strong><br />
tires to enhance looks <strong>and</strong><br />
performance. It is common to see<br />
larger diameter wheels placed on<br />
customized cars with low pr<strong>of</strong>ile tires.<br />
Trucks are adding all-terrain <strong>and</strong> mud<br />
tires for <strong>of</strong>f-road performance. Experts<br />
in the after-market wheel <strong>and</strong> tire<br />
business recommend that the overall<br />
size <strong>of</strong> replacement wheels should not<br />
exceed three percent <strong>of</strong> the<br />
manufacturer-specified wheels <strong>and</strong><br />
tires. If this size is exceeded,<br />
problems can occur with proper<br />
transmission shifting, which will<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 17
RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY<br />
decrease fuel efficiency. Braking can<br />
also become a problem, since many<br />
systems are assisted with<br />
programmed on-board computers <strong>and</strong><br />
antilock braking systems (ABS).<br />
Although wheels are important in the<br />
functioning <strong>of</strong> the automobile, most <strong>of</strong><br />
the development in the suspension <strong>of</strong><br />
automobiles has been in the tires that<br />
we ride upon.<br />
Automotive Tires<br />
The first pneumatic (inflatable) tire,<br />
used on bicycles, was developed in<br />
1845 by Robert Thomson<br />
(http://en.wilipedia.org.wiki/Tire). Its<br />
design provided a better ride, but it<br />
was ab<strong>and</strong>oned. This tire had a<br />
canvas inner tube <strong>and</strong> a leather outer<br />
tire. It was hard to fit <strong>and</strong> retain the<br />
air to keep the tires inflated.<br />
Two names that are found in the history<br />
<strong>of</strong> tire technology are Charles Goodyear,<br />
who invented the vulcanization <strong>of</strong> rubber<br />
in 1844, <strong>and</strong> John Dunlap, who<br />
patented the pneumatic tire with a<br />
rubber outer tread in 1888<br />
(http://en.wilipedia.org.wiki/Tire).<br />
Early tires were made <strong>of</strong> natural<br />
rubber. Because <strong>of</strong> dem<strong>and</strong>, a<br />
substitute was developed that is<br />
petroleum-based. It is known as<br />
synthetic rubber. Today, experimentation<br />
is being done with<br />
nanomaterials (very small engineered<br />
materials). These could increase the<br />
life <strong>of</strong> the tire. However, with all<br />
technologies, we need to consider<br />
what the nanomaterials may do after<br />
manufacture. The nanomaterials that<br />
wear <strong>of</strong>f on the roadway could get<br />
washed <strong>of</strong>f the road <strong>and</strong> end up in<br />
agricultural products. These may then<br />
be consumed through the food chain.<br />
across the tire to resist puncturing <strong>and</strong><br />
also keep the tires flat so that there is<br />
improved road contact. Performance<br />
tires also have cap plies (extra layers<br />
<strong>of</strong> polyester cords) to keep the belts in<br />
place at high speeds.<br />
The sidewalls <strong>of</strong> the tire provide for<br />
structural integrity. When the<br />
automobile rounds corners, the<br />
sidewalls add lateral stability <strong>and</strong><br />
keep the tire from collapsing. The<br />
sidewalls also protect the body plies<br />
<strong>and</strong> provide stability so the tire beads<br />
can keep contact with the wheels<br />
<strong>and</strong> prevent air loss.<br />
The tire beads are the steel rods that<br />
keep the tire in contact with the rim<br />
(wheels). The beads are covered with<br />
rubber to provide wheel-to-tire<br />
contact strength <strong>and</strong> lock the air into<br />
the tire when inflated.<br />
Tread is the tire surface that runs on<br />
the road. It is made <strong>of</strong> synthetic <strong>and</strong><br />
natural rubber. Wear bars are also<br />
built into the tire’s tread. They are<br />
rubber bars that run perpendicular to<br />
the tire tread. When the tread <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tire runs thin from usage, they indicate<br />
to the owner or maintenance person<br />
that the tires need to be replaced. The<br />
bars are set at 1/16th <strong>of</strong> an inch from<br />
the base <strong>of</strong> the tread. When the<br />
indicator appears across the tire, the<br />
tires need to be replaced because<br />
there is not enough tread remaining to<br />
provide proper road traction.<br />
All <strong>of</strong> these components, belts, plies,<br />
sidewalls, <strong>and</strong> tread, are assembled<br />
in a tire-building machine. The tire<br />
assemblers build the tire in the<br />
machine. After the parts are put<br />
together, the tire is referred to as a<br />
green tire. The tire then needs to be<br />
heated <strong>and</strong> pressurized. This ensures<br />
the tire components are held strongly<br />
together. The tire curing process is<br />
known as vulcanizing. Besides<br />
holding the tire together, this process<br />
puts the tread pattern on the tire<br />
along with the printed information, all<br />
the numbers, words, <strong>and</strong> symbols, on<br />
the outer sidewalls <strong>of</strong> the tire.<br />
What the Numbers Mean<br />
If you are in the market to purchase<br />
replacement tires for the family’s car,<br />
you might be confused by what you<br />
read on sales ads or what the sales<br />
person tells you. All tires should<br />
match on an automobile, unless the<br />
sizes are changed through<br />
manufacturer’s design. Some<br />
performance cars have larger wheels<br />
<strong>and</strong> tires on the rear for improved<br />
traction <strong>and</strong> stability. Following is a<br />
description <strong>of</strong> a sample set <strong>of</strong> tires<br />
with most <strong>of</strong> the numbers on the tire<br />
sidewall explained. See Figure 1 <strong>and</strong><br />
the accompanying photographs.<br />
Tire Construction<br />
Tires are made in a composite manner<br />
(layer built upon layer). There are<br />
various materials that are held<br />
together with the vulcanized synthetic<br />
rubber. The body <strong>of</strong> the tire consists<br />
<strong>of</strong> several layers <strong>of</strong> plastic (polyester)<br />
cords, steel-belts, bead bundles, <strong>and</strong> a<br />
synthetic rubber body <strong>and</strong> tread.<br />
Many tires have steel belts that<br />
reinforce the tire. These belts wrap<br />
Figure 1. There is more information included on the sidewall <strong>of</strong> a tire than we may realize<br />
other than raised white letters <strong>and</strong> the tire size. Information such as the U.S DOT (Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Transportation) code, recommended tire pressure, tread wear rating, temperature <strong>and</strong> traction<br />
grades, tire ply composition <strong>and</strong> material <strong>and</strong> number <strong>of</strong> plies, <strong>and</strong> other details.<br />
18 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY<br />
For example, the high performance<br />
tires on a Chrysler Crossfire are<br />
P225/40ZR18 <strong>and</strong> P255/35ZR19. Note<br />
that the front <strong>and</strong> rear tires are <strong>of</strong><br />
different sizes. The P st<strong>and</strong>s for<br />
passenger tires. LT st<strong>and</strong>s for light<br />
truck <strong>and</strong> T st<strong>and</strong>s for temporary<br />
(undersized spare tires). The 225 <strong>and</strong><br />
255 indicate the width <strong>of</strong> the tire from<br />
sidewall to sidewall. This<br />
measurement is in millimeters (mm).<br />
This size is important for proper rim fit.<br />
The 40 <strong>and</strong> 35 are referred to as<br />
aspect ratio, the percentage <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tire width to the height measured<br />
from the bead to the top tread. A 35-<br />
aspect ratio for the 255 tread width<br />
mentioned above would be a side<br />
wall height <strong>of</strong> 76.5 mm.<br />
Z is the tire’s speed rating. Table 1<br />
lists various speed ratings. For the<br />
tire being described, its<br />
recommended top speed is 149<br />
miles/hour (mph) or 240<br />
kilometers/hour (km/h) <strong>and</strong> over, a<br />
top speed rating. R indicates that the<br />
tire is a radial (plies running<br />
perpendicular to the tread).<br />
Table 1. Tire Speed Ratings<br />
Q 99 mph (160km/h)<br />
R 106 mph (180 km/h)<br />
S 112 mph (180 km/h)<br />
T 118 mph (190 km/h)<br />
U 124 mph (200 km/h)<br />
H 130 mph (210 km/h<br />
V 149 mph (240 km/h<br />
W 168 mph (270 km/h) *<br />
Y 186 (300 km/h mph)*<br />
Z 149 mph (240 km/h) <strong>and</strong> over)<br />
*For tires with a maximum<br />
speed capability over 149 mph,<br />
tire manufacturers sometimes<br />
use the letters ZR. For those<br />
with a maximum speed<br />
capability over 186 mph, tire<br />
manufacturers always use the<br />
letters ZR (NHTSA).<br />
Figure 2. The wheel <strong>and</strong> tire assembly shown on this 2004 Ford Escape SUV are selected<br />
for their performance, h<strong>and</strong>ling, <strong>and</strong> economy. SUV’s tires are generally larger to<br />
accommodate <strong>of</strong>f-road driving conditions. However, typically SUVs are infrequently driven<br />
<strong>of</strong>f-road, so tire tread designs are less aggressive <strong>and</strong> favor highway driving conditions.<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ard tires for a Ford Escape are<br />
P235/70R16, Figure 2. Note the<br />
speed rating is not in the tire size<br />
description. However the tire sidewall<br />
does contain the following notation,<br />
104T. The 104 indicates the tire’s<br />
load rating, which translates to 900<br />
kilograms (kgs) or 1984 pounds per<br />
tire. This would mean the total<br />
vehicle weight, SUV plus its contents<br />
(people <strong>and</strong> load), should not exceed<br />
7936 pounds or 3600 kilograms. The<br />
more weight you have, the more<br />
pressure is exerted onto the tires.<br />
Excessive weight can cause<br />
structural damage to the tire <strong>and</strong><br />
subsequent failure. Tables are<br />
available to translate the load index<br />
<strong>of</strong> the tire, e.g., www1010tires.com/<br />
tiretech.asp. The T in the Escape’s<br />
printed tire information indicates the<br />
tire is rated for 118mph. For the<br />
Crossfire’s tires described in Figure 3,<br />
the load index was listed as 92 or<br />
1389 pounds (630 kgs) per tire.<br />
In addition to these specifications,<br />
tire sidewall printed information also<br />
includes its tread wear, traction, <strong>and</strong><br />
temperature ratings. These are found<br />
in a continuous notation <strong>and</strong> are<br />
determined by the U.S. government<br />
at its National Highway Traffic Safety<br />
Administration testing track in Texas.<br />
The index used is the Uniform Tire<br />
Quality Grading (UTQG) rating<br />
system. It tells the consumer the<br />
relative performance <strong>of</strong> the tire; it is<br />
not exact since people drive<br />
differently <strong>and</strong> on different types <strong>of</strong><br />
roads. The index can be located at<br />
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/UTQ<br />
G/pages/TireRatings.cfm.<br />
Tread wear provides a number to<br />
determine the life <strong>of</strong> the tire<br />
compared to other similar tires. The<br />
rating is determined after 7200 miles<br />
<strong>of</strong> driving on the Texas test track. The<br />
higher the rating number, the longer<br />
you can expect the tire to last. It is<br />
not a precise number, but relative to<br />
the wear on other tires in controlled<br />
conditions. A 500-rated tire should<br />
last twice as long at a 250-rated tire.<br />
Although relative, the rating is<br />
important in comparative shopping.<br />
Traction ratings are also determined<br />
by the government on the test track.<br />
Traction ratings are AA, A, B, or C.<br />
AA is the top rating. It is a<br />
measurement <strong>of</strong> the ability <strong>of</strong> the tire<br />
to stop the vehicle in a straight line<br />
on wet roads. The tests are based on<br />
performance at 40 mph with the<br />
brakes locked.<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 19
RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY<br />
Figure 3. The Chrysler Crossfire is a high performance sports vehicle that emphasizes<br />
luxurious styling, speed, h<strong>and</strong>ling, <strong>and</strong> cornering capabilities. This product was designed<br />
<strong>and</strong> tested for speeds up to 150mph. The tire <strong>and</strong> wheel assemblies include forged alloy<br />
rims <strong>and</strong> ZR-rated tires. Additionally, this vehicle features different sized tires on the front<br />
<strong>and</strong> rear <strong>of</strong> the vehicle to improve h<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong> cornering with P225/40ZR18 on the front <strong>and</strong><br />
P255/35ZR19 on the rear.<br />
The temperature ratings range from A,<br />
B, or C. They again are measured<br />
indoors in a controlled environment on<br />
a simulated road wheel test st<strong>and</strong>. The<br />
ratings are gauged on 30-minute<br />
successive runs. The temperature<br />
indication ratings measure the tire<br />
speed where heat from friction would<br />
cause the tire to fail. “A” ratings<br />
withst<strong>and</strong> the temperature generated<br />
on the wheel machine at 114mph. B<br />
ratings are gauged at 99mph, while C<br />
ratings are gauged at 85mph<br />
(www.1010tires.com/tiretech.asp).<br />
