Why do Science? II - The Societal Perspective .Science and Change ?What is science

1?What is science

     Science is the concerted human effort to understand, or to understand better, the history of the natural world and how the natural world works, with observable physical evidence as the basis of that understanding¹. It is done through observation of natural phenomena, and/or through experimentation that tries to simulate natural processes under controlled conditions. (There are, of course, more definitions of science.)

     Consider some examples. An ecologist observing the territorial behaviors of bluebirds and a geologist examining the distribution of fossils in an outcrop are both scientists making observations in order to find patterns in natural phenomena. They just do it outdoors and thus entertain the general public with their behavior. An astrophysicist photographing distant galaxies and a climatologist sifting data from weather balloons similarly are also scientists making observations, but in more discrete settings.

     The examples above are observational science, but there is also experimental science. A chemist observing the rates of one chemical reaction at a variety of temperatures and a nuclear physicist recording the results of bombardment of a particular kind of matter with neutrons are both scientists performing experiments to see what consistent patterns emerge. A biologist observing the reaction of a particular tissue to various stimulants is likewise experimenting to find patterns of behavior. These folks usually do their work in labs and wear impressive white lab coats, which seems to mean they make more money too.

     The critical commonality is that all these people are making and recording observations of nature, or of simulations of nature, in order to learn more about how nature, in the broadest sense, works. We'll see below that one of their main goals is to show that old ideas (the ideas of scientists a century ago or perhaps just a year ago) are wrong and that, instead, new ideas may better explain nature.

So why do science? I - the individual perspective

     So why are all these people described above doing what they're doing? In most cases, they're collecting information to test new ideas or to disprove old ones. Scientists become famous for discovering new things that change how we think about nature, whether the discovery is a new species of dinosaur or a new way in which atoms bond. Many scientists find their greatest joy in a previously unknown fact (a discovery) that explains something problem previously not explained, or that overturns some previously accepted idea.

     That's the answer based on noble principles, and it probably explains why many people go into science as a career. On a pragmatic level, people also do science to earn their paychecks. Professors at most universities and many colleges are expected as part of their contractual obligations of employment to do research that makes new contributions to knowledge. If they don't, they lose their jobs, or at least they get lousy raises.

     Scientists also work for corporations and are paid to generate new knowledge about how a particular chemical affects the growth of soybeans or how petroleum forms deep in the earth. These scientists get paid better, but they may work in obscurity because the knowledge they generate is kept secret by their employers for the development of new products or technologies. In fact, these folks at Megacorp do science, in that they and people within their company learn new things, but it may be years before their work becomes science in the sense of a contribution to humanity's body of knowledge beyond Megacorp's walls.

Why do Science? II - The Societal Perspective

     If the ideas above help explain why individuals do science, one might still wonder why societies and nations pay those individuals to do science. Why does a society devote some of its resources to this business of developing new knowledge about the natural world, or what has motivated these scientists to devote their lives to developing this new knowledge?

     One realm of answers lies in the desire to improve people's lives. Geneticists trying to understand how certain conditions are passed from generation to generation and biologists tracing the pathways by which diseases are transmitted are clearly seeking information that may better the lives of very ordinary people. Earth scientists developing better models for the prediction of weather or for the prediction of earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions are likewise seeking knowledge that can help avoid the hardships that have plagued humanity for centuries. Any society concerned about the welfare of its people, which is at the least any democratic society, will support efforts like these to better people's lives.

     Another realm of answers lies in a society's desires for economic development. Many earth scientists devote their work to finding more efficient or more effective ways to discover or recover natural resources like petroleum and ores. Plant scientists seeking strains or species of fruiting plants for crops are ultimately working to increase the agricultural output that nutritionally and literally enriches nations. Chemists developing new chemical substances with potential technological applications and physicists developing new phenomena like superconductivity are likewise developing knowledge that may spur economic development. In a world where nations increasingly view themselves as caught up in economic competition, support of such science is nothing less than an investment in the economic future.

     Another whole realm of answers lies in humanity's increasing control over our planet and its environment. Much science is done to understand how the toxins and wastes of our society pass through our water, soil, and air, potentially to our own detriment. Much science is also done to understand how changes that we cause in our atmosphere and oceans may change the climate in which we live and that controls our sources of food and water. In a sense, such science seeks to develop the owner's manual that human beings will need as they increasingly, if unwittingly, take control of the global ecosystem and a host of local ecosystems.

