Fire is a good servant but a bad master.
Proverb
What is Technology?
The answer can really differ, many see it currently as Enabler/Accelerator and Preventer/Obstacle at once. But true is then this views are older then today’s era of tablets – The freedom of current generation To do what I want with my own device.
If today young generation is so surrounded by Technology, so may be we need to use another approach based of many possible IN and OUT views, where in centre is PERSONA and not a Discipline or an Industry:
Science, Engineering, Design, Art as focus on directions and Communication, Technology plus (math) Models as supportive tools.
It is difficult to predict,
especially the future.
Danish proverb
In EU we had recently years of science, now we have years on engineering (In Slovak they will invest 12Milion Euros into engineering education), but we are missing this integration notion of STEAM. PERSONAl view will help us to empathise, then we can’t predict who will be able solve upcoming human problems like ones addressing lack of resources:
Will it be a Scientist giving us more unlimited power of cold fusion, who will also understand language of engineering so he/she will be able to make it also extremely cheap by including later nano technologies applications ?
Will it be a Engineer giving us more instant energy with super capacitor, who will also understand language of Design so he/she will be able to make it morphing in any space by on demand manufacturing ?
Will it be a Designer giving us more smart efficient appliances in Internet of Thinks style, who will also understand language of Art so he/she will be able to make it natural looking in any live or home styles ?
Will it be a Artist (Dyslectic Cook) giving us more inspiration of insects consummation, who will also understand language of Tinkering (coocking fusion) so he/she will be able to make it so crazy and unusual then peoples will like it and will follow it ?
We really don’t know, we even can’t know, mostly is possible then we need all of them at once being able to communicate one with other, this is why our talented kids need power of integrated STEAM in Europe too.
PS: Some time ago many peoples in my country believe then dyslectics are at least half-witted and cook carrier is maximum what they can do in their lives, funny, I found then Fusion cuisine is type of Tinkering anybody can try at their home 🙂
Forefront
History is a novel for which the people is the author.
Alfred de Vigny
On my workshops I often show peoples tablet in my hand and I ask then If this is a technology? Of course. YES! , then I point to pens in my pocket and ask again Are these a technology ? Not so many are agree!
One of the possible most integrated views on Technology, which can attract upcoming generation of digital kids is:
TECHNOLOGY is concentrated in most useful form past experience of previous generations of Scientists, Engineers, Designers and Artists.
These my coloured ball pens have special with magic ink in them, what is written can be removed by friction. Excellent tool for person like me – vizualist and dyslectic at once! It’s based on Fountain Pen Fountain Pen Day and fountain pen Ink Inks experience.
Both Instruments and Ink are good examples how Art & Design plus Science & Engendering cooperate for centuries to make possible creation of my magic ball pens I am holding now in my hands: Invertors: A Brief History of Writing Instruments & Pen and Ink Drawings (History, Types, Effects of Drawing with Pen and Ink.) plus History of Ink & History of INK (Infographics)
For inspiration
Students depend on paper too much.
What will they do
when they run out of paper?
School Principal (1815)
A different way to think about technology in education: Greg Toppo at TEDxAshburn