Other sidewall markings include season<br />
ratings (MS for all seasons, AT for all<br />
terrain, <strong>and</strong> M+S for mud <strong>and</strong> snow),<br />
tire manufacturing date, manufacturing<br />
site, <strong>and</strong> tire inflation pressures.<br />
NHTSA reported that the Firestone<br />
Wilderness ATX tires, the ones that<br />
led to consumer lawsuits <strong>of</strong> Ford<br />
Explorer <strong>and</strong> Firestone in 2001, were<br />
rated as B for traction <strong>and</strong> C for<br />
temperature (www.dot.gov/affairs/<br />
nhtsa5101.htm). So, although price is<br />
important to consumers,<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ing the numbers on the<br />
sides <strong>of</strong> tires might lead to longer-life<br />
tires <strong>and</strong> improved driving safety.<br />
Wheel <strong>and</strong> Tire Care<br />
There are many products on the<br />
market advertised to clean wheels.<br />
Besides road grime, brake dust also<br />
accumulates on the wheels. When<br />
you purchase specialty wheels, learn<br />
the metal (alloys) from which they<br />
are manufactured. When you<br />
purchase your wheel cleaning<br />
detergents they need to be<br />
appropriate for the metal used to<br />
manufacture the wheel. Usually the<br />
car washing soap you are using to<br />
wash your car will not cut the brake<br />
dust. Do not use extra strong<br />
household cleaners if the wheel<br />
manufacturer recommends against<br />
this. It could mar the finish <strong>of</strong> your<br />
wheels. Also, clean one wheel at a<br />
time, since the sun can dry cleaners<br />
<strong>and</strong> make them hard to remove.<br />
Car wax can be applied to nontextured<br />
wheels <strong>and</strong> it will assist in<br />
the cleaning process. Specialty<br />
sprays can be purchased from<br />
automotive stores that will also repel<br />
brake dust <strong>and</strong> road grime.<br />
Tires should be visually inspected to<br />
insure a safe ride. Some learn to look<br />
at their tires each time they enter<br />
their car. Others do this at regular<br />
maintenance intervals. Visual<br />
inspections can show excessive<br />
wear, puncture materials that may<br />
have lodged themselves in your tires,<br />
or low air pressures. Catching<br />
problems early can extend the life <strong>of</strong><br />
tires <strong>and</strong> prevent flats from<br />
puncturing objects.<br />
Maintaining proper air pressure in<br />
tires is important for proper wear. A<br />
recent NHTSA survey found that<br />
about 30% <strong>of</strong> cars <strong>and</strong> light trucks<br />
have at least one tire under inflated<br />
by 8psi or more.<br />
(www.nhtsa.gov/cars/testing/utqg/)<br />
Tires do lose pressure over time from<br />
the changes in heat, both from<br />
driving <strong>and</strong> the atmosphere. Improper<br />
inflation <strong>of</strong> tires can cause excessive<br />
<strong>and</strong> irregular wear, poor vehicle<br />
h<strong>and</strong>ling, <strong>and</strong> decreased gas mileage.<br />
Improper tire pressures can result in<br />
tire failure. Visual inspection can<br />
usually identify problems. A quality<br />
air gauge should be used to check<br />
correct tire pressures. Tires should be<br />
checked when they are cold, since<br />
driving warms the tires <strong>and</strong> increases<br />
their pressure. The optimum<br />
pressures are located on the sidewall<br />
<strong>of</strong> the tires <strong>and</strong> also in the owner’s<br />
manual. Some newer models <strong>of</strong><br />
automobiles have electronic sensors<br />
<strong>and</strong> circuitry, which display lights on<br />
the instrumentation if tire pressure is<br />
low. Also remember to check the<br />
pressure <strong>of</strong> your spare tire. Nothing is<br />
more irritating than having a flat tire<br />
<strong>and</strong> then finding the spare is also flat.<br />
Balancing <strong>of</strong> tires is undertaken when<br />
they are installed. They can come out<br />
<strong>of</strong> balance because <strong>of</strong> wear or in the<br />
original manufacturing process (tires<br />
can be heavier where the circular<br />
tread is cohered to complete the<br />
circle). Tires may be balanced on or<br />
<strong>of</strong>f a vehicle. Two types <strong>of</strong> balancing<br />
are static <strong>and</strong> dynamic. Dynamic<br />
balancing is accomplished by spinning<br />
the wheel assembly on a balancing<br />
machine at highway speeds <strong>and</strong> then<br />
adding the necessary wheel weights<br />
to counteract any imbalance.<br />
Typically, out-<strong>of</strong>-balance wheels will<br />
“bounce” or “wobble.” A balancing<br />
machine marks the spot in the circular<br />
tire where it is the heaviest. The<br />
balancing weights are put on the<br />
opposite side from where the tire/<br />
wheel is the heaviest. When you<br />
replace tires, this is when balancing<br />
usually occurs. Visual inspection should<br />
note if the weights used for balancing<br />
fall <strong>of</strong>f <strong>and</strong> need to be replaced. If the<br />
tires do not have unusual wear or<br />
create vibrations felt in the steering<br />
wheel, they probably do not need<br />
rebalanced during tire rotations.<br />
Since tires wear differently in the<br />
front <strong>and</strong> rear due to weight<br />
20 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY<br />
distribution, turning, <strong>and</strong> traction,<br />
they should be rotated at regular<br />
intervals. A good way to build this<br />
into your maintenance schedule is to<br />
have the tires rotated at every other<br />
oil change (6000 to 7500 miles).<br />
When you have a new set <strong>of</strong> tires<br />
installed on your vehicle, wheel<br />
alignment should be checked. The<br />
vehicle is aligned at manufacture, but<br />
it can get out <strong>of</strong> alignment (wheels<br />
running parallel to each other) by the<br />
wheels hitting other cars, curbing, or<br />
deep holes. When the wheels are out<br />
<strong>of</strong> alignment they cause unusual<br />
tread wear <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>ling <strong>and</strong> can<br />
damage the suspension <strong>of</strong> the<br />
vehicle. So to increase the life <strong>of</strong> your<br />
tires, it is important to get the<br />
alignment corrected if you notice<br />
unusual tire wear or driving h<strong>and</strong>ling.<br />
Using a proper maintenance<br />
schedule, tires can last for the<br />
mileage at which they are rated. It is<br />
not uncommon to get 50,000 miles<br />
on a set <strong>of</strong> tires that are rated for this<br />
mileage by keeping the tires properly<br />
inflated <strong>and</strong> rotated on a schedule.<br />
Government Involvement in the<br />
Tire Industry<br />
Safety ratings are important to<br />
consumers. As with all technology,<br />
consumers cannot be knowledgeable<br />
on all topics. Technology education is<br />
the school subject that should provide<br />
much <strong>of</strong> this knowledge <strong>and</strong> a<br />
consumer attitude that you can learn<br />
about new technologies by conducting<br />
consumer research. Governments<br />
assist citizens in many technical<br />
areas. Tire technology is one such<br />
area. Because <strong>of</strong> potential injury to<br />
consumers <strong>and</strong> others, the U.S.<br />
government established the National<br />
Highway Traffic Safety Administration<br />
<strong>and</strong> its Uniform Tire Quality Grading<br />
(UTQG) rating system. It is involved in<br />
the rating <strong>of</strong> new tires <strong>and</strong> also<br />
follows up if drivers are reporting<br />
incidents with current tires <strong>and</strong> other<br />
vehicle system failures.<br />
It is important that there are<br />
“watchdog” government groups,<br />
because the proper research may not<br />
go into the post-manufacturing<br />
performance <strong>of</strong> consumer products.<br />
Many tires <strong>and</strong> other consumer<br />
products are being manufactured in<br />
other countries. What are the driving<br />
conditions <strong>and</strong> automotive<br />
requirements in these countries?<br />
How do they align with what is<br />
needed in your country?<br />
Today many tire manufacturers are<br />
partnering with Chinese companies<br />
because <strong>of</strong> lower material <strong>and</strong> labor<br />
costs. Chinese companies are also<br />
trying to produce their own lines <strong>of</strong><br />
internationally accepted tires. They<br />
may succeed. However, as increasing<br />
automotive products enter the<br />
market, countries <strong>and</strong>/or companies<br />
may not be responsible for the<br />
performance quality <strong>of</strong> their<br />
manufactured products. This is why<br />
we need the government involved—<br />
consumer protection.<br />
Government is also involved in the<br />
proper disposal <strong>of</strong> tires. Because <strong>of</strong><br />
their composition, it is hard to recycle<br />
tires. Many have been dumped <strong>and</strong><br />
catch on fire. This causes toxic fumes<br />
<strong>and</strong> carbon black smoke. Disposal<br />
fees are imposed by the government<br />
<strong>and</strong> passed onto consumers by the<br />
tire retailers. These fees are used to<br />
aid in research to find better ways to<br />
dispose <strong>of</strong> the tires.<br />
Learning Lab Activity<br />
Research <strong>and</strong> discussion <strong>of</strong> wheels,<br />
tires, <strong>and</strong> their maintenance can be a<br />
valuable learning experience.<br />
Following are some viable technology<br />
literacy activities.<br />
1. Have students bring in the<br />
sidewall information from their<br />
primary vehicle’s tires. Determine<br />
speed, load, tread wear, traction,<br />
<strong>and</strong> temperature ratings. Discuss<br />
if any students were surprised<br />
with the tire performance<br />
indicators as compared to the<br />
car/truck model. Write vehicle<br />
models <strong>and</strong> tire markings on the<br />
board for comparisons.<br />
2. Shop online for tire pricing ads.<br />
Remember to look into the overall<br />
tire ratings <strong>and</strong> compare prices.<br />
Students might have to visit the<br />
Web pages <strong>of</strong> the tire<br />
manufacturers to check on details<br />
<strong>of</strong> the tire performance criteria.<br />
3. Have students research wheel<br />
cleaners by visiting automotive<br />
departments <strong>and</strong> stores. Discuss<br />
the cleaner information they found.<br />
4. Use Car Builder or Truck<br />
Builder computer s<strong>of</strong>tware<br />
programs to design a car or truck.<br />
Explore how changing wheel <strong>and</strong><br />
tire sizes can increase or decrease<br />
vehicle performance, such as<br />
speed, h<strong>and</strong>ling, <strong>and</strong> ride comfort.<br />
Summary<br />
Automotive wheels <strong>and</strong> tires require<br />
knowledge to underst<strong>and</strong> their<br />
specifications <strong>and</strong> use. While the<br />
durability <strong>and</strong> useful life <strong>of</strong> tires have<br />
increased substantially over the last<br />
several decades, in all probability you<br />
will purchase a number <strong>of</strong> vehicle<br />
tires over your lifetime. Knowing how<br />
they are made <strong>and</strong> what the numbers<br />
mean will assist you in making<br />
informed <strong>and</strong> intelligent consumer<br />
purchasing decisions. Basic tire<br />
maintenance such as tire air<br />
pressure, balancing, <strong>and</strong> rotation can<br />
extend the useful life <strong>of</strong> tires <strong>and</strong><br />
maintain their safety, performance,<br />
<strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>ling features.<br />
References<br />
10 10 Tires.Com (2004). Tire & wheel tech.<br />
Retrieved December 20, 2004, from<br />
www1010tires.com/tiretech.asp<br />
Tyson, R. (October 2001). NHTSA<br />
announces initial decision that<br />
additional Firestone wilderness AT tires<br />
have a safety defect; Firestone agrees<br />
to recall those tires, NHTSA 51-01.<br />
Retrieved January 6, 2005, from<br />
www.dot.gov/affairs/nhtsa5101.htm<br />
Wikipedia. (2004). Tire. Retrived December<br />
20, 2004, from<br />
http://en.wilipedia.org.wiki/Tire<br />
National Highway Traffic Safety<br />
Administration. (2004). Tire ratings<br />
database lookup results. Retrieved<br />
January 9, 2005 from<br />
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/UTQG/<br />
pages/TireRatings.cfm<br />
National Highway Traffic Safety<br />
Administration. (2004). Tire safety.<br />
Retrieved January 14, 2005 from<br />
www.nhtsa.gov/cars/testing/utqg/<br />
John M. Ritz, DTE is<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>and</strong> chair at<br />
Old Dominion<br />
University, Norfolk,<br />
VA. He can be<br />
reached via<br />
e-mail at<br />
jritz@odu.edu.<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 21
APPLICATION TO<br />
PRESENT AT<br />
ITEA’s 68th Annual Conference<br />
Baltimore, MD<br />
March 23-25, 2006<br />
Theme: Living in a World with Smart Technology<br />
All technology education pr<strong>of</strong>essionals are invited to participate in the 68th annual ITEA conference as a presenter<br />
or chairperson. Those wishing to participate must complete the application form available online. The application<br />
deadline is June 15, 2005.<br />
We have moved from a society where human ingenuity <strong>and</strong> tools were used to obtain basic wants <strong>and</strong> needs to<br />
