New Perspectives: Technology Teacher Education and Engineering Design
Roger B. Hill · Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) · 2006
Initiatives to integrate engineering design within the field of technology education are increasingly evident (Lewis, 2005;Wicklein, 2006).Alliances between technology education and engineering were prominent in the development of the Standards for Technological Literacy (International Technology Education Association, 2000), and leaders from both disciplines have expressed support for the outcomes described in the Standards (Bybee, 2000; Council of the National Academy of Engineering, 2000;Dugger, Meade, Delany, and Nichols, 2003;Gorham, Newberry, and Bickart, 2003).The National Science Foundation (NSF) has also encouraged and funded opportunities for technology educators and engineers to work collaboratively.The Bridges for Engineering Education projects and more recently the $10 million, 5-year funding for the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education exemplify the commitment of the NSF to support these activities.The history of technology education is replete with trends and changes in curriculum, technical content, instructional materials and equipment, instructional strategies, and even identity (Lewis, 2004(Lewis, , 1999;;Sanders, 2001).The profession has revised its name and made substantial efforts to affect public perceptions of the field.The historical benchmarks in technology education bear labels such as Industrial Arts Curriculum Project, Maryland Plan, Jackson's Mill, or Technology for All Americans.A movement to embrace engineering design as a focal element in technology education would be another significant event in the ongoing history of technology education and could become another benchmark in shaping the profession.