What Is Technology – Meaning of Technology and Its Use
ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY:
- 3. TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Communication Technology:
- Construction Technology:
- Assistive Technology:
- Medical Technology:
- Information Technology:
- Entertainment Technology:
- Business Technology:
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE?
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TECHNOLOGY?
- Increases production: Technology helps businesses automate most tasks and this process results into increased production and efficiency. Business can automate tasks in the accounting department by using accounting software like QuickBooks. Bakeries can automate the temperature room by using temperature sensors to detect a drop or an increase in temperature.
- Technology Helps small business gain competitive advantage: If business technology is well implemented, it can help a small business gain position in a competitive market. Some of the ways small businesses use technology to scale out and gain a good position in the market are; improving customer care services through internet technologies like social networks and electronic mail, creating new products and services tailored basing on customers needs and wants
- Saves time: Since most of the activities in the business are automated, time is saved during the process. Computers can be used to perform various business tasks, for example a computer can be used to record data, it can be used in video conferencing, and much more.
- Technology accelerates innovation: The only way small businesses can succeed in today’s competitive world is by using technology to create new products or services. Small businesses can use internet technology to collect information about targeted consumers, so that they understand their needs and wants, this information can be used when tailoring new products or services.
- It improves sharing of information: Many businesses use internal networks to facilitate the flow of information with in the organization. This internal network can help in the transfer of information among different departments at work. Also employees can share different technologies like printers, fax machines and internet via an internal network. This easy flow of information also improves on the speed at which decisions are made in a business.
- It improves on data storage: It is very important to keep business data secure, because a disaster can strike your business and you lose all important information. The use of databases and remote storage facilities helps in keeping business information and data secure and accessible from anywhere.
- Technology simplifies business communication: Every business survives on communication; you need to communicate with your suppliers, business partners and employees, so technology will make this all process simple. Many businesses use communication technologies like mobile phones, video conferencing applications likeSKYPE, text messaging services and electronic mail to exchange important business information.
- It’s expensive: Technology comes at a price, not every small business can manage to use technology. After buying and integrating technology in business, you will have to pay another cost of maintaining that technology, monthly maintenance is recommended and this can be expensive.
- Not Safe: Technology is not safe; it is very easy to lose business data through internet technology. Hackers can easily access your remote database and use your business data for their own personal needs.
- Disconnectedness: Over-dependence on technology has killed workplace relationships, employees and business managers communicate through email, phones, text messages and video conferences, this kills face-face communication. Also most tasks are being automated, so you find that employees have less involvement in the final product which leads to dissatisfaction and workplace boredom.
- Technology Promotes individual learning: Students can use their ipads and internet to make personal research online and educate them selves. When a student is in control of what they learn, they will have no fear of making mistakes and this will encourage them to explore more about a specific subject. Many teachers are allowing students to carry out personal research on specific subjects; the results can be shared with other students or the entire classroom via a smart white board.
- It Promotes Students engagement in classroom: Since educational technologies like digital white boards are interactive, teachers can give students a chance to teach their fellow students using this interactive white board. Also the integration of Gamification technologies keeps students entertained and attentive while in the classroom, because games remove that boring atmosphere in the classroom. Students can learn subjects like Math and English through playing games.
- Technology Helps students learn how to write and spell: The use of computers to take notes in the classroom has helped so many students learn how to write well composed essays. Computers have word applications and built-in dictionaries which will auto-correct grammar mistakes while students are taking notes in the classroom. Also teachers are encouraging students to create personal blogs so that they can practice and improve on their writing and spelling skills.
- Technology Encourages group learning: The use of group sharing technologies likePiazza.com / Snagit / NoodleTools.com has helped shy students join discussion groups in the classroom without exposing their identities. Group discussions help students ask questions and learn more about a specific subject. Group discussions tend to create a strong relationship among students in the classroom and they also help shy students learn how to socialize with others in the classroom.
- It prepares students for technical working environments: Students are taught how to use computers and various technological tools which can be of great benefit when they complete school and start applying for jobs. As the world keeps on advancing, all jobs of the future will require applicants to have some technical skills. So the use of technology in the classroom prepares students for tomorrow’s technical working conditions.
- Technology encourages risk taking due to the challenges it presents: Technology is challenging to learn and it presents students with puzzles to solve. During this process of solving academic puzzles, student’s brains become sharp and they tend to get interest in taking more risks. Life is about taking risks, so if our students learn how to take risks while in the classroom, then it will be easier for them to take more calculated risks after school.
- Technology provides assistance to students with disabilities: Assistive educational technology like iPads, Robots, Games can help students with diseases like Autism learn how to speak and write. Also deaf students can easily communication using mobile text messaging in the classroom and this can increase their engagement in the classroom.
- Technology bridges the gap between teachers and students: Teachers and students are using advanced educational technologies to connect more than before. New mobile text messaging technologies like www.remind101.com ,can be used by teachers to remind their students about research work, remind them to prepare for a test or exam
- Technology simplifies teachers work: Teachers have found creative ways of making their work easier by using technology in the classroom. For example, a teacher does not need to go through the hassle of marking thousands of exam / test papers, now we have a new iPad application ‘’Markup’’ which turns all students exams into electrical papers and teachers can mark these exam papers with an iPad. This creates a paperless classroom, because most students can afford computers, so exams are assigned to students electronically.
- Distraction in the classroom: Students love to use technology in the classroom but it tends to distract them, for example, the use of mobile phones to study in the classroom, distracts some students. Most of these smartphones have social applications like twitter, facebook,Youtube and Pinterest; students tend to use these social applications on their smartphones for entertainment purposes while in the classroom.
- It is expensive: Schools with small budgets can not afford to integrate technology in their classrooms. Also parents with limited income can not afford to buy laptops or iPads for their children. So not every school or student will be in position to use technology in the classroom. Then for schools which have managed to integrate technology in their classrooms, find trouble when it comes to maintaining these educational technologies.
- Requires Training: Both teachers and students need extra training on how to use various educational technologies, this can cost both time and money.
- HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS USING TECHNOLOGY?
- Develop an understanding of the problem through observation.
- Devise a plan for solving that problem.
- Implementing the plan.
- Evaluating the plan.
- Technology will be used in all those four stages of problem solving, however, for you to easily understand how to solve problems using technology, see example in figure (5) below.
- Identifying a technological problem: During this stage, you will need to define the problem by explaining the situation that needs a technological solution, and establishing the criteria that technological system or device has to meet. Then you have to gather information needed to begin developing solutions for the problem or situation.
- Developing a solution: During this phase, you will need to develop possible solutions that can solve a given problem. You will test more than one solution, until you refine the best solution to solve that problem permanently and meet the opportunity.
- Evaluating the solution: At this stage, you will be modeling the best solution through testing and evaluating all proposed solutions by use of graphics, statistics and mathematical modeling techniques. For you to select the best technological solution, you will need to compare the design solutions in terms of economic, market, technical, production and environmental criteria to determine the best solution to that particular problem.
- Communicating the solution: Now that you have evaluated all solutions, it is time to communicate the final solution to your team through graphical drawings, reports and mathematical means. If you agree with your team, you can now go ahead and present the solution for approval from the management or government.