one <strong>of</strong> more sophistication where tools now think, interact, <strong>and</strong> respond. Because <strong>of</strong> the power <strong>of</strong> today’s<br />
technological processes, society <strong>and</strong> individuals need to decide what, how, <strong>and</strong> when to develop or use various<br />
technological systems. Since technological issues <strong>and</strong> problems have more than one available solution, decisionmaking<br />
should reflect the values <strong>of</strong> the people <strong>and</strong> help them reach their goals. Such decision-making depends<br />
upon all citizens, both individually <strong>and</strong> collectively, acquiring a basic level <strong>of</strong> technological literacy—the ability to<br />
use, manage, <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong> technology. This conference will address many <strong>of</strong> the above issues <strong>and</strong> problems, as<br />
we seek to live in a world with tools that think.<br />
The Conference Program Committee is seeking presentations, related to the theme, that:<br />
• Promote content connections with other fields <strong>of</strong> study.<br />
• Encourage active <strong>and</strong> experiential learning.<br />
• Provide the basis for developing meaningful, relevant, <strong>and</strong> articulated curricula at the local <strong>and</strong> state/provincial<br />
levels.<br />
• Are developmentally appropriate for students.<br />
• Develop a common set <strong>of</strong> expectations for what students should learn in the study <strong>of</strong> technology.<br />
Proposed presentations must address one or more <strong>of</strong> the following conference theme str<strong>and</strong>s as defined by the<br />
definitions from St<strong>and</strong>ards for Technological Literacy:<br />
Str<strong>and</strong> 1 - Nature <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Str<strong>and</strong> 2 - Technology <strong>and</strong> Society<br />
Str<strong>and</strong> 3 - <strong>Design</strong><br />
Str<strong>and</strong> 4 - Abilities for a Technological World<br />
Str<strong>and</strong> 5 - The <strong>Design</strong>ed World<br />
All presenters must be active members <strong>of</strong> ITEA by June 15, 2005. Presenters must also register for the<br />
conference. Go to www.iteawww.org for membership <strong>and</strong> conference registration information. ITEA does not<br />
provide honorariums or cover travel, registration fees, conference expenses, etc.<br />
Application deadline is June 15, 2005.<br />
To submit an online application form, go to<br />
http://tp1.clearlearning.com/hshealey/ITEA2005.tp4
DESIGNING NATURE’S WAY<br />
You have won a new<br />
car—any new car<br />
you want! What kind<br />
<strong>of</strong> car do you pick?<br />
Do you want a racy<br />
sports car, with a<br />
powerful V-8 engine,<br />
6-speed<br />
transmission, power<br />
convertible top,<br />
navigation system,<br />
polished aluminum<br />
wheels, <strong>and</strong> premium sound system with in-dash 6-CD<br />
player with MP3? Or maybe you’d rather have a roomy 4-<br />
wheel-drive sport utility job that could take you out in the<br />
wilds where no other car could go. Or how about a nice<br />
luxury sedan that could take you <strong>and</strong> your family on long<br />
trips in quiet, air-conditioned comfort <strong>and</strong> safety?<br />
There’s an automobile for just about any type <strong>of</strong><br />
transportation need (or dream) you can imagine. Auto<br />
designers make a list <strong>of</strong> needs <strong>and</strong> wants that a particular<br />
type <strong>of</strong> driver (or buyer) might have, then design a car,<br />
truck, or SUV that will sell . . . <strong>and</strong>, they hope, delight the<br />
buyer.<br />
But, <strong>of</strong> course car designers don’t start from scratch each<br />
year. They take parts <strong>of</strong> the previous years’ designs that<br />
worked well (such as the engine, transmission, brake<br />
system, <strong>and</strong> the particular materials used for each type <strong>of</strong><br />
part), then add new features or change things slightly to<br />
try to improve the finished product. So, in theory,<br />
automobiles should get better <strong>and</strong> better all the time. For<br />
the most part, they do. But at some point, designers will<br />
run out <strong>of</strong> new ideas to make the car better <strong>and</strong> more fit<br />
for any particular driver’s requirements.<br />
A Different Kind <strong>of</strong> “<strong>Design</strong>er”<br />
In the case <strong>of</strong> cars <strong>and</strong> other engineered objects, humans<br />
go about the design process in a very intentional way.<br />
They pretty much know what they are aiming for. They<br />
know how to test their designs to see if they will work in<br />
the real world. However, in the case <strong>of</strong> nature, the<br />
environment <strong>and</strong> the “laws <strong>of</strong> the jungle” make up the list<br />
<strong>of</strong> requirements that living things must meet, as well as<br />
the “tests” that they must pass in order to survive. For<br />
example, in order for an animal species to survive,<br />
individuals must be able to find, eat, digest, <strong>and</strong><br />
metabolize food; find <strong>and</strong> drink water; protect themselves<br />
from predators <strong>and</strong> harsh weather; <strong>and</strong> reproduce, passing<br />
along their successful characteristics to their <strong>of</strong>fspring. All<br />
the “design accessories,” such as eyes, nose, ears, teeth,<br />
claws, hooves, spots, stripes, fur, or fancy feathers,<br />
contribute to the success <strong>of</strong> the “design.”<br />
The plants <strong>and</strong> animals we know (<strong>and</strong> are!) today are the<br />
<strong>of</strong>fspring <strong>of</strong> billions <strong>of</strong> generations. If each generation had<br />
been an exact copy <strong>of</strong> its parents, then no changes in the<br />
instructions for the design, the “blueprint,” would ever<br />
occur <strong>and</strong> there would be only one “species” <strong>of</strong> living<br />
thing <strong>and</strong> it would never change. But changes in the<br />
blueprint do occur very frequently. Mistakes are made in<br />
the copying process. Harsh environmental influences, such<br />
as solar radiation <strong>and</strong> toxic substances, knock out or<br />
distort parts <strong>of</strong> the blueprint so the design cannot be<br />
copied exactly in the next generation. These changes in<br />
the instructions are called mutations. Most mutations<br />
result in “design flaws” in the next generation. But a few<br />
mutations actually result in improvements. The resulting<br />
<strong>of</strong>fspring are a little more successful at surviving <strong>and</strong><br />
reproducing than their cousins, <strong>and</strong> so pass on the<br />
mutation to more <strong>of</strong>fspring, thus changing the species the<br />
tiniest bit to make it better adapted to its environment.<br />
Lessons from Nature<br />
Sometimes engineers <strong>and</strong> inventors look to nature for<br />
inspiration. For example, how do animals solve the<br />
problem <strong>of</strong> getting from one place to another? Well, nature<br />
has come up with all sorts <strong>of</strong> legs, fins, flippers, wings,<br />
pseudopods, undulating muscles, <strong>and</strong> so on. (It took<br />
humans, however, to come up with wheels <strong>and</strong> roads.)<br />
Given billions <strong>of</strong> years <strong>and</strong> billions <strong>of</strong> “trial <strong>and</strong> error”<br />
experiments over billions <strong>of</strong> generations, natural processes<br />
have produced living things that have solved many other
complex problems in very effective <strong>and</strong> efficient ways that<br />
humans would probably never have thought <strong>of</strong>.<br />
Humans cannot think <strong>of</strong> every possible approach to a<br />
problem. Human invention seems to be limited by what has<br />
been done before <strong>and</strong> by our own brains’ wiring that makes<br />
us want to create things that “look right” <strong>and</strong> fit into some<br />
pigeonhole or category that we already know about. Nature<br />
itself doesn’t have categories <strong>and</strong> fixed notions <strong>of</strong> things.<br />
Nature is limited only by the laws <strong>of</strong> physics. So why can’t<br />
humans use something like those same natural processes<br />
<strong>and</strong> experiments to design new things?<br />
Well, trial <strong>and</strong> error is not really a very efficient way to<br />
design something. It’s much better to use your brain <strong>and</strong><br />
try to figure out what kind <strong>of</strong> design would work best<br />
before you go to all the trouble to build it <strong>and</strong> test it to see<br />
if it would work in the real world.<br />
Evolution in Fast-forward<br />
But what if we could give the “trial <strong>and</strong> error” design job to<br />
a very powerful computer? Suppose we want to design a<br />
new kind <strong>of</strong> mousetrap. We first have to tell the computer<br />
about mice <strong>and</strong> the laws <strong>of</strong> physics, so it will know what is<br />
physically possible out here in the real world (as opposed<br />
to inside the computer). Then we tell the computer what<br />
we want the mousetrap to do. In other words, we think <strong>of</strong><br />
a test the computer can run inside itself: the mousetrap<br />
must attract a mouse, then trap it without the mouse being<br />
able to carry the trap away or escape. Oh, <strong>and</strong> we don’t<br />
want to hurt the mouse—just catch it <strong>and</strong> relocate it from<br />
the city to the country. Then the computer could be<br />
programmed with a list <strong>of</strong> materials or tools (<strong>and</strong> their<br />
characteristics) that the computer could use to create the<br />
mousetrap: plastic, glass, wood, metal, cheese, etc.<br />
To give the computer a bit <strong>of</strong> a head start, we come up<br />
with quite a few designs <strong>of</strong> our own. We feed them (that<br />
is, the exact measurements, materials, <strong>and</strong> other<br />
characteristics) into the computer, <strong>and</strong> let the computer<br />
run its mousetrap testing program on them. The computer<br />
then takes the several designs that did the best, scrambles<br />
up their characteristics a little, then generates a new set <strong>of</strong><br />
designs: Mousetrap Generation<br />
#2. The computer then runs<br />
the same test on this batch <strong>of</strong><br />
designs to see which<br />
mousetraps would do the best<br />
job. It then picks out several <strong>of</strong><br />
the best designs, mixes them<br />
up a little, <strong>and</strong> spits out another<br />
bunch <strong>of</strong> mousetrap designs:<br />
Mousetrap Generation #3. The<br />
computer continues testing,<br />
picking the best performers,<br />
mixing up their traits, <strong>and</strong> creating yet another generation<br />
<strong>of</strong> designs over <strong>and</strong> over <strong>and</strong> over. Eventually, maybe after<br />
a million generations, one mousetrap passes the test<br />
perfectly <strong>and</strong> no further designs can do any better. The<br />
perfect non-destructive mousetrap! The computer prints<br />
out the design specifications, real people build <strong>and</strong> test it in<br />
the real world, <strong>and</strong> it works! But what does it look like? It<br />
just might not look like any mousetrap anyone has ever<br />
imagined before!<br />
An “Out-<strong>of</strong>-the-Box” Antenna <strong>Design</strong><br />
It is as computers have become very fast <strong>and</strong> very<br />
powerful that designing “nature’s way” has become<br />
practical. Engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in<br />
Silicon Valley, California, have used the technique <strong>of</strong><br />
evolutionary computation, also called artificial evolution, to<br />
design a tiny communications antenna to be used in the<br />
three small TV-sized satellites <strong>of</strong> the Space Technology 5<br />
(ST5) mission. Many r<strong>and</strong>om designs were tested in a<br />
computer—or, actually 35 computers working together.<br />
The computer judged their performance against certain<br />
goals for the design: efficiency, a narrow or wide broadcast<br />
angle, frequency range, <strong>and</strong> so on.<br />
As in nature, only the best performers were kept, <strong>and</strong> these<br />
served as parents <strong>of</strong> a new generation. To make the new<br />
generation, the traits <strong>of</strong> the best designs were r<strong>and</strong>omly<br />
mixed by the computer to produce fresh, new designs—<br />
just as a father <strong>and</strong> mother’s genes are mixed to make<br />
unique children. This new generation was again tested in<br />
the computer simulation, <strong>and</strong> the best designs became the<br />
parents <strong>of</strong> yet another generation.<br />
This process was repeated millions <strong>of</strong> times, until one best<br />
design emerged that wouldn’t improve any further. With<br />
today’s fast computers, millions <strong>of</strong> generations can be<br />
simulated in only a day or so.<br />
The result: an excellent antenna with an odd shape no<br />
human would, or could, design.<br />
Tiny communications<br />
antenna designed by a<br />
computer using artificial<br />
evolution for Space<br />
Technology 5 spacecraft.
