Technology Content, Process, and Standards

Abstract

If status of a school subject is at issue, then content, benchmarks, and standards cannot be underestimated. Of course, the question is what content and what (or whose) standards? Technology has suffered as a school subject in many ways because of the lack of consistent content and a defensible set of standards. What technology should a student in grade 2 know about and be able to use? What about grade 6, grade 8, grade 10, or grade 12, at graduation? What are the benchmarks for each grade level? We do not yet know. Should we have consistent technology content and standards for all students from K-12? Should all teachers abide by the content and standards? Should we have exams to monitor the students and teachers? Or should teachers have the freedom to teach what they want? If a student moves from one school to another, he or she will face a different curriculum with different goals. But the teachers will have the freedom and power to make professional judgments about what to teach. Who should make these judgments?