Curriculum Organizers

• Self and Society
• Communications
• Production
• Control
• Energy and Power

Technology touches our lives every day. Students need to understand how humans shape technology and the impact that current and future technologies will have on our society, culture, and environment. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize:

• learning to solve design problems involving technology
• the personal relevance of problems involving technology and the discovery that there may be several solutions to a problem
• developing positive attitudes toward lifelong learning and the integration and application of skills across areas of learning and technologies
• developing appropriate interpersonal skills and attitudes for working both independently and co-operatively within a group
• exploring careers and lifestyles associated with technology
• discovering how technology has changed society and the workplace

Images and messages can be sent instantly almost anywhere in the world, adding a global perspective to our lives. At home and in the workplace, students will need to use technology to process and share information and to communicate ideas using language and graphic forms. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize:

• using technology to access, store, and retrieve information (although information technology is a separate curriculum, it is a major part of technology education)
• developing knowledge and skills related to accessing, storing, retrieving, and using information
• using manual and computer-assisted processes to present models and simulations in 2-D and 3-D forms to explain design ideas
• developing and using criteria to create and revise design presentations
• making use of skills, knowledge, and technologies from various curriculum areas to solve problems
• making responsible choices about the use of technology

The introduction of new technologies has influenced the way we create and make things. Students need to know about the safe use of tools and materials. They acquire skills by designing and developing products and systems that satisfy human needs and wants. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize:

• applying the processes of combining, forming, separating, and finishing to the development and improvement of products at home and in the industrial world
• evaluating and selecting materials to meet specific design requirements
• constructing models, prototypes, and products to detailed specifications
• investigating the effects of technological changes on the production and use of materials
• examining processes and procedures used to minimize waste and to reuse products
• developing appropriate attitudes and practices about working safely, whether in the workplace, at home, or in the school laboratory

Control addresses the application of devices and processes to manage, sort, control, and organize systems. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize identifying and designing devices and processes in systems that integrate the following:

• Sensing: detecting, interpreting, and monitoring energy in a system using electric, electronic, fluid, or mechanical devices. Information is processed, and a decision is made that results in a specific outcome (e.g., the auto-stop function on a cassette player; an infra-red beam on a conveyor belt counts boxes as they pass).
• Switching: any method (e.g., mechanical, electronic) used to turn the flow of energy in a system off and on (e.g., a motion detector activates an alarm when an intruder is present; triggering the start of a model car on a ramp).
• Regulating: varying the flow, amount, and direction of all forms of energy (e.g., human, fluid, mechanical, electrical, heat).

Energy and Power refers to devices and processes that convert, transmit, and conserve forms of energy. The prescribed learning outcomes emphasize the analysis, design, and construction of systems that apply the following principles:

• Conversion: when energy is changed from one form to another (e.g., energy stored in a battery is converted into mechanical energy by an electric motor).
• Transmission: using devices and systems to transfer energy from one location to another (e.g., energy is transmitted from an electric motor through gears that turn the wheels of a model car, causing it to move).
• Conservation: using existing energy efficiently and finding alternative energy forms (e.g., aerodynamically designed vehicles; using solar energy to toast bread).

Table of Contents

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Education
MOE Curriculum Branch

© 1996 Copyright

Maintained by: Technology Education Coordinator

Revised: February 27, 1996

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