Antenna, shown<br />
installed on ST5<br />
spacecraft, uses less<br />
power, gives more<br />
reliable coverage, <strong>and</strong> is<br />
easier to fabricate than<br />
the best antenna<br />
designed by humans for<br />
this spacecraft.<br />
May the Best Face Evolve!<br />
We will see how the computer simulates biological<br />
evolution <strong>and</strong> the laws <strong>of</strong> natural selection in the following<br />
activity. You may be familiar with “smileys,” sometimes<br />
called “emoticons.” These are groupings <strong>of</strong> punctuation<br />
marks on the computer or typewriter to create tiny faces<br />
with smiles, frowns, winks, etc. These are <strong>of</strong>ten used in e-<br />
mail messages to let the reader know the writer is making<br />
a joke or is happy or unhappy about something. In this<br />
activity, we will put punctuation mark “eyes” <strong>and</strong><br />
“mouths” together r<strong>and</strong>omly in an attempt to weed out all<br />
but the best “face” combination for the purpose <strong>of</strong><br />
communicating a certain emotion.<br />
Break the class into groups <strong>of</strong> four players for this activity.<br />
(An additional group <strong>of</strong> one, two, or three will work.)<br />
Create a set <strong>of</strong> eight Image Cards for each group. To<br />
create the Image Cards, photocopy the last page <strong>of</strong> this<br />
article, preferably on light card stock, <strong>and</strong> cut along the<br />
lines. Each card has two lower face halves (mouths) <strong>and</strong><br />
two upper face halves (eyes). Make a photocopy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Design</strong> Card shown on the next to last page <strong>of</strong> this article<br />
for each player. In addition, for each group <strong>of</strong> four players,<br />
make three enlarged copies <strong>of</strong> the design card. For Part IV,<br />
an overhead projector, chalk board, or white board would<br />
be useful.<br />
The first step is to set a design objective. As a class,<br />
decide what emotion you wish your final design to<br />
communicate. Choose a feeling or emotion such as<br />
indifference, surprise, joy, sadness, confusion, pain, anger,<br />
boredom, fear, excitement, sleepiness, innocence, guilt,<br />
thoughtfulness, etc.<br />
I. INDIVIDUALLY, EVOLVE A DESIGN WITH TWO<br />
CARDS<br />
1) Each person picks a pair <strong>of</strong> Image Cards.<br />
a) With the Image Cards face down on the table, each<br />
individual in the group picks two Image Cards at<br />
r<strong>and</strong>om to form a two-card set.<br />
2) Use these cards to generate a design.<br />
a) Place one card vertically (“portrait” orientation) on<br />
a tabletop.<br />
b) Place the second card horizontally (“l<strong>and</strong>scape”<br />
orientation) on top <strong>of</strong> the first, aligning the mouth<br />
semicircle on the second card with the eye<br />
semicircle on the first one behind it to form a facial<br />
expression.<br />
c) Note how well the face from this pair matches the<br />
objective emotion.<br />
d) Rotate the “mouth” (top) card to try the other<br />
mouth semicircle with the eye semicircle on the<br />
bottom card.<br />
e) Note how well this face matches the objective<br />
emotion.<br />
3) Evaluate designs <strong>and</strong> select the better fit.<br />
a) In Sector I <strong>of</strong> a <strong>Design</strong> Card, write the eyes number<br />
<strong>and</strong> mouth letter <strong>of</strong> the better match in the boxes<br />
<strong>and</strong> draw the symbols in the face circle.<br />
4) Generate a second design.<br />
a) Reverse the pair <strong>of</strong> Image Cards, placing the<br />
second card vertically (doesn’t matter which<br />
“eyes” are up) <strong>and</strong> the first card horizontally on top<br />
<strong>of</strong> it (doesn’t matter which “mouth” is up). Repeat<br />
Steps 2c – 2e.<br />
5) Evaluate <strong>and</strong> select the better fit.<br />
a) In Sector II <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Design</strong> Card, write the eyes<br />
number <strong>and</strong> mouth letter <strong>of</strong> the better match in the<br />
boxes <strong>and</strong> draw the symbols in the face circle.<br />
6) Select the better design.<br />
a) Compare Faces I <strong>and</strong> II with the objective emotion.<br />
b) Check (√) the small circle next to the better<br />
matching face.<br />
7) Generate new designs.<br />
a) In Sector III, write the eyes number <strong>of</strong> Face I <strong>and</strong><br />
the mouth letter <strong>of</strong> Face II.<br />
b) In Sector IV, write the eyes number <strong>of</strong> Face II <strong>and</strong><br />
the mouth letter <strong>of</strong> Face I.<br />
c) Draw the corresponding faces in each sector.<br />
8) Select the better design.<br />
a) Compare Faces III <strong>and</strong> IV with the objective<br />
emotion.<br />
b) Check (√) the small circle next to the better<br />
matching face.<br />
9) Select the best design from your image card set.<br />
a) Compare the checked faces with the objective<br />
emotion.<br />
b) Add a second check (√√) in the small circle next<br />
to the better matching face.<br />
c) This is the best design that your image card set<br />
has produced.
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
II. AS A GROUP, GENERATE A NEW, IMPROVED<br />
DESIGN TO BETTER FIT THE OBJECTIVE<br />
1) Evolve a new design from the group’s completed<br />
<strong>Design</strong> Cards.<br />
From the completed <strong>Design</strong> Cards <strong>of</strong> any two players,<br />
one person in the group records both double-checked<br />
designs on one <strong>of</strong> the enlarged <strong>Design</strong> Cards, where all<br />
can see, as follows:<br />
a) In Sector I, write the eyes number <strong>and</strong> the mouth<br />
letter <strong>of</strong> the first double-checked design.<br />
b) In Sector II, write the eyes number <strong>and</strong> the mouth<br />
letter <strong>of</strong> the second double-checked design.<br />
c) Draw the corresponding faces in each sector.<br />
2) Select the better design.<br />
a) Compare Faces I <strong>and</strong> II with the objective emotion.<br />
The whole group can vote on which design is<br />
better.<br />
b) Check (√) the small circle next to the better<br />
matching face.<br />
3) Evolve new designs.<br />
a) In Sector III, write the eyes number <strong>of</strong> Face I <strong>and</strong><br />
the mouth letter <strong>of</strong> Face II.<br />
b) In Sector IV, write the eyes number <strong>of</strong> Face II <strong>and</strong><br />
the mouth letter <strong>of</strong> Face I.<br />
c) Draw the corresponding faces in each sector.<br />
4) Select the better design.<br />
a) The group can compare Faces III <strong>and</strong> IV with the<br />
objective emotion <strong>and</strong> vote on which is better.<br />
b) Check (√) the small circle next to the better<br />
matching face.<br />
5) Select the best design <strong>of</strong> these image card sets.<br />
a) As a group, compare the checked faces with the<br />
objective emotion <strong>and</strong> vote on which is a better<br />
match.<br />
b) Add a second check (√√) in the small circle next to<br />
the better matching face.<br />
c) This is the best design evolved from multiple Image<br />
Card sets.<br />
6) Repeat Part II, Steps 1 through 5 with the two<br />
remaining players in the group. If there is only a<br />
single player remaining, enter only the player’s<br />
double checked selection, draw it, <strong>and</strong> check it.<br />
7) Evolve the group’s optimum match to the design<br />
objective from its card deck.<br />
With the third <strong>Design</strong> Card, summarize the previous<br />
two <strong>Design</strong> Cards in the same way <strong>and</strong>, as a group,<br />
vote to select the optimum design.<br />
III. EVOLVE THE BEST DESIGN FOR THE CLASS<br />
1) The teacher draws a <strong>Design</strong> Card on the board.<br />
2) Evolve the better <strong>of</strong> two groups’ designs.<br />
Using an overhead projector (if available), <strong>and</strong> the final<br />
best <strong>Design</strong> Cards from any two <strong>of</strong> the groups, repeat<br />
Part II to evolve the better design. The whole class can<br />
vote on which designs are better.<br />
3) Evolve the better <strong>of</strong> another two groups’ designs.<br />
Repeat Step 2 with another two groups’ best designs.<br />
4) Evolve the best design.<br />
Continue in this way evolving better designs until all<br />
groups’ designs have been “tested” <strong>and</strong> the single<br />
optimum match to the design objective has been found.<br />
IV. CHOOSE ANOTHER DESIGN OBJECTIVE<br />
Choose another design objective with a different feeling or<br />
emotion <strong>and</strong> you can evolve a totally new <strong>and</strong> different result.<br />
Find Out More<br />
The Space Technology 5 mission is part <strong>of</strong> NASA’s New<br />
Millennium Program, whose job it is to find <strong>and</strong> test out in<br />
space the new technologies that will be needed in future<br />
space missions. For more about artificial evolution, see<br />
http://ic.arc.nasa.gov/projects/esg. For more about Space<br />
Technology 5, see http://nmp.nasa.gov/st5. For an<br />
animation that helps explain how ST5’s antennas send<br />
pictures through space, go to http://spaceplace.<br />
nasa.gov/en/kids/st5xb<strong>and</strong>/st5xb<strong>and</strong>.shtml.<br />
<strong>Design</strong> Card<br />
This article was written by Diane Fisher, writer <strong>and</strong><br />
designer <strong>of</strong> The Space Place Web site at<br />
spaceplace.nasa.gov. Alex Novati drew the illustrations.<br />
Thanks to Gene Schugart, Space Place advisor, for activity<br />
concept. The article was provided through the courtesy <strong>of</strong><br />
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute <strong>of</strong><br />
Technology, Pasadena, California, under a contract with the<br />
National Aeronautics <strong>and</strong> Space Administration.
A PROACTIVE APPROACH<br />
TO TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY<br />
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
Katherine Weber<br />
“Technological literacy<br />
is vital to individual,<br />
community, <strong>and</strong> national<br />
economic prosperity.”<br />
(ITEA, 1996, p.6)<br />
With the increasing complexity <strong>of</strong><br />
technology, it is important for each<br />
citizen to be able to make informed<br />
decisions about the technology that<br />
he or she uses. This article suggests<br />
that a proactive approach to<br />
advocating technological literacy is<br />
important in changing the greater<br />
public’s misconceptions <strong>of</strong> what it<br />
means to be technologically literate.<br />
The article further suggests several<br />
practical activities that technology<br />
education teachers may use while<br />
advocating technological literacy to<br />
students, parents, administration, <strong>and</strong><br />
the community.<br />
In the public there seems to be<br />
widespread misconception that<br />
being technologically literate<br />
means being able to use<br />
computer or information<br />
technologies pr<strong>of</strong>iciently.<br />
The Public Misconception<br />
In the public there seems to be<br />
widespread misconception that being<br />
technologically literate means being<br />
able to use computer or information<br />
technologies pr<strong>of</strong>iciently (Rose,<br />
Gallup, Dugger, & Starkweather,<br />
2004). If a researcher polled school<br />
districts to explore what technology<br />
means to the administration, one may<br />
interestingly discover that many<br />
responses would include computers,<br />
computer networks, <strong>and</strong> the Internet.<br />
The fact is that many school districts<br />
have spent large amounts <strong>of</strong> money<br />
on implementing or installing<br />
educational technology <strong>and</strong> other<br />
technological devices to assist<br />
teachers in teaching. In many cases,<br />
administrators or teachers outside <strong>of</strong><br />
technology education are deluded<br />
that elaborate, district-wide<br />
technology initiatives that teach<br />
students how to use educational<br />
technology are teaching them about<br />
technology (NAE & NRC, 2002).<br />
The National Academy <strong>of</strong> Engineering<br />
<strong>and</strong> National Research Council joint<br />
report, Technically Speaking, states,<br />
“only one unit in the U.S. Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Education, the Office <strong>of</strong><br />
Educational Technology, promotes<br />
the use <strong>of</strong> technology as a teaching<br />
tool, but not the teaching <strong>of</strong><br />
technology” (NAE & NRC, p. 58,<br />
2002). One must acknowledge that<br />
computer skills are important to each<br />
citizen who lives in a technological<br />
society, but as illustrated in the<br />
report, technological literacy (TL) is<br />
more complex, encompassing three<br />
interdependent dimensions: (1)<br />
knowledge; (2) ways <strong>of</strong> thinking <strong>and</strong><br />
acting, <strong>and</strong> (3) capabilities. With this<br />
in mind, each technology education<br />
teacher must advocate a holistic<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> the dimensions <strong>of</strong> TL to<br />
his or her students, fellow faculty,<br />
administration, <strong>and</strong> community.<br />
Being Positive <strong>and</strong> Proactive<br />
In the book, The 7 Habits <strong>of</strong> Highly<br />
Effective People, Stephen Covey<br />
(1989) illustrates what it means to be<br />
proactive. Covey states:<br />
Proactive people focus their<br />
efforts in the Circle <strong>of</strong><br />
Influence. They work on the<br />
things they can do something<br />
about. The nature <strong>of</strong> their<br />
energy is positive, enlarging<br />
<strong>and</strong> magnifying, causing their<br />
Circle <strong>of</strong> Influence to increase<br />
(p. 83).<br />
