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127Abilities for a Technological World6CHAPTERGRADESK-2From the earliest grades, students willbe exposed to various products andsystems, and they will be givenopportunities to use them correctlyand to learn what happens when theyare used improperly. For example, studentscould learn how to use a clock to tell time,how to use a telephone correctly, and howto use basic hand tools properly. Thestudents should be encouraged to investigateeach item, perhaps by taking it apart or bycomparing it to similar items to discoverhow it works, its use, and its purpose.Young students are interested in everythingthey see around them and are asking ques-tions about how things work, why things area certain way, and how things came about.Students should be encouraged to findanswers to their questions using varioustools available to them. Children should beencouraged to follow directions — a type ofcommunication that offers guidance on howto use a tool or product correctly. Directionscan be written, verbal, or step-by-stepillustrations. Employing products and systems oftenrequires students to use common tools, suchas staplers, screwdrivers, rulers, scissors, andclamps. Although many students will haveused tools before, they may not know howto use them correctly. Through formal andinformal learning activities and guideddiscussions, students will learn the best andsafest way to use tools. Symbols are also important in thecommunication process. Students shouldrecognize that symbols are all around them,from logos representing their favorite sportsteams to warning signs on roads. Thesesymbols communicate information anddirections in an efficient manner, and theyallow children to “get the message” withoutusing a lot of words.As part of learning how to use andmaintain technological products andsystems, students in Grades K-2 shouldbe able toA. Disc

I want to consider some of the intriguing challenges and dilemmas (educational, legal, moral, and ethical) all this will increasingly pose in the years to come.

The consensus answer was that the emphasis should be on collaboration (learning with others, working with others—both keys to much of the advancement of the maker culture), learning how to think (specific subject matter is less important, with an important exception noted below), and being able to think in a systemic way (seeing how things fit together).

Education conferences are like church. Therefore, I must be devout. I attend at least one education conference a month. And although I do enjoy these gatherings—and I will continue to speak at, participate in, and live tweet these events—I also need to be honest: sometimes they feel more like religious rituals than opportunities to share ideas and learn new things.

Formative: Given throughout the learning process, formative assessments seek to determine how students are progressing through a certain learning goal