The Technology Department

Technology standards in New York State are included in the MST grouping:



According to the NYS Education Department,

"Historically, the subject area of technology education evolved from the subject area called industrial arts; as a result of the Futuring Project, a name change occurred in the mid 1980’s to what we now call technology education.

Although technology education programs offer students many opportunities to apply their mathematics and science skills, programs at the high school level offer additional opportunities to explore technology-related careers under the Career and Technical Education umbrella. At the intermediate level technology education is a required unit of study to be completed by the end of 8th grade"

New York regulation 100.4 stipulates:

"Except as otherwise provided herein, all students shall be provided instruction designed to enable them to achieve, by the end of grade eight, State intermediate learning standards through...library and information skills, the equivalent of one period per week in grade seven and eight."

Further,

"In public schools, library and information skills shall be taught by library media specialists and classroom teachers to ensure coordination and integration of library instruction with classroom instruction."

So my question is: exactly what constitutes the membership of the technology department that my home district is thanking?

Does the message refer to the certified technology teacher, who guides sixth graders through a ten-week 21st Century Technology Skills course? The middle school librarian, who instructs students in "library and information skills"? The classroom teachers, at all levels, who infuse technology in their lesson plans? The administrator who is Director of Technology?

Shouldn't ALL teachers be technology teachers?