Although the premise <strong>of</strong> Covey’s<br />
book is personal change, his<br />
description <strong>of</strong> what it means to be<br />
proactive is applicable to educational<br />
initiatives. Many technology<br />
education teachers are frustrated<br />
with the greater public’s<br />
misconception <strong>of</strong> what it means to be<br />
technologically literate. One would<br />
hope that if each technology<br />
education teacher takes Covey’s<br />
proactive approach to heart, focusing<br />
his/her energy on changing the<br />
attitudes <strong>and</strong> perceptions toward TL<br />
within his/her local community, the<br />
collective effort will reshape the<br />
greater public’s underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> TL<br />
to be more holistic.<br />
The federal No Child Left Behind Act<br />
(NCLBA) is making it even more<br />
dificult for states to distinguish the<br />
broad world <strong>of</strong> technological literacy<br />
from education technology literacy,<br />
by m<strong>and</strong>ating that states have every<br />
child technologically literate by the<br />
2005-2006 school year—but not<br />
outlining what constitutes<br />
technological literacy (Emeagwali,<br />
p. 17, 2004).<br />
Technological Literacy <strong>and</strong> NCLB<br />
Many states are unaware <strong>of</strong> the<br />
differences between educational<br />
technological literacy <strong>and</strong><br />
technological literacy <strong>and</strong> have<br />
initiatives focused entirely on using<br />
computers <strong>and</strong> electronic gadgetry<br />
(Emeagwali, 2004). With the<br />
implementation <strong>of</strong> the NCLB<br />
legislation <strong>and</strong> the reallocation <strong>of</strong><br />
funding, many technology education<br />
teachers are fearful that evolving<br />
dem<strong>and</strong>s placed on the academic<br />
success <strong>of</strong> students, as well as the<br />
uncertainty <strong>of</strong> what constitutes<br />
technological literacy, will negatively<br />
impact technology education<br />
programs. Although this may be true<br />
in some school districts, technology<br />
28 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
education teachers can be proactive<br />
by creating innovative ways to<br />
educate individuals about the<br />
complexities <strong>of</strong> technological literacy.<br />
More importantly, teachers can also<br />
be proactive by informing individuals<br />
who are responsible for m<strong>and</strong>ating<br />
NCLB policies that technological<br />
concepts are present in academic<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards (i.e., mathematics,<br />
science, <strong>and</strong> language arts, as well<br />
as history, <strong>and</strong> geography), which are<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten not found in corresponding<br />
curricula (NAE & NRC, 2002).<br />
Each technology education teacher<br />
should grasp this as an opportunity to<br />
devise creative ways to educate<br />
community members <strong>and</strong><br />
administrators about how these<br />
technological concepts are delivered<br />
effectively in the technology<br />
education classroom. Interestingly, if<br />
successful this also opens a “back<br />
door” for teachers to educate local<br />
administration about the holistic<br />
dimensions <strong>of</strong> TL.<br />
Students as an Alliance for TL<br />
There is no one sure model, method,<br />
or strategy for advocating TL. Each<br />
demographic area has different<br />
educational needs, <strong>and</strong> access to<br />
technology varies. However, every<br />
teacher can start with those they<br />
know best—his/her students. If<br />
students are excited about what they<br />
are learning, they may be a teacher’s<br />
greatest advocates when introducing<br />
the holistic meaning <strong>of</strong> technological<br />
literacy to parents <strong>and</strong> the<br />
community.<br />
Educators can empower students<br />
with what they learn in the<br />
technology education classroom by<br />
involving them in educating parents<br />
<strong>and</strong> the community about TL. For<br />
example,<br />
1. Put students in groups <strong>of</strong> 4-5.<br />
2. On a note card ask students to<br />
write a definition <strong>of</strong> TL.<br />
3. After each student has finished<br />
writing his/her definition, he/she<br />
is to share his/her work with the<br />
others in the group.<br />
4. The students are required to write<br />
a group definition <strong>of</strong> TL.<br />
5. Ask each group to read its<br />
definition.<br />
6. Write the definitions on a piece <strong>of</strong><br />
chart paper.<br />
7. As a class, create a final<br />
definition.<br />
8. Debrief the students by<br />
discussing any <strong>of</strong> the three<br />
dimensions that may have been<br />
overlooked in the definition. The<br />
terminology in the definition<br />
should be relevant to the students<br />
but also include the dimensions <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge, ways <strong>of</strong> thinking <strong>and</strong><br />
acting, capabilities. 1<br />
After students have grasped the<br />
meaning <strong>of</strong> technological literacy,<br />
introduce reasons why being<br />
technologically literate in the twentyfirst<br />
century is so important. Table 1<br />
outlines potential st<strong>and</strong>ards-based<br />
activities that involve students in<br />
targeting specific audiences (parents,<br />
the community, <strong>and</strong> administration)<br />
in creating TL resources.<br />
Table 1. Communications activities for advocating technological literacy<br />
Target<br />
Audience<br />
STL Benchmarks 2<br />
Activity<br />
<strong>Design</strong> Considerations<br />
Dissemination<br />
Parents<br />
Community<br />
Faculty <strong>and</strong><br />
Administration<br />
STL 17 – J<br />
The design <strong>of</strong> a<br />
message is<br />
influenced by such<br />
factors as the<br />
intended audience,<br />
medium, purpose<br />
<strong>and</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> the<br />
message.<br />
STL 17 – N<br />
Information <strong>and</strong><br />
communication can<br />
be used to inform,<br />
persuade, entertain,<br />
control, manage,<br />
<strong>and</strong> educate.<br />
Create a brochure for<br />
parents that defines TL<br />
<strong>and</strong> the importance <strong>of</strong><br />
being technologically<br />
literate.<br />
<strong>Design</strong> <strong>and</strong> create a<br />
poster that that will<br />
describe TL so that<br />
community members<br />
will underst<strong>and</strong> what it<br />
entails.<br />
Create a brochure that<br />
will describe TL so that<br />
other teachers <strong>and</strong><br />
school board <strong>of</strong>ficials<br />
will underst<strong>and</strong> what it<br />
entails.<br />
Who is the audience?<br />
What misconceptions may parents have<br />
when they think <strong>of</strong> TL?<br />
What needs to be included in the message<br />
to make it stronger <strong>and</strong> in turn have an<br />
impact on parents?<br />
Who is the audience?<br />
What misconceptions may the community<br />
have when they think <strong>of</strong> TL?<br />
What needs to be included for the message<br />
to have a stronger impact on the<br />
community?<br />
Who is the audience?<br />
What misconceptions may teachers <strong>and</strong><br />
school board <strong>of</strong>ficials have when they think<br />
<strong>of</strong> TL?<br />
What needs to be included in the message<br />
to make it stronger <strong>and</strong> in turn have an<br />
impact on the teachers <strong>and</strong> school board<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficials?<br />
• Parent/teacher<br />
conferences<br />
• PTA meetings<br />
• School Open Houses<br />
Bulletin boards:<br />
• Within the school<br />
• At local retail <strong>and</strong><br />
grocery stores<br />
• At local businesses<br />
• In health clinic<br />
waiting rooms<br />
• Faculty lunchroom<br />
• School Board<br />
meetings<br />
• Faculty mailroom<br />
1 Activity adapted from an activity used in the TACKLE (Technology Action Coalition to Kindle Lifelong Equity) Box Institute, UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI,<br />
2000.<br />
2 From <strong>International</strong> Technology Education Association (2000/2002) St<strong>and</strong>ards for technological literacy: Content for the study <strong>of</strong> technology.<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 29
Table 2. Electronic communications activities for advocating technological literacy<br />
STL Benchmarks 3<br />
Mode <strong>of</strong><br />
Communication<br />
Activity<br />
Dissemination<br />
STL 17 – J<br />
The design <strong>of</strong> a message<br />
is influenced by such<br />
factors as the intended<br />
audience, medium,<br />
purpose <strong>and</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> the<br />
message.<br />
Video<br />
<strong>Design</strong> <strong>and</strong> produce a five-minute video<br />
that dispels misconceptions about TL<br />
<strong>and</strong> emphasizes why it is important to<br />
be technologically literate.<br />
• Where available, broadcasted through<br />
school announcements<br />
• Broadcasted on local community news<br />
channel<br />
• Play video as part <strong>of</strong> the technology<br />
education introduction to incoming<br />
middle school students<br />
STL 17 – N<br />
Information <strong>and</strong><br />
communication can be<br />
used to inform, persuade,<br />
entertain, control,<br />
manage, <strong>and</strong> educate.<br />
Web site<br />
<strong>Design</strong> <strong>and</strong> create a simple Web site<br />
that dispels misconceptions about TL,<br />
emphasizes why it is important to be<br />
technologically literate <strong>and</strong> contains<br />
resources about TL.<br />
• Seek permission to post Web site on<br />
school, district <strong>and</strong> local community<br />
Web sites<br />
STL 17 – P<br />
There are many ways to<br />
communicate<br />
information, such as<br />
graphic <strong>and</strong> electronic<br />
means.<br />
PowerPoint<br />
Presentation<br />
<strong>Design</strong> <strong>and</strong> create a PowerPoint®<br />
presentation that dispels<br />
misconceptions about TL, emphasizes<br />
why it is important to be<br />
technologically literate <strong>and</strong> describes<br />
21st Century job skills.<br />
Presentation could be used during:<br />
• Technology education introduction to<br />
incoming students<br />
• At PTA meetings<br />
• Faculty Meetings<br />
• School Board meetings<br />
• School Open House<br />
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
Dependent on the level, interests, <strong>and</strong><br />
the technology that is accessible to<br />
the students, other modes <strong>of</strong><br />
communication could be used to<br />
convey the important TL message to<br />
the community. In Table 2, potential<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards-based electronic<br />
communication activities are outlined.<br />
Many teachers may already be doing<br />
similar activities as those listed in<br />
Tables 1 <strong>and</strong> 2. Creating an alliance<br />
with students is one approach<br />
teachers may use to promote TL, but<br />
there are other successful<br />
approaches teachers across the<br />
discipline have used to market TL. An<br />
excellent venue to share ideas,<br />
materials, <strong>and</strong> resources is through<br />
the <strong>International</strong> Technology<br />
Education Association’s (ITEA)<br />
IdeaGarden listserv. In sharing ideas<br />
at a national level, each teacher can<br />
be proactive in choosing the<br />
suggested materials that would have<br />
the greatest impact on his/her<br />
demographic area.<br />
“ALL persons must be<br />
knowledgeable <strong>of</strong> their<br />
technological environment so<br />
they can participate in<br />
controlling their own destiny”<br />
(ITEA, 1988).<br />
Technological Literacy<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Future<br />
As society is becoming increasingly<br />
dependent on technology, each<br />
citizen must be technologically<br />
literate. St<strong>and</strong>ards for Technological<br />
Literacy (ITEA, 2000/2002) states,<br />
“corporate executives <strong>and</strong> others in<br />
the business world, brokers <strong>and</strong><br />
investment analysts, journalists,<br />
teachers, doctors, nurses, farmers,<br />
<strong>and</strong> homemakers all will be able to<br />
perform their jobs better if they are<br />
technologically literate.” A TEAM<br />
(Together Everyone Achieves More)<br />
effort may reshape the public’s<br />
perception that technological literacy<br />
is important for everyone, even<br />
individuals not pursuing or practicing<br />
a technical craft or career.<br />
References<br />
Covey, S. (1989). The seven habits <strong>of</strong><br />
highly effective people: Powerful<br />
lessons in personal change. New York:<br />
Simon & Schuster.<br />
Emeagwali, S. (2004). Concerned that<br />
technological literacy is being narrowly<br />
interpreted. Techniques, 79(8), 16-17.<br />
<strong>International</strong> Technology Education<br />
Association. (2000/2002). St<strong>and</strong>ards for<br />
technological literacy: Content for the<br />
study <strong>of</strong> technology. Reston, VA:<br />
Author.<br />
<strong>International</strong> Technology Education<br />
Association (1996). Technology for all<br />
Americans: A rationale <strong>and</strong> structure for<br />
the study <strong>of</strong> technology. Reston, VA:<br />
Author.<br />
<strong>International</strong> Technology Education<br />
Association, (1988). Technology: A<br />
national imperative. Reston, VA: Author.<br />
National Academy <strong>of</strong> Engineering &<br />
National Research Council. (2002).<br />
Technically speaking: Why all<br />
Americans need to know more about<br />
technology. Washington: National<br />
Academy Press.<br />
Rose, L.C., Gallup, A.M., Dugger, W. E., &<br />