     Lastly, societies support science because of simple curiosity and because of the satisfaction and enlightenment that come from knowledge of the world around us.  Few of us will ever derive any economic benefit from knowing that the starlight we see in a clear night sky left those stars thousands and even millions of years ago, so that we observe such light as messengers of a very distant past.  However, the awe, perspective, and perhaps even serenity derived from that knowledge is very valuable to many of us.  Likewise, few of us will derive greater physical well-being from watching a flowing stream and from reflecting on the hydrologic cycle through which that stream's water has passed, from the distant ocean to the floating clouds of our skies to the rains and storms upstream and now to the river channel at which we stand.  However, the sense of interconnectedness that comes from such knowledge enriches our understanding of our world, and of our lives, in a very valuable way.  In recognizing that the light of the sun and the water of a well are not here solely because we profit from their presence, we additionally gain an analogy from which we can recognize that the people in the world around us are not here solely to conform to our wishes and needs.  When intangible benefits like these are combined with the more tangible ones outlined above, it's no wonder that most modern societies support scientific research for the improvement of our understanding of the world around us.

How Research becomes Scientific Knowledge

     As our friends at Megacorp illustrate, doing research in the lab or in the field may be science, but it isn't necessarily a contribution to knowledge. No one in the scientific community will know about, or place much confidence in, a piece of scientific research until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal. They may hear about new research at a meeting or learn about it through the grapevine of newsgroups, but nothing's taken too seriously until publication of the data.

     That means that our ecologist has to write a paper (called a "manuscript" for rather old-fashioned reasons). In the manuscript she justifies why her particular piece of research is significant, she details what methods she used in doing it, she reports exactly what she observed as the results, and then she explains what her observations mean relative to what was already known.

     She then sends her manuscript to the editors of a scientific journal, who send it to two or three experts for review. If those experts report back that the research was done in a methodologically sound way and that the results contribute new and useful knowledge, the editor then approves publication, although almost inevitably with some changes or additions. Within a few months (we hope), the paper appears in a new issue of the journal, and scientists around the world learn about our ecologist's findings. They then decide for themselves whether they think the methods used were adequate and whether the results mean something new and exciting, and gradually the paper changes the way people think about the world.

     Of course there are some subtleties in this business. If the manuscript was sent to a prestigious journal like Science or Nature, the competition for publication there means that the editors can select what they think are only the most ground-breaking manuscripts and reject the rest, even though the manuscripts are all well-done science. The authors of the rejected manuscripts then send their work to somewhat less exalted journals, where the manuscripts probably get published but are read by a somewhat smaller audience. At the other end of the spectrum may be the South Georgia Journal of Backwater Studies, where the editor gets relatively few submissions and can't be too picky about what he or she accepts into the journal, and not too many people read it. For better or worse, scientists are more likely to read, and more likely to accept, work published in widely-distributed major journals than in regional journals with small circulation.

     To summarize, science becomes knowledge by publication of research results. It then may become more general knowledge as writers of textbooks pick and choose what to put in their texts, and as professors and teachers then decide what to stress from those textbooks. Publication is critical, although not all publication is created equal. The more a newly published piece of research challenges established ideas, the more it will be noted by other scientists and by the world in general.

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Science and Change (and Miss Marple)

     If scientists are constantly trying to make new discoveries or to develop new concepts and theories, then the body of knowledge produced by science should undergo constant change. Such change is progress toward a better understanding of nature. It is achieved by constantly questioning whether our current ideas are correct. As the famous American astronomer Maria Mitchell (1818-1889) put it, "Question everything".

     The result is that theories come and go, or at least are modified through time, as old ideas are questioned and new evidence is discovered. In the words of Karl Popper, "Science is a history of corrected mistakes", and even Albert Einstein remarked of himself "That fellow Einstein . . . every year retracts what he wrote the year before". Many scientists have remarked that they would like to return to life in a few centuries to see what new knowledge and new ideas have been developed by then - and to see which of their own century's ideas have been discarded. Our ideas today should be compatible with all the evidence we have, and we hope that our ideas will survive the tests of the future. However, any look at history forces us to realize that the future is likely to provide new evidence that will lead to at least somewhat different interpretations.

