9: Technological Literacy
Aaddress important issues raised by the pervasive role of technology in society. Other Information:
We inhabit a world in which technology is both pervasive and integral. Technology affects virtually every facet of our lives,
directly or indirectly. We depend on technology to maintain our health, the safety of our borders, the strength of our economy,
and the smooth functioning of our government. At the same time, the nature of technology is such that not every desired outcome
is achieved, and unexpected -- often undesired -- consequences occur alongside intended ones. The use of every technology
entails risk. Technologies change society, even as they are changed by it. And all technologies have limits, for example,
in terms of their inability to deal with ambiguity or solve problems that are primarily social in nature. Given the centrality
of technology to our daily lives and to the future of the nation, and given the complex social dynamics of technological systems,
what ought Americans to know about technology? More important, perhaps, what role might we wish people to play in helping
decide what technology is developed and for what purposes? What sorts of changes in formal and informal education are needed
to equip citizens to participate usefully in this process? The NAE Program on Technological Literacy addresses these and related
questions. Through the program, the NAE leverages the expertise and influence of its members to raise the visibility of technological
literacy as an issue on the national agenda and to encourage specific improvements in the U.S. education system.
Objective(s):
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