Starkweather, K.N. (2004). The second<br />
installment <strong>of</strong> the ITEA/Gallup poll <strong>and</strong><br />
what it reveals as to how Americans<br />
think about technology. The Technology<br />
Teacher 64(1) (Insert).<br />
Katherine Weber is a <strong>Design</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Technology teacher who taught in the<br />
United States. She is also a curriculum<br />
writer <strong>and</strong> gender equity consultant/trainer<br />
for technology education<br />
programs. She is currently residing in<br />
Guelph, Ontario, Canada <strong>and</strong> can be<br />
reached via e-mail at tekteach@hotmail.com.<br />
3 From <strong>International</strong> Technology Education Association (2000/2002) St<strong>and</strong>ards for technological literacy: Content for the study <strong>of</strong> technology.<br />
30 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
2005 DIRECTORY OF<br />
ITEA INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS<br />
For further information contact the<br />
appropriate faculty member.<br />
LEGEND<br />
DEGREES<br />
1 Bachelor’s Degree<br />
2 Master’s Degree<br />
3 Fifth Year Program<br />
CONNECTICUT<br />
Central Connecticut State University<br />
1<br />
Technology Education<br />
1615 Stanley St.<br />
New Britain, CT 06040-4010<br />
860-832-1850<br />
www.teched.ccsu.edu<br />
delaura@ccsu.edu<br />
Dr. James DeLaura<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
A<br />
B<br />
D<br />
E<br />
ILLINOIS<br />
Chicago State University<br />
Technology <strong>and</strong> Education<br />
9501 S. King Dr. ED 203<br />
Chicago, IL 60628<br />
773-995-3807<br />
www.csu.edu/TechnologyEducation/<br />
s-gist@csu.edu<br />
S. Gist<br />
1<br />
2<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
A<br />
B<br />
D<br />
F<br />
4 Sixth Year Program<br />
5 Advanced St<strong>and</strong>ing Certificate<br />
6 Doctoral Degree<br />
7 Continuing Education Seminars/<br />
Workshops/Conferences<br />
FINANCIAL AID OFFERED<br />
A Undergraduate Scholarships<br />
B Research Assistantships<br />
C <strong>Teaching</strong> Assistantships<br />
D Scholarships<br />
E Fellowships<br />
F Other<br />
ALABAMA<br />
Alabama A&M University<br />
PO Box 448<br />
Normal, AL 35762<br />
256-372-5573 • FAX 256-372-5564<br />
tdixie@aamu.edu<br />
Dr. T. C. Dixie<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
Griffith University<br />
1 2 6 7<br />
Vocational, Technology & Arts Education<br />
Messines Ridge Rd., Mt. Gravatt<br />
Queensl<strong>and</strong> 4111<br />
www.gu.edu.au/school/vta/bteched/home.html<br />
m.pavlova@griffith.edu.au<br />
Dr. Margarita Pavlova<br />
FLORIDA<br />
St. Petersburg College<br />
Technology Education<br />
6605 5th Ave. N.<br />
Gibbs TE-105B<br />
St Petersburg, FL 33710-6801<br />
1 7<br />
727-341-4296 • FAX 727-341-4691<br />
www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/acad/<br />
bachelors/educinfo<br />
Lovel<strong>and</strong>.Thomas@spcollege.edu<br />
Dr. Thomas R. Lovel<strong>and</strong><br />
GEORGIA<br />
Georgia Southern University<br />
<strong>Teaching</strong> <strong>and</strong> Learning<br />
PO Box 8134<br />
Statesboro, GA 30460-8134<br />
912-871-1549<br />
calex<strong>and</strong>@georgiasouthern.edu<br />
Dr. N. Creighton Alex<strong>and</strong>er<br />
The University <strong>of</strong> Georgia<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Workforce Education<br />
223 River’s Crossing Building<br />
Athens, GA 30602-4809<br />
706-542-4503 • FAX 706-542-4054<br />
www.uga.edu/teched/index.html<br />
wickone@uga.edu<br />
Dr. Robert Wicklein<br />
IDAHO<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Idaho<br />
1<br />
1<br />
2<br />
2<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Industrial Technology<br />
ITED Bldg.<br />
404 W. Sweet Ave. PO Box 444021<br />
Moscow, ID 83844-4021<br />
208-885-6492<br />
www.uidaho.edu<br />
ited@uidaho.edu<br />
James M. Cassetto<br />
3<br />
3<br />
5<br />
5<br />
1<br />
6<br />
6<br />
2<br />
7<br />
7<br />
4<br />
A<br />
A<br />
7<br />
B<br />
B<br />
A<br />
C<br />
A<br />
D<br />
D<br />
D<br />
F<br />
F<br />
F<br />
E<br />
Illinois State University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Campus Box 5100 210 Turner Hall<br />
Normal, IL 61790-5100<br />
309-438-3661 • FAX 309-438-8628<br />
www.tec.ilstu.edu<br />
mkdaugh@ilstu.edu<br />
Dr. Michael K. Daugherty<br />
INDIANA<br />
Ball State University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Industry & Technology<br />
Applied Technology Building<br />
Muncie, IN 47306-0255<br />
765-285-5642 FAX 765-285-2162<br />
www.bsu.edu/web/i<strong>and</strong>t/te<br />
jwescott@bsu.edu<br />
Dr. Jack W. Wescott, DTE<br />
Indiana State University<br />
Industrial Technology Education<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Terre Haute, IN 47809<br />
800-468-5236 • FAX 812-237-2655<br />
web.indstate.edu:80/ite.home<br />
tchgilb@isugw.indstate.edu<br />
Dr. Anthony F. Gilberti<br />
Purdue University<br />
1<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Industrial Technology<br />
401 N. Grant St. Knoy Hall<br />
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2021<br />
765-494-1101<br />
www.tech.purdue.edu/it<br />
latif@purdue.edu<br />
Dr. Niaz Latif<br />
1<br />
2<br />
2<br />
5<br />
6<br />
6<br />
1<br />
7<br />
1<br />
7<br />
2<br />
A<br />
2<br />
A<br />
6<br />
B<br />
A<br />
B<br />
A<br />
C<br />
B<br />
C<br />
B<br />
D<br />
C<br />
D<br />
C<br />
F<br />
D<br />
E<br />
E<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 31
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
IOWA<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Northern Iowa<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Industrial Technology<br />
1222 West 27th St.<br />
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0178<br />
319-273-2561 • FAX 319-273/5818<br />
www.uni.indtech.edu<br />
mohammed.fahmy@uni.edu<br />
Dr. Charles Johnson<br />
KANSAS<br />
Fort Hays State University<br />
Technology Studies Department<br />
600 Park Street<br />
Hays, KS 67601-4099<br />
785-628-2718 • FAX 785-628-4267<br />
www.fhsu.edu/tecs<br />
fruda@fhsu.edu<br />
Dr. Fred Ruda<br />
Pittsburg State University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology Studies<br />
1701 S. Broadway<br />
Pittsburg, KS 66762<br />
620-235-4371 • FAX 620-235-4020<br />
www.pittstate.edu<br />
jiley@pittstate.edu<br />
Dr. John L. Iley<br />
KENTUCKY<br />
Berea College<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
CPO 2188<br />
Berea, KY 40404<br />
1 F<br />
859-985-3033 x5501 • FAX 859-986-4506<br />
www.berea.edu/tec/tec.home.html<br />
Gary_Mahoney@Berea.edu<br />
Dr. Gary Mahoney<br />
Eastern Kentucky University 1<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
521 Lancaster Ave.<br />
307 Whalin Technology Complex<br />
Richmond, KY 40475-3102<br />
859-622-3232 • FAX 859-622-2357<br />
www.technology.eku.edu<br />
ed.davis@acs.eku.edu<br />
Dr. William E. Davis<br />
MAINE<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Southern Maine<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
37 College Ave.<br />
Gorham, ME 04038-1088<br />
207-780-5440 • FAX 207-780-5129<br />
walker@usm.maine.edu<br />
Dr. Fred Walker<br />
1<br />
2<br />
6<br />
1<br />
1<br />
7<br />
2<br />
2<br />
1<br />
A<br />
7<br />
7<br />
2<br />
B<br />
A<br />
A<br />
7<br />
2<br />
C<br />
C<br />
C<br />
A<br />
F<br />
D<br />
D<br />
D<br />
D<br />
MANITOBA, CANADA<br />
Red River College/<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Winnipeg<br />
Teacher Education<br />
2055 Notre Dame Ave.<br />
Winnipeg, MB R3H 0J9<br />
204-632-2300 • FAX 204-697-9465<br />
www.rrc.mb.ca<br />
kproctor@rrc.mb.ca<br />
Kurt J. Proctor<br />
MARYLAND<br />
University <strong>of</strong><br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong>-Eastern Shore<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
11931 Art Shell Plaza-UMES Campus<br />
Princess Anne, MD 21853-1299<br />
410-651-6468 • FAX 410-651-7959<br />
www.umes.edu<br />
llcopel<strong>and</strong>@mail.umes.edu<br />
Dr. Leon L. Copel<strong>and</strong>, Sr.<br />
University <strong>of</strong><br />
Maryl<strong>and</strong>-Eastern Shore<br />
MD Ctr for Career <strong>and</strong> Technology Education<br />
1425 Key Highway<br />
Baltimore, MD 21230<br />
410-659-5332 • FAX 410-659-7629<br />
www.umes.edu<br />
gfday@umes.edu<br />
Dr. Gerald F. Day<br />
MASSACHUSETTS<br />
Fitchburg State College<br />
Industrial Technology<br />
160 Pearl St.<br />
Fitchburg, MA 01420<br />
978-665-3255<br />
jalicata@fsc.edu<br />
James Alicata<br />
Framingham State College<br />
Christa McAuliff Center<br />
100 State St.<br />
Framingham, MA 01701-9101<br />
508-626-4050<br />
rgriffin@fc.mass.edu<br />
Raymond T. Griffin<br />
Lemelson-MIT Program<br />
1<br />
2<br />
1<br />
3<br />
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams<br />
MIT School <strong>of</strong> Engineering<br />
77 Massachusetts Ave., E60-215<br />
Cambridge, MA 02139<br />
617-253-3352<br />
www.inventeams.org or web.mit.edu/invent<br />
jschuler@mit.edu<br />
Joshua Schuler<br />
1<br />
2<br />
6<br />
2<br />
3<br />
7<br />
1<br />
7<br />
5<br />
1<br />
A<br />
3<br />
A<br />
6<br />
2<br />
B<br />
7<br />
C<br />
7<br />
7<br />
C<br />
A<br />
D<br />
A<br />
B<br />
D<br />
D<br />
F<br />
D<br />
C<br />
E<br />
MICHIGAN<br />
Eastern Michigan University<br />
Business & Technology Education<br />
14 Sill Hall<br />
Ypsilanti, MI 48197<br />
734-487-4330 • FAX 734-487-7690<br />
www.emich.edu/public/bted/<br />
Phillip_Cardon@emich.edu<br />
Dr. Phillip L. Cardon<br />
MINNESOTA<br />
Bemidji State University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Industrial Technology<br />
1500 Birchmont Dr.<br />
<strong>Bridge</strong>man Hall 234<br />
Bemidji, MN 56601<br />
218-755-2997 • FAX 218-755-4011<br />
www.bemidjistate.edu/IT<br />
eh<strong>of</strong>fman@bemidjistate.edu<br />
Dr. Elaine H<strong>of</strong>fman<br />
St. Cloud State University<br />
Environmental & Technological Studies<br />
720 – 4th Ave. S. Headley Hall 203<br />
St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498<br />
320-308-3235 • FAX 320-654-5122<br />
www.stcloudstate.edu/ets<br />
schwalle@stcloudstate.edu<br />
Dr. Anthony E. Schwaller, DTE<br />
MISSOURI<br />
Central Missouri State University<br />
1<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Career <strong>and</strong> Technology<br />
Education<br />
Grinstead 235<br />
Warrensburg, MO 64093-5034<br />
660-543-4452 • FAX 660-543-8031<br />
www.cmsu.edu/cte<br />
byates@cmsu1.cmsu.edu<br />
Dr. Ben Yates<br />
MONTANA<br />
Montana State University<br />
2<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
118 Cheever Hall<br />
Bozeman, MT 59717<br />
406-994-3201 • FAX 406-994-6696<br />
www.montana.edu/wwwad<br />
sedavis@montana.edu<br />
Scott Davis<br />
3<br />
1<br />
4<br />
1<br />
2<br />
1<br />
5<br />
1<br />
2<br />
7<br />
2<br />
7<br />
2<br />
6<br />
A<br />
5<br />
A<br />
7<br />
7<br />
B<br />
7<br />
B<br />
A<br />
A<br />
C<br />
A<br />
C<br />
C<br />
C<br />
D<br />
B<br />
D<br />
D<br />
32 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
NEBRASKA<br />
Wayne State College<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology <strong>and</strong> Applied<br />
Sciences<br />
1111 Main St., Benthack Hall<br />
Wayne, NE 68787-1600<br />
402-375-7578 • FAX 402-375-7565<br />
www.academic.wsc.edu/bst/<br />
laclaus1@wcs.edu<br />
Dr. Larry Claussen<br />
NEW JERSEY<br />
The College <strong>of</strong> New Jersey<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technological Studies<br />
PO Box 7718<br />
Ewing, NJ 08628-0718<br />
609-771-2543 • FAX 609-771-3330<br />
www.tcnj.edu/~tstudies<br />
karsnitz@tcnj.edu<br />
Dr. John Karsnitz<br />
NEW YORK<br />
The College <strong>of</strong> Saint Rose<br />
392 Western Ave.<br />
Albany, NY 12203<br />
518-454-5279<br />
Dr. Travis Plowman<br />
State University <strong>of</strong><br />
New York at Oswego<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Washington Blvd. 209 Park Hall<br />
Oswego, NY 13126-3599<br />
315-312-3011<br />
www.oswego.edu/tech<br />
gaines@oswego.edu<br />
Philip Gaines<br />
NORTH CAROLINA<br />
Appalachian State University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Kerr Scott Hall<br />
Boone, NC 28608<br />
828-262-3122<br />
www.tec.appstate.edu/<br />
hoepflmc@appstate.edu<br />
Dr. Marie Hoepfl<br />
1<br />
2<br />
1<br />
7<br />
2<br />
1<br />
A<br />
7<br />
2<br />
1<br />
B<br />
A<br />
7<br />
2<br />
C<br />
B<br />
A<br />
A<br />
D<br />
C<br />
D<br />
C<br />
F<br />
NORTH DAKOTA<br />
University <strong>of</strong> North Dakota<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
PO Box 7118<br />
Gr<strong>and</strong> Forks, ND 58202-7118<br />
701-777-2249<br />
clayton.diez@mail.business.und.edu<br />
Dr. C. Ray Diez<br />
Valley City State University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
415 Winter Show Rd. SE Ste. 3<br />
Valley City, ND 58072-4031<br />
701-845-7444 • FAX 701-845-7245<br />
www.teched.vcsu.edu/<br />
don.mugan@vcsu.edu<br />
Dr. Don Mugan<br />
OHIO<br />
Bowling Green State University<br />
Visual Communication <strong>and</strong> Technology<br />
Education<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Bowling Green, OH 43403-0301<br />
419-372-2437 • FAX 419-372-6066<br />
www.bgsu.edu<br />
lhatch@bgnet.edu<br />
Dr. Larry Hatch<br />
Kent State University<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
117 B Van Deusen Hall<br />
Kent, OH 44242-0001<br />
330-672-2040<br />
www.tech.kent.edu<br />
lzurbuch@kent.edu<br />
Dr. Lowell S. Zurbuch<br />
The Ohio State University<br />
1<br />
2<br />
Technology Education Section<br />
1100 Kinnear Rd. Rm 100<br />
Columbus, OH 43212-1152<br />
614-292-7471 • FAX 614-292-2662<br />
www.teched.coe.ohio-state.edu<br />
post.1@osu.edu<br />
Dr. Paul E. Post<br />
3<br />
6<br />
1<br />
7<br />
1<br />
2<br />
A<br />
1<br />
1<br />
2<br />
7<br />
B<br />
2<br />
7<br />
6<br />
A<br />
C<br />
A<br />
A<br />
A<br />
B<br />
D<br />
C<br />
D<br />
C<br />
C<br />
E<br />
OKLAHOMA<br />
Southwestern Oklahoma<br />
State University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
100 Campus Dr.<br />
Weatherford, OK 73096-3098<br />
580-774-3162 • FAX 580-774-7028<br />
www.swosu.edu/tech/<br />
gary.bell@swosu.edu<br />
Dr. Gary Bell<br />
KISS Institute for Practical<br />
Robotics<br />
1818 W. Lindsey Bldg. D, Suite 100<br />
Norman, OK 73069<br />
405-579-4609 • FAX 405-329-4664<br />
www.botball.org<br />
cstein@kipr.org<br />
Catherine Stein<br />
PENNSYLVANIA<br />
California University <strong>of</strong><br />
Pennsylvania<br />
1 2 7 A<br />
Applied Engineering & Technology<br />
250 University Avenue<br />
California, PA 15401<br />
724-938-4085 • FAX 724-938-4572<br />
www.cup.edu<br />
komacek@cup.edu<br />
Dr. Stanley Komacek<br />
Millersville University 1 2 7<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Industry & Technology<br />
PO Box 1002<br />
Millersville, PA 17551-0302<br />
717-872-3316 • FAX 717-872-3318<br />
www.millersville.edu/~itec/<br />
itec@millersville.edu<br />
Dr. Perry R. Gemmill<br />
RHODE ISLAND<br />
Rhode Isl<strong>and</strong> College 1<br />
Educational Studies/<br />
Technology Education Program<br />
600 Mt. Pleasant Ave., HBS 222<br />
Providence, RI 02908<br />
401-456-8793<br />
www.ric.edu/fsehd/<br />
cmclaughlin@ric.edu<br />
Dr. Charles H. McLaughlin, Jr<br />
1<br />
2<br />
7<br />
2<br />
A<br />
7<br />
C<br />
7<br />
B<br />
A<br />
A<br />
D<br />
F<br />
D<br />
F<br />
D<br />
North Carolina State University<br />
Mathematics, Science & Technology Education<br />
Box 7801<br />
Raleigh, NC 27695-7801<br />
919-515-1748 • FAX 919-515-6892<br />
ced.ncsu.edu/mste/tech_index<br />
jim_haynie@ncsu.edu<br />
Dr. William J. Haynie<br />
1<br />
2<br />
6<br />
7<br />
B<br />
C<br />
D<br />
Ohio Northern University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technological Studies<br />
Room 208 Taft Memorial Building<br />
Ada, OH 45810<br />
419-772-2170 • FAX 419-772-1932<br />
www.onu.edu/A+S/techno/<br />
d-rouch@onu.edu<br />
Dr. David L. Rouch<br />
1<br />
7<br />
A<br />
D<br />
SOUTH CAROLINA<br />
Clemson University 1 2<br />
Leadership, Technology, <strong>and</strong> Counselor<br />
Education<br />
G-01 Tillman Hall<br />
Clemson, SC 29634-0725<br />
864-656-7647 • FAX 864-656-4808<br />
www.hehd.clemson.edu<br />
wpaige@clemson.edu<br />
Dr. William D. Paige<br />
6<br />
C<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 33
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
SWEDEN<br />
Linkoping University<br />
Centre for School Technology Education<br />
CETIS Campus Norrkoping<br />
Norrkoping SE 601 74<br />
Stockholm<br />
www.liu.se/cetis<br />
thomas.ginner@cetis.liu.se<br />
Dr. Thomas Ginner<br />
TEXAS<br />
Texas State University-San Marcos<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
601 University Dr.<br />
San Marcos, TX 78666-4616<br />
512-245-2137<br />
www.swt.edu/acad_depts/tech_dept/index.<br />
html<br />
rh03@swt.edu<br />
Dr. Robert B. Habingreither<br />
The University <strong>of</strong> Texas at Tyler<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Human Resource<br />
Development <strong>and</strong> Technology<br />
3900 University Blvd.<br />
Tyler, TX 75799<br />
903-566-7310 • FAX 903-566-4281<br />
www.uttyler.edu/technology/<br />
proberts@uttyler.edu<br />
Dr. Paul Roberts<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Houston<br />
Center for Technology Literacy<br />
304 Technology Bldg.<br />
Houston, TX 77204-4021<br />
713-743-4091<br />
www.texastechnology.com<br />
jdmoore@uh.edu<br />
Julie Moore<br />
1<br />
2<br />
1<br />
7<br />
7<br />
2<br />
A<br />
B<br />
7<br />
A<br />
D<br />
F<br />
Utah State University<br />
Engineering <strong>and</strong> Technology Education<br />
6000 Old Main Hill<br />
Logan, UT 84322-6000<br />
435-797-1795<br />
www.engineering/ete/usu<br />
mthomas@cc.usu.edu<br />
Dr. Maurice G. Thomas<br />
VIRGINIA<br />
Old Dominion University<br />
Occupational <strong>and</strong> Technical Studies<br />
Norfolk, VA 23529-0498<br />
757-683-4305 • FAX 757-683-5227<br />
www.lions.odu.edu/dept/ots<br />
jritz@odu.edu<br />
Dr. John M. Ritz<br />
Virginia Polytechnic &<br />
State University<br />
1<br />
2<br />
Technology Education<br />
144 Smyth Hall<br />
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0432<br />
540-231-6480 • FAX 540-231-4188<br />
www.teched.vt.edu<br />
ms<strong>and</strong>ers@vt.edu<br />
Dr. Mark S<strong>and</strong>ers<br />
1<br />
1<br />
5<br />
2<br />
2<br />
6<br />
6<br />
5<br />
7<br />
A<br />
7<br />
A<br />
B<br />
A<br />
B<br />
C<br />
B<br />
C<br />
D<br />
C<br />
D<br />
E<br />
E<br />
F<br />
Virginia State University<br />
1<br />
2<br />
Engineering, Engr Technology, Ind Educ <strong>and</strong><br />
Technology<br />
P.O. Box 9033 1 Hayden Dr.<br />
Petersburg, VA 23806-0001<br />
804-524-5551 • FAX 804-524-6087<br />
www.vsu.edu<br />
pyoung@vsu.edu<br />
Mr. Posey R. Young<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Wisconsin-Stout<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Education<br />
Menomonie, WI 54751<br />
715-232-5609 • FAX 715-232-1441<br />
mcalisterb@uwstout.edu<br />
Mr. Brian McAlister<br />
WYOMING<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Wyoming<br />
Casper College Center<br />
125 College Drive<br />
Casper, WY 82609<br />
307-268-2400 • FAX 307-268-2416<br />
www.uwyo.edu/uwcc<br />
woodward@uwyo.edu<br />
Renee Woodward<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
A<br />
B<br />
C<br />
D<br />
1<br />
E<br />
A<br />
UTAH<br />
Brigham Young University<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Technology<br />
Room 230 SNLB<br />
Provo, UT 84602<br />
801-378-6496 • FAX 801-378-7519<br />
www.et.byu.edu/tte/<br />
steve_shumway@byu.edu<br />
Dr. Steven Shumway<br />
1<br />
2<br />
7<br />
A<br />
C<br />
D<br />
Southern Utah University<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Integrated Engineering <strong>and</strong><br />
Technology<br />
351 West University Blvd.<br />
Cedar City, UT 84720<br />
435-586-7986 • FAX 435-865-8077<br />
www.btc.suu.edu<br />
wittwer@suu.edu<br />
Dr. Richard Wittwer<br />
1<br />
7<br />
A<br />
D<br />
34 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
MASTERING THE ESSENTIALS FOR A CAREER IN<br />
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION<br />
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
Harry T. Roman<br />
Prologue<br />
In this article, I shall endeavor to set<br />
an ideal, a personal wish list if you<br />
will, for what I believe are the key<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> competency young<br />
technology education teachers should<br />
be developing while still in college.<br />
Not being an educator in the<br />
traditional sense, I write from the<br />
perspective <strong>of</strong> an engineer <strong>and</strong><br />
inventor who has spent considerable<br />
time interacting with the educational<br />
community. In this paper, I pr<strong>of</strong>ess<br />
by default to be a member <strong>of</strong> “the<br />
tech ed school <strong>of</strong> hard knocks” <strong>and</strong> a<br />
long-time devotee <strong>of</strong> tech ed<br />
principles <strong>and</strong> practices.<br />
I hope you find my thoughts both<br />
relevant <strong>and</strong> challenging, appreciating<br />
the perspective from which they<br />
originate.<br />
The Wish List<br />
There is no priority or preference<br />
inherent in this listing <strong>of</strong> preferred<br />
competencies. They are the<br />
requisites I have personally compiled<br />
over the years based on my<br />
experiences. I have tried to group<br />
them for convenience.<br />
Some Basics for Action:<br />
Definitions <strong>and</strong> Distinctions<br />
Being able to clearly draw<br />
distinctions between the definitions<br />
<strong>of</strong> science, technology, <strong>and</strong><br />
engineering would be ideal. Our<br />
society <strong>of</strong>ten blurs the lines between<br />
these important terms. Tech ed<br />
teachers should see clearly the<br />
distinctions. Science is about<br />
discovery, while engineering is about<br />
application in the real world.<br />
Technology is the know-how to make<br />
what we want from what we have<br />
(resources) <strong>and</strong> is the main creative<br />
Over 60% <strong>of</strong> the annual growth in our<br />
nation’s economy is directly attributable to<br />
scientific <strong>and</strong> technological advances.<br />
tool <strong>of</strong> the engineer. Engineering <strong>and</strong><br />
tech ed share much common<br />
ground—the human designed<br />
world—achieved in a benign,<br />
beneficial, <strong>and</strong> cost-effective manner.<br />
Most definitely, the links to<br />
engineering must be brought into the<br />
tech ed classroom.<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> the close relationship that<br />
tech ed has with engineering, wouldbe<br />
tech ed teachers should have<br />
some form <strong>of</strong> interaction with<br />
working engineers as well as a<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> their pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>and</strong> the<br />
problem-solving regimen used by<br />
engineers in their daily work. A study<br />
<strong>of</strong> the history <strong>of</strong> engineering <strong>and</strong> its<br />
roots in ancient times would be <strong>of</strong><br />
significant value. Most, if not all, <strong>of</strong><br />
the seven wonders <strong>of</strong> the ancient<br />
world were largely engineering feats.<br />
Students should be familiar with<br />
great engineers <strong>of</strong> the world <strong>and</strong><br />
their contributions. The first man on<br />
the moon was an aeronautical<br />
engineer! Five U.S. presidents were<br />
engineers (can you name them?). It is<br />
highly likely that a good portion <strong>of</strong> the<br />
students that tomorrow’s tech ed<br />
teachers influence will become<br />
engineers, <strong>and</strong> best that engineering<br />
be discussed at the K-12 level.<br />
It is also imperative that tech ed<br />
teachers fully underst<strong>and</strong> that<br />
technology long preceded science.<br />
There are thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> years <strong>of</strong><br />
successful tool-making behind such a<br />
premise; but formal science as we<br />
recognize it today is a mere 500<br />
years old. Technology is the mortar<br />
between the bricks <strong>of</strong> science, the<br />
empirical glue that holds the<br />
structure together.<br />
Good Communications<br />
The basis <strong>of</strong> all academic, <strong>and</strong><br />
eventually corporate performance, is<br />
good communication. This bedrock<br />
skill set comes in both oral <strong>and</strong> written<br />
form <strong>and</strong> should span the gamut from<br />
short thematic writing to a fully<br />
researched project paper complete<br />
with formal footnotes, references, <strong>and</strong><br />
bibliography, to the development <strong>and</strong><br />
presentation <strong>of</strong> original work via formal<br />
slide formats followed by Q&A. Ideally,<br />
I would also recommend that tech ed<br />
career aspirants be able to respond to<br />
extemporaneous speaking challenges<br />
too. A powerful way to drive this<br />
message home to would-be tech ed<br />
teachers is to grade their work twice,<br />
once for its “technical” rigor <strong>and</strong> once<br />
for its “communications clarity.” That<br />
would do the trick <strong>of</strong> reinforcing the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> good communications.<br />
All tech ed teachers should have<br />
numerous opportunities during their<br />
undergraduate experience to<br />
participate in <strong>and</strong> lead team problemsolving<br />
exercises. It is important to<br />
gain extensive experience with how<br />
this powerful educational tool should<br />
be used in the classroom. In my<br />
observations, this technique is what<br />
sets apart the tech ed experience from<br />
activities in which other teachers<br />
partake, <strong>and</strong> it is the fundamental<br />
reason why tech ed is successful in<br />
integrating the curricula.<br />
The Value <strong>of</strong> Mathematics<br />
It is not sufficient to be good at math.<br />
Tech ed teachers must be able to<br />
apply it, respecting it as another tool<br />
that helps them underst<strong>and</strong>, quantify,<br />
<strong>and</strong> bound the world for their students.<br />
The ability to estimate, ballpark, <strong>and</strong><br />
36 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
use mathematics to place designs<br />
<strong>and</strong> potential solutions in perspective<br />
is paramount for a tech ed teaching<br />
career. Our globally competitive<br />
world runs on mathematics as it does<br />
on fuel. Tech ed teachers, regardless<br />
<strong>of</strong> the grade levels at which they will<br />
ultimately be teaching, should be able<br />
to appreciate the value <strong>of</strong><br />
mathematics <strong>and</strong> articulate its<br />
importance in classroom activities<br />
<strong>and</strong> design challenges. They should<br />
be comfortable manipulating<br />
mathematics symbols, able to draw<br />
conclusions from its application, <strong>and</strong><br />
trusting <strong>of</strong> the directions it indicates<br />
in their designs. It should become<br />
second nature to tech ed teachers to<br />
reach out for the mathematics tool.<br />
A Physical Feel <strong>of</strong> the World<br />
Computers are simply knowledge<br />
amplifiers, devoid <strong>of</strong> any creativity or<br />
insight save that imbued them by<br />
their programmers. A good tech ed<br />
teacher has sufficient grounding in<br />
first principles to be able to have an<br />
intuitive feel for the “rightness” <strong>of</strong><br />
solutions, whether computer-derived<br />
or otherwise. This comes with<br />
frequent exposure to problem-solving<br />
regimens, confidence honed through<br />
success <strong>and</strong> constructive criticism,<br />
<strong>and</strong> a frank analysis <strong>of</strong> design failure.<br />
Computers are tools, not arbiters <strong>of</strong><br />
“rightness”—<strong>and</strong> they most certainly<br />
should not be the image that springs<br />
to mind when someone says the<br />
word “technology.” Their output is to<br />
be as critically reviewed <strong>and</strong> weighed<br />
as any other data/information.<br />
As a minimum, would-be tech ed<br />
teachers should be able to explain<br />
<strong>and</strong> demonstrate with mathematics:<br />
• Simple machines <strong>and</strong> their<br />
ubiquitous presence in real life.<br />
• The force over distance action.<br />
• Hydraulics (Pascal’s principle).<br />
• How transformers work.<br />
• AC versus DC current.<br />
• The difference between power <strong>and</strong><br />
energy.<br />
• Simple airplane flight, <strong>and</strong> fluid<br />
flow (Bernoulli’s principle).<br />
Brain-Based Research<br />
In light <strong>of</strong> the remarkable findings in<br />
the area <strong>of</strong> brain-based research, the<br />
tech ed teacher <strong>of</strong> tomorrow should<br />
be knowledgeable <strong>and</strong> versed in the<br />
classroom implications <strong>of</strong> this work,<br />
specifically the ability to:<br />
• Apply head <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>s learning<br />
paradigms as needed.<br />
• Assemble balanced classroom<br />
student teams for design<br />
challenges.<br />
• Teach in a Socratic style,<br />
coalescing answers to classroom<br />
challenges.<br />
• Conduct open-ended, team-based<br />
exercises.<br />
• Teach solution methods to multidimensional<br />
problems in a multidisciplinary<br />
manner.<br />
Technology <strong>and</strong> Our National<br />
Culture <strong>and</strong> History:<br />
Underst<strong>and</strong>ing Our Nation’s<br />
Technological History<br />
We did not attain the status <strong>of</strong> most<br />
technological nation on the planet by<br />
accident. There is a rich history with<br />
definite phases <strong>of</strong> key technologies<br />
that mark <strong>and</strong> define the growth <strong>and</strong><br />
transformation <strong>of</strong> our society, from<br />
revolutionary times to the present.<br />
They are:<br />
1800-1850: Canals, steam power,<br />
textile manufacturing.<br />
1850-1900: Railroads, steel, the<br />
emergence <strong>of</strong> natural gas, water,<br />
telephone, sewage, <strong>and</strong> electric<br />
utilities.<br />
1900-1950: Electric power,<br />
automobiles, hydropower, chemicals,<br />
mass media, communications, <strong>and</strong><br />
R&D labs.<br />
1950-2000: Computers, electronics,<br />
aerospace, pharmaceuticals, nuclear<br />
power, a national highway system,<br />
TV <strong>and</strong> biotechnology.<br />
A tech ed teacher should have a good<br />
grasp <strong>of</strong> what those defining phases<br />
were <strong>and</strong> how they influenced our<br />
society.<br />
The Technology-History-Economy<br />
Triad<br />
Because we live in a free market<br />
economy <strong>and</strong> expect pr<strong>of</strong>it for our<br />
hard work <strong>and</strong> ingenuity, this has<br />
made all the difference in both our<br />
technological creativity <strong>and</strong> optimism<br />
for the future. Our technology,<br />
history, <strong>and</strong> economy are inextricably<br />
intertwined. Any attempt to separate<br />
them will detrimentally alter our<br />
world-recognized penchant for<br />
ingenuity <strong>and</strong> out-<strong>of</strong>-the-box thinking.<br />
Capitalism <strong>and</strong> its ability to influence<br />
creativity, markets, <strong>and</strong><br />
entrepreneurship was built into our<br />
national Constitution from the very<br />
beginning—the very fuel a fledgling<br />
new nation would need to tame its<br />
frontiers. Over 60% <strong>of</strong> the annual<br />
growth in our nation’s economy is<br />
directly attributable to scientific <strong>and</strong><br />
technological advances. It is the very<br />
essence <strong>of</strong> our high st<strong>and</strong>ard <strong>of</strong><br />
living. To effectively discuss the<br />
benefits <strong>of</strong> technology, a tech ed<br />
teacher must recognize the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> the technology-historyeconomy<br />
triad.<br />
The Value <strong>of</strong> Infrastructure<br />
Every day, vital services are delivered<br />
to our homes, making it unnecessary<br />
for us to arrange for the availability <strong>of</strong><br />
these resources or expend personal<br />
time <strong>and</strong> energy to gather or attain<br />
them. I am speaking <strong>of</strong> the<br />
infrastructure/services such as water,<br />
electricity, telephone, natural gas,<br />
sewerage, cable, <strong>and</strong> satellite TV. In<br />
the last few years, there have been<br />
major changes to the telephone <strong>and</strong><br />
electricity infrastructure (cell phones,<br />
home PC use, deregulation <strong>of</strong><br />
electricity, distributed generation<br />
sources, etc.). New technological<br />
advances have totally re-shaped<br />
these infrastructures. What a fertile<br />
area for study <strong>and</strong> what it portends<br />
for the future! Students <strong>of</strong>ten take<br />
these infrastructures for granted, <strong>and</strong><br />
should be studying the origin, history,<br />
use, <strong>and</strong> growth <strong>of</strong> these essential<br />
community-based services.<br />
Competent tech ed teachers should<br />
be able to bring the value <strong>of</strong> these<br />
services to their classrooms <strong>and</strong><br />
arrange for students to creatively<br />
explore <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong> them.<br />
Technology, Ecology, <strong>and</strong> Man<br />
The internalization <strong>of</strong> environmental<br />
costs <strong>and</strong> impacts on the way<br />
business is conducted has been a<br />
significant achievement over the last<br />
40 years. All major projects are<br />
required to divulge the potential<br />
environmental impacts <strong>of</strong> their<br />
THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 37
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
execution. Inherent in this paradigm<br />
are powerful learning activities that<br />
the modern tech ed teacher should<br />
be capable <strong>of</strong> articulating in the<br />
classroom. Students should be<br />
challenged to evaluate <strong>and</strong> debate<br />
the environmental pros <strong>and</strong> cons <strong>of</strong> a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> technologies. Here are<br />
some representative technologies a<br />
tech ed teacher should be well<br />
versed in <strong>and</strong> prepared to discuss<br />
<strong>and</strong> stimulate debate around:<br />
• Trains <strong>and</strong> rail transportation<br />
• The automobile<br />
• Electric power generation<br />
• Biotechnology<br />
• Micro miniaturization <strong>of</strong><br />
electronics/nanotechnology<br />
• Nuclear power<br />
• Solar energy<br />
Invention <strong>and</strong> Innovation: The<br />
Innovation Process<br />
The creation <strong>of</strong> new products <strong>and</strong><br />
services should be viewed <strong>and</strong><br />
respected for the multi-dimensional<br />
challenge <strong>and</strong> multi-disciplinary<br />
solution process that it is. I know <strong>of</strong><br />
no better way to naturally integrate<br />
the curricula than to have students<br />
engage in frequent, open-ended<br />
design challenges. Tech ed teachers<br />
should grasp that:<br />
• Innovation equals invention +<br />
market thrust.<br />
• Technical <strong>and</strong> non-technical<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> a problem must be<br />
resolved <strong>and</strong> blended.<br />
• High quality questions tend to yield<br />
high quality, <strong>and</strong> more robust,<br />
solutions.<br />
• Planning a new product is as<br />
important as attempting to execute<br />
implementation.<br />
• Innovation is inherently an iterative<br />
activity.<br />
• An arsenal <strong>of</strong> creativity techniques<br />
can be used to generate possible<br />
solutions.<br />
• Out-<strong>of</strong>-the-box thinking is always in<br />
vogue.<br />
• The unique perspective <strong>of</strong>ten wins<br />
in the marketplace.<br />
• Innovation is a high-risk process,<br />
<strong>and</strong> failure is common.<br />
Intellectual Property<br />
In the globally competitive<br />
marketplace, what a company knows<br />
is as important as what it owns.<br />
Aspiring tech ed teachers should:<br />
• Know what patents are.<br />
• Be familiar with how inventors<br />
keep log books.<br />
• Have been involved in invention<br />
challenges in both team <strong>and</strong><br />
individual settings.<br />
• Know how to search patents on<br />
the Internet.<br />
• Be able identify both past <strong>and</strong><br />
current inventors <strong>and</strong> what they<br />
have accomplished.<br />
• Be aware <strong>of</strong> the economic value <strong>of</strong><br />
patents.<br />
Invention<br />
A tech ed teacher should be prepared<br />
to use the invention experience as a<br />
true curriculum integrator. Requests<br />
for invention related in-class talks<br />
<strong>and</strong> teacher in-service seminars has<br />
kept me busy for the last five years.<br />
It is a highly popular topic as it<br />
engages the head <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the<br />
students <strong>and</strong> allows them to<br />
participate in open-ended, teambased,<br />
exercises. Aspiring tech ed<br />
teachers should:<br />
• Underst<strong>and</strong> how marketplace<br />
wishes for new products <strong>and</strong><br />
services jump-start the invention<br />
process.<br />
• Conduct exercises in class<br />
whereby student inventors learn<br />
how to compile their thinking in an<br />
inventor’s log book.<br />
• Appreciate how, along with the<br />
invention logbook, inventors<br />
compile their strategies about how<br />
to market their inventions.<br />
• How selecting <strong>and</strong> staffing the<br />
invention team is as important as<br />
creating the invention (here the<br />
teacher should be able to mix head<br />
<strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong> learners for maximum<br />
effect).<br />
• Be able to freely identify <strong>and</strong><br />
discuss famous U.S. inventors <strong>and</strong><br />
their accomplishments.<br />
• Document the growth <strong>of</strong> various<br />
technologies that have had a major<br />
influence on American life (light<br />
bulb, electronic circuit<br />
miniaturization, personal<br />
computer...etc.).<br />
• Use timelines to show how various<br />
inventions influenced each other<br />
<strong>and</strong> other segments <strong>of</strong> society.<br />
Technical Career Considerations<br />
Skill Sets For Success<br />
There are definable skill sets for<br />
success in the twenty-first century<br />
workplace. Most <strong>of</strong> them are directly<br />
related to the seismic shift away<br />
from a machine to an information<br />
economy, one where great value is<br />
placed upon higher-order thinking<br />
skills. A competent tech ed teacher<br />
should be able to take the key skills<br />
listed below <strong>and</strong> relate them back to<br />
work being done in the classroom on<br />
a daily basis:<br />
• The ability to connect <strong>and</strong><br />
interrelate subject matter<br />
• Good oral <strong>and</strong> written<br />
communication skills<br />
• Logical <strong>and</strong> intuitive analytical<br />
skills<br />
• Planning <strong>and</strong> organization skills<br />
• Interpersonal <strong>and</strong> team player skills<br />
• Being able to turn ideas into reality<br />
<strong>and</strong> to manage that process<br />
• Underst<strong>and</strong>ing markets <strong>and</strong> what<br />
customers want<br />
• The capability to learn <strong>and</strong> re-learn<br />
effectively <strong>and</strong> efficiently<br />
The Benefits <strong>of</strong> a Technical<br />
Career<br />
Tech ed students, like all others,<br />
require career guidance. The tech ed<br />
teacher should be able to articulate<br />
the benefits <strong>of</strong> a technical career <strong>and</strong><br />
relate them back to classroom<br />
activities. Specifically, the tech ed<br />
teacher should be able to discuss<br />
how a technical career path:<br />
• Relates to other careers.<br />
• Influences starting <strong>and</strong> long-term<br />
average salaries.<br />
• Requires life-long learning.<br />
The tech ed teacher should also be<br />
able to present:<br />
• Examples <strong>of</strong> well-known Americans<br />
who have pursued technical<br />
careers.<br />
38 April 2005 • THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
FEATURE ARTICLE<br />
• Reference books/Web<br />
sites/resources for students to use.<br />
Epilogue<br />
Here then is my wish list for tech ed<br />
teacher success. It is based upon 35<br />
years <strong>of</strong> industrial research <strong>and</strong><br />
engineering experience, combined<br />
with numerous interactions with K-12<br />
teachers <strong>and</strong> students, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
teaching <strong>of</strong> graduate engineering<br />
courses at the New Jersey Institute<br />
<strong>of</strong> Technology—my alma mater. It<br />
also reflects my long-time association<br />
with the Technology Educators<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> New Jersey (TEANJ)<br />
<strong>and</strong> my good friends <strong>and</strong> colleagues<br />
at The College <strong>of</strong> New Jersey. Of<br />
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THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER • April 2005 39
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