     Some scientists become sufficiently ego-involved that they refuse to accept new evidence and new ideas. In that case, in the words of one pundit, "science advances funeral by funeral". However, most scientists realize that today's theories are probably the future's outmoded ideas, and the best we can hope is that our theories will survive with some tinkering and fine-tuning by future generations.

     We can go back to Copernicus to illustrate this. Most of us today, if asked on a street corner, would say that we accept Copernicus's idea that the earth moves around the sun - we would say that the heliocentric theory seems correct. However, Copernicus himself maintained that the orbits of the planets around the sun were perfectly circular. A couple of centuries later, in Newton's time, it became apparent that those orbits are ellipses. The heliocentric theory wasn't discarded; it was just modified to account for more detailed new observations. In the twentieth century, we've additionally found that the exact shapes of the ellipses aren't constant (hence the Milankovitch cycles that may have influenced the periodicity of glaciation). However, we haven't gone back to the idea of an earth-centered universe. Instead, we still accept a heliocentric theory - it's just one that's been modified through time as new data have emerged.

     The notion that scientific ideas change, and should be expected to change, is sometimes lost on the more vociferous critics of science. One good example is the Big Bang theory. Every new astronomical discovery seems to prompt someone to say "See, the Big Bang theory didn't predict that, so the whole thing must be wrong". Instead, the discovery prompts a change, usually a minor one, in the theory. However, once the astrophysicists have tinkered with the theory's details enough to account for the new discovery, the critics then say "See, the Big Bang theory has been discarded". Instead, it's just been modified to account for new data, which is exactly what we've said ought to happen through time to any scientific idea.

     Try an analogy: Imagine that your favorite fictional detective (Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Nancy Drew, or whoever) is working on a difficult case in which the clues only come by fits and starts. Most detectives keep their working hypotheses to themselves until they've solved the case. However, let's assume that our detective decides this time to think out loud as the story unfolds, revealing their current prime suspect and hypothesized chronology of the crime as they go along. Now introduce a character who accompanies the detective and who, as each clue is uncovered, exclaims "See, this changes what you thought before - you must be all wrong about everything!" Our detective will think, but probably have the grace to not say, "No, the new evidence just helps me sharpen the cloudy picture I had before". The same is true in science, except that nature never breaks down in the last scene and explains how she done it.  

 

Science and Knowledge

     So what does all this mean? It means that science does not presently, and probably never can, give statements of absolute eternal truth - it only provides theories. We know that those theories will probably be refined in the future, and some of them may even be discarded in favor of theories that make more sense in light of data generated by future scientists. However, our present theories are our best available explanations of the world. They explain, and have been tested against, a vast amount of information.

Consider some of the information against which we've tested our theories:

We've examined the DNA, cells, tissues, organs, and bodies of thousands if not millions of species of organisms, from bacteria to cacti to great blue whales, at scales from electron microscopy to global ecology.

We've examined the physical behaviour of particles ranging in size from quarks to stars and at times scales from femtoseconds to millions of years.

We've characterized the 90 or so chemical elements that occur naturally on earth and several more that we've synthesized.

We've poked at nearly every rock on the earth's surface and drilled as much as six miles into the earth to recover and examine more.

We've used seismology to study the earth's internal structure, both detecting shallow faults and examining the behavior of the planet's core.

We've studied the earth's oceans with dredges, bottles, buoys, boats, drillships, submersibles, and satellites.

We've monitored and sampled Earth's atmosphere at a global scale on a minute-by-minute basis.

We've scanned outer space with telescopes employing radiation ranging in wavelength from infrared to X-rays, and we've sent probes to examine both our sun and the distant planets of our solar system.

We've personally explored the surface of our moon and brought back rocks from there, and we've sampled a huge number of meteorites to learn more about matter from beyond our planet.
     We will do more in the centuries to come, but we've already assembled a vast array of information on which to build the theories that are our present scientific understanding of the universe.

     This leaves people with a choice today. One option is to accept, perhaps with some skepticism, the scientific (and only theoretical) understanding of the natural world, which is derived from all the observations and measurements described above. The other option, or perhaps an other option, is to accept traditional understandings³ of the natural world developed centuries or even millennia ago by people who, regardless how wise or well-meaning, had only sharp eyes and fertile imaginations as their best tools.

