NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
PDF on ERIC Download full text
ERIC Number: EJ965327
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 15
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1045-1064
EISSN: N/A
EnviroTech: Enhancing Environmental Literacy and Technology Assessment Skills
Rose, Mary Annette
Journal of Technology Education, v22 n1 p43-57 Fall 2010
It is no coincidence that many of the "Grand Challenges for Engineering" (National Academy of Engineering, 2007-2010)--such as carbon sequestration--address environmental problems that were precipitated by human inventiveness and engineering achievements. Although people recognize their dependence upon environmental processes to provide essential resources and ecosystem services, such as food and air purification, their understanding of the interconnections between the environment and technological activities has often been insufficient to predict technological impacts upon the environment. As evidence mounts that technological actions threaten the viability of ecosystems and public health, it is imperative that all citizens improve their environmental literacy and technology assessment skills if they are to break this untenable cycle and make progress toward sustainability. Practicing technology educators need professional development opportunities to enhance both their environmental and technological literacy. The EnviroTech Project, made possible by a grant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Ball State University, aimed to address this need. EnviroTech was a web-enabled professional development project, which occurred in the spring of 2009. This document describes the results of EnviroTech in terms of the impact it had upon a cohort of 19 practicing technology teachers. The mission of EnviroTech was to develop (1) understandings of environmental processes and systems; (2) skills for identifying, analyzing, and assessing the impacts of technology upon the environment; and (3) skills in the use of guided inquiry, an instructional strategy where teachers structure and scaffold the examination of problems and gaps in knowledge. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)
Journal of Technology Education. Web site: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A