Technology education has changed dramatically over the last few years. The transition of industrial arts to technology education and more recently the pursuit of design and engineering has resulted in technology education teachers often needing to change their curriculum and course activities to meet the demands of a rapidly changing profession.…

Student-directed projects motivate and educate the students, inform the public--and produce some very handsome furniture that may well become treasured family heirlooms that will live beyond their makers. In this article, the author describes how he adopted a student-directed approach in his Fine Woodworking course by setting up a two-project…

Students in technology education programs from middle school through high school around the nation are benefiting from--and enjoying--hands-on experience in mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, materials processing, basic electronics, robotics, industrial manufacturing, and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)-focused…

Students sometimes find introductory drafting and design a boring subject. They must learn the basic skills necessary for drafting and architecture and this may require repetition in order to reinforce those skills. One way to keep students interested is to have them draw objects they encounter in their own lives instead of abstract machine parts…

Discusses the advantages of a partnership between industrial arts and science education and describes some simple, useful projects that could result from the partnership. (JOW)

The term "tooling" refers to a variety of devices that increase production efficiency in manufacturing. Incorporating the appropriate tooling in the production process generally improves accuracy, speed, and safety. This in turn leads to more profit for the producer and lower prices for the consumer. This article introduces students to two common…

Teachers must be prepared to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society. Needs of businesses, society, and students must be identified and programs, teaching strategies, and attitudes toward technology; and its mandates must be changed to meet them. (JOW)

As a teacher, the author gets his biggest charge from seeing students' eyes light up when he asks them a question related to a topic on which they are the experts and he is the novice. Skateboarding provides a prime example. Since most of his students have a personal interest and involvement in skateboarding, he introduced a skateboard project to…

Technology educators should involve students in hands-on learning about tools, materials, processes, and techniques to teach problem-solving skills and enhance self-esteem. The debate about industrial arts versus technology education loses sight of the importance of making student projects meaningful. (SK)

Far and away, the issue causing the most concern--and the most excitement--among technology educators is "engineering." Some technology teachers see engineering as an invigorating new direction for the field. To them, engineering is the pinnacle of technological careers, and "engineering education" is a logical step forward for the profession…

Includes four articles: "Career Aspirations" (Field); "Making the Transition to a New Curriculum" (Baker, Householder); "How about a 'Work to School' Transition?" (Glasberg); and "Technological Improvisation: Bringing CNC to Woodworking" (Charles, McDuffie). (SK)