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What Is Technology – Meaning of Technology and Its Use.ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY:

What Is Technology – Meaning of Technology and Its Use

1. 1.    DEFINITION:

What Is Technology? Technology is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and extracting of  materials. The term ‘Technology” is wide and everyone has their own way of understanding the meaning of technology. We use technology to accomplish various tasks in our daily lives, in brief; we can describe technology as products, processes or organizations. We use technology to extend our abilities, and that makes people as the most important part of any technological system.

Technology is also an application of science to solve a problem. But what you have to know is that technology and science are different subjects which work hand-in-hand to accomplish a specific task or solve a particular problem.

We apply technology in almost everything we do in our lives, we use technology at work, we use it to , extract materials , we use technology for communication, transportation, learning, manufacturing, creating artifacts, securing data, scaling businesses and so much more.  Technology is human knowledge which involves tools, materials and systems. The application of technology results in artifacts or products. If technology is well applied, it can benefit humans, but if it is wrongly applied, it can cause harm to human beings.

Many businesses are using technology to stay competitive, they create new products and services using technology, and they also use technology to deliver those products and services to their customers on time. A good example is, mobile phones companies like Apple & Samsung, these two electronics companies, use high end technology to create new smartphones and other electronic devices to stay competitive. This competitive edge is gained through employing advanced technology.

Let’s take a simple example on how people use technology on a daily basis,

See figure (1) below:

 

1. 2.     ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY:

Technology is dynamic; it keeps on improving because even our needs and demands for technology keep on changing.  We have moved from the industrial age (industrial revolution) to an information age. During the industrial age, companies with large sums of capital had the potential of employing expensive technological tools to gain competitive advantage; small businesses had less potential because they could not afford expensive manufacturing or processing technological tools. But, the advancement in technology has created a new economic environment which depends on information and that is what I call ‘’INFORMATION AGE’’, the information age provides a different work environment and this has helped small businesses gain position in highly competitive markets.

Let’s take a simple example and see how technology has advanced;

See figure (2) below;

 

1. 3.    TYPES AND EXAMPLES OF TECHNOLOGY:

We use technology to accomplish various tasks, so technology comes in different types, below I have listed some of the different types of technology we use on a daily basis and on each type of technology I have included an example of that particular technology.

• Communication Technology:  This is a system that uses technical means to transmit information or data from one place to another or from one person to another.  Communication is used for many purposes; it is used to convey ideas, exchange information and express emotions. Humans use communication technology tools like phones, computers, emails, fax, text messaging tools to stay in touch with friends and family , then, businesses use communication technology tools to facilitate the flow if information in a workplace, to help in decision making , to serve customers needs and requests, to promote new products or services to targeted consumers and so much more.

Example of Communication Technology:

KUDOS Presenter for iPhone Presentation

Let your iPhone control your power point presentations. This KUDOS presenter uses audio connector to communicate. So you can improve the way you make power point presentation using your iPhone with this KUDOS technology. Learn more about KUDOS here

• Construction Technology: This is the study of advanced methods and equipments which can be used to build structures. Construction builds two types of structures. These include buildings and heavy engineering structures. Construction uses various technological actions to erect a structure on the site where it will be. The use of construction technological tools like heavy tractors to prepare land where the construction will be, computer design software to create designs for structures on computers and in 3D format, using various construction technologies to enclose structures and install utilities has helped in advancing both residential buildings and commercial buildings today.

 

Example of Constriction Technology:

Factory-Reconditioned Stanley Bostitch

It works as an air compressor and a nail gun at the same time. Buy it from AMAZON.COM

 

• Assistive Technology: This is the type of technology which is used by people with disabilities to accomplish specific tasks which seem to be difficult or impossible to perform. The term ”Assistive” means helping or providing an extra hand. Assistive technology is being used in schools to help students with Autism to learn better, it is used to help people with disabled bodies’ move, speech recognition application help people who can’t type with a keyboard to use a computer and so much more. Due to advancement in technology, we have a variety of assistive technologies which can assist you accomplish anything which might seem difficult.

Example of Assistive Technology:

Off road wheelchair:

Image from: www.wheelchairdriver.com

This off road wheelchair can assist people with disabilities to move comfortably.

• Medical Technology: This is the type of technology which is used to extend and improve human life. Medical technology reduces patient’s pain, and injury. Developed countries have benefited from the use of medical technology in their health care systems and this explains the reason why people in developed countries leave longer than people in developing countries. Medical technology is used to diagnose infections, treat diseases and to make research on diseases affecting humans.

Example of medical technology:

TAP 20™ for Point-of-Care Testing – SeventhSense

Image from: www.7sbio.com

This Point-of-Care Testing can help doctors obtain patient’s blood without diagnosis. It comes with so many advantages which include:

– It’s painless for the patient.

-It keeps the blood sample until used for testing

Learn more about Point-of-Care testing here

 

• Information Technology:  Information Technology  is a set of hardware and software tools used to store information. Information technology tools help in providing the right people with the right information at the right time. Knowledge workers in organization use information technology to complete various tasks and these can include; transferring of information which facilitates decision making with in an organization, improve customer service, and so much more. In this information age, it is very important to manage information systems to ensure accuracy and efficiency. Management information systems (MIS) involves planning for, development, management, and use of information technology tools to help knowledge workers and people perform all tasks related to information processing and management. Big financial institutions like ”BANKS” use information technology to operate their entire businesses as well as serve their customers.

Examples of information technology tools:

Transporter:

This IT based technological tool will enable you share, access and protect files. Transporter is an online, off-cloud storage solution which supports private sharing of valuable files. Unlike cloud storage facilities like Dropbox.com & Box.com, this device is private and it can allow you to store your files remotely and share them with your employees or partners. To use the device remotely, you will have to create a free online account, create shared documents, and much more, the only difference with Dropbox.com, is that the files are stored on this device, so the all cloud service is brought to your office or home. Learn more about Transporter here

 

• Entertainment Technology: This is a process of using various technological components to create an entertainment experience. Since entertainment is too broad, every one gets entertained in their own way. Technology is used to build theaters, it is used to create video games, to develop musical systems and so much more.  Entertainment technology includes things like video, sound, automation. Animations, scenery fabrication, computer simulations. Interactive environments and so much more.

Example of Entertainment Technology:

 gTar:

For those who want to play a guitar but you have always found it difficult, you can opt for this engineered guitar. The gTar can be played by anyone , it is an electrical guitar which comes a free gTar app which has test songs that you can start playing right away. Buy this gTar from here:

• Business Technology: This is the type of technology which is made up of various hardware tools and software applications used to run a business and enhance various business operations. Many businesses are using technology to scale and grow big. Small businesses have used technology to create new ways of competing with well established companies. To some extent, some business technologies can make a small company look like a big company and this can help a small business gain position in a competitive market.

Example of business technology:

3D Printer – Created by formlabs

This is an affordable 3D printer which can help designers create advanced 3D objects. It’s size and design is good, so it can fit well on your office desk. With this 3D printer, you can create as many 3D models as you want. Use its software to generate thin, breakable support structures. Learn more about this FORM1 3D printer here:

Educational Technology: Is the type of technology which aims at improving performance by creating and managing various technological processes and resources. It is an academic discipline which prepares individuals to acquire deeper understanding and knowledge. It helps them learn how to devise solutions to problems through research, design, evaluation and utilization. Educational technology helps in improving the way we learn, some of the benefits of educational technology include:

– It motivates students and it encourages individual learning.

– It makes the access of educational material easy.

– It helps students learn new subjects and languages through Gamification

Example of Education Technology:

Markup:

Teachers you can try this Paperless grading application for iPad. If you want to have a paperless classroom and your students have access to iPads, then this technology will be of great use to you and your students. Markup has completely changed the way teachers mark test and exam papers, students can submit electronic papers to be marked by their teachers electronically, this saves time and resources on both sides. Try out this Markup application for ipad from here (www.showme.com )

 

1. 4.    WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE?

Technology is not applied science, both technology and science are closely related but they are different in so many ways. Technology develops and explains the human-made world; it involves development, processing and management;

While

Science explains the natural world; science refers to systematic methodology which is used to gather accurate information about the shared reality. During the process of gathering this information, technological tools are used. For example, microscopes are biological tools which can be used to study specific facts about anything with life.

Scientific knowledge is gathered from detached observations. Scientists can use this gathered information using technological tools to explain why certain things happen and this all process can be described as research.

As humans, we use both technology and science together, that is why we confuse these two to be the same. Science is knowledge of the natural world while technology is human-made world determined by processing, development and management.

For you to understand the difference between science and technology, see example in figure (3) below:

Figure (3)

Look closely at image (a), it shows you a volcanic mountain erupting, this is a natural state of our world, and it is only science which explains how this volcanic activity happens basing on extensive research and data gathered by scientist. In image (b) , we see