Information • Middle School • High School
Course Descriptions • Essential Curriculum

Introduction

The Howard County Technology Education middle and high school programs prepare students for our scientific and technological world. We offer educational programs that focus on human endeavors to apply technology in the solution of societal problems that are part of core content, creating a technologically literate person and the education of all students.

Rationale and Standards for Technology Education

The work to develop content standards for Technology Education began in 1995 with the national Technology for All Americans Project (TFAAP). The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funded this project to develop a nationally viable rationale and structure for technology education. The International Technology Education Association (ITEA) led this effort, and in 1996 TfAAP published Technology for All Americans: A Rationale and Structure for the Study of Technology. This document provided the foundation for state Technology Education content standards and established the guidelines for what each person should know and be able to do in order to be technologically literate. ITEA continued to build upon this work to present a general-content framework for Technology Education, and in 2000, Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology was published and disseminated.

Technology: An Educational Discipline

As the primary instructional program delivering technological literacy in Howard County, the Technology Education program has defined, in measurable terms, what it means for Howard County youth to be “technologically literate,” which is the ability to use, manage, understand, and assess technology.

As evidenced in the final report of the Maryland State Visionary Panel, teachers must have access to a precise and challenging curriculum, one that is uniform in content and expectations and fully aligned with state standards. Additionally, teachers must have the technical assistance and support they need to translate curriculum into effective, individualized instruction.