Preface Technology Education at both elementary and secondary schools levels has become an important means to develop citizens' technological literacy for all worldwide. In Taiwan, Living Technology is also necessary to be energetically offered at both elementary and secondary school levels in order to improve technological literacy of the public. This brief introduction is to present the national status of technological literacy education at both elementary and secondary school levels, and provides examples of schools, written by school teachers, in the hope that domestic and international people will gain a better understanding of the ideal and reality of this field. We would like to acknowledge the support of funds for facilitating academic performances from the National Taiwan Normal University. Also, thanks to hardworking authors and editors. All of them are essential to the publication of this brief introduction. Lung-Sheng Steven Lee (Professor & Dean) July 2004 1 The National Status The Overview of Technology Education in Taiwan The Technology Education in Kindergartens, Elementary Schools, and Junior High Schools Technology Education at the Senior High School Level Technology Teacher Education Professional Associations and Events of Technology Education Examples of Schools The Affiliated Kindergarten of National Taiwan Normal University Taipei Municipal Jianan Elementary School Taichung Municipal Li Ming Elementary School Taipei Municipal Renai Junior High School Taipei Municipal Jinhua Junior High School The Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University Taipei County Fuho Junior High School Taipei Municipal Lishan Junior High School National Taichung Second Senior High School Taipei Municipal Yongchun Senior High School Taipei Jingmei Girls High School 12 The National Status The Overview of Technology Education in Taiwan The Technology Education in Kindergartens, Elementary Schools, and Junior High Schools Technology Education at the Senior High School Level Technology Teacher Education Professional Associations and Events of Technology Education 13 The Overview of Technology Education in Taiwan Technology, people's livelihood, following multiple aspects: breeding economy and culture are interrelated and technological talents, advancing interdependent. The public sometimes economic development, solving refer to "technology" as "science & technological problems, and facilitating technology"; however, most of the time social adaptation. they mean by "technology" related to Entering in to the era of knowledge and people's life.The relationship of life and innovation, we have to rely on the technology is getting closer than before. professional technology education which In order to become wise consumers and can foster skillful talents and have to producers of technological products, enhance all people's the education of service, system and society, people have technological literacy in order to become to be quipped with technological literacy the Asia-Pacific technology island and besides the basic skills of reading, writing modernized country. The goal of and calculating. technology education in kindergarten, The major learning areas of technology elementary, and junior high school in education of elementary school and Taiwan is to assist students to develop the secondary school implemented in many ability to be aware of, explore, understand, countries are as followed: technology use and manage technology in order to education, design and technology, adapt to current and future technological information technology, technical skill, society.In fact, the technology education and technology / engineering. It is a of all people can be implemented through integral course in general education, many formal and informal curricula and because it is regarded as emphasizing instructions; all in all it mainly relies on multiple knowledge and skills, practical, Living Technology subject. experience, and also facilitating The Living Technology subject was individual holistic education. evolved from"Manual Arts"and" This education is beneficial for the Industrial Arts". This subject has changed Utilization of Technology Daily Life- N.T.U Smart House(low-energy building) 14 as time went by. It not onlyhas changed in revision. name, but also the content. Currently, this subject was instructed in projects in our kindergarten. The focus is on assisting children to be aware of the existence of technological world. Before the implementation of national Grade 1-9 Curriculum Guide in 2001, we did not have a stand-alone Living Technology course in elementary schools(grades 1 - 6). It was integrated into the "Arts and Crafts" course, and it emphasized "to combine life, and technological knowledge and skill, and to enhance the quality of life". We have Living Technology course in junior and senior high schools, and the structure of this course is based on four main technological systems (Technology and Life, Information and Communication, Construction and Manufacture, and Energy and Transportation.) After the implementation of Grade 1-9 Curriculum Guide, the technology education and science education of elementary and junior high school (grades 1 - 9) were integrated into the learning area of "Science and Technology". In addition, the course was implemented according to competence indicators. Technology courses focus on the integrative ability of the following aspects: food, material, mechanical application, electricity and its application, information and information communication, residence, transportation, the exploitation and utilization of energy, originality and fabrication. In senior high school(grades 10-12), we have a stand- alone "Living Technology" subject, and its national curriculum guide is under 15 The Technology Education in Our Kindergartens, Elementary Schools, and Junior High Schools The early childhood education Conservation,Information Technology, primarily focuses on health education, and valuing the knowledge and skill of life education and ethics education, and it science and scientific study, developing tightly links to family education in order the sentiments of respecting life, loving to maintain the soundness of children s environment, utilizing technology and body and mind, develop children s good information, and implementing in daily habits, enrich their life experiences, life. enhance their ethical concepts, and Next we are going to introduce develop their sociable habitual behavior. the curriculum evolution, goal, content, We have implemented Grade1-9 characteristics, and implementation of Curriculum Guide since 2001.The Guide technology education in our kindergarten , to integrates students' life experiences elementary and junior high school: into education situations, and we 1. Curriculum Evolution provided seven learning areas: Languages, We did not plan a stand-alone Health and Physics Education, Social technology instruction in our Studies, Arts and Humanities, kindergarten curriculum guide; however, Mathematics, Science and Technology, some courses of two learning areas and Integrative Activities originated from "Working" and "Common Sense" include three aspects: individual development, developing good working habit and social culture and natural environment. attitude, recognizing common material Technology education is embedded in the and tool of daily life, designing "science and technology" learning area. production, understanding simple This sub- area emphasizes the linkage of dynamics, mechanics and daily nature, science and technology, and its application. In this way, technological major contents include: Material and literacy education is embedded. Energy, Biology, Earth, Ecological Before the implementation of Grade 1-9 Curriculum, also we did not have a stand- alone subject teaching Technology Education; however, part of the content of "Manual Arts" or "Arts and Crafts" include Technology Education. After implementing Grade 1-9 Curriculum in 2001, Technology Education was integrated into "Life" learning area in grades 1-2, and integrated into "Science and Technology" learning area in grades 3-6.In this way."Science and Technology" 16 Learning area is more consistent and develop the interest of working, to integrative. facilitate their ability to appreciate beauty, Technology Education of junior high publish, and create. The goal of school formerly was crafts-oriented or "Common Sense" is: to appeal children's manufacture-oriented; however, it is now attention to and interest of nature problem solving-oriented. In addition, phenomena and social life, to guide them the content has shifted from "Manual to observe and analyze natural and social Arts", "Industrial Arts" to "Living environment, to develop their nature- Technology" in 1993 and implemented in loving and sociable habit and attitude, and 1997. During this period, this curriculum to inspire their learning interest of was presented by four learning areas: number, quantity, and shape, and let them Technology and Life, Construction and do uncomplicated application of these Manufacturing, Information and abilities, to develop their correct concepts, Communication, and Energy and attitude, and methods of natural science. Transportation. Nevertheless, in order to We can see from the above that we can enhance nationals' quality and national develop children's technological literacy competitiveness, our government through these courses. announced the "Tentative Grade 1-9 The major goal of "Science and Curriculum Guide".