Technology for Technology's Sake

Abstract

U SING NEW electronic technologies in education continues to provide the structural support needed in order to bring meaning to core subject areas. Integrating these new technologies into the classroom and allowing students to explore them can provide young people with a roadmap to the future. But what about technology education itself? As teachers introduce design and problem-solving activities, students learn the range of possibilities that can flourish in the field of engineering. The following websites give just a glimpse of the kind of hands-on teaching that uses technology to teach about technology.http://quest.arc.nasa.gov NASA Quest is a website that sponsors a teachers' guide that provides accurate information about rocket technology. This website offers activities in math, science, and technology, including an in-depth glossary and links to other NASA resources. For fall 2006, NASA Quest is featuring a Lunar Research Station Design Challenge that asks students in grades 5 through 8 to design and build a model Earth-based research station to support "living adaptively and working efficiently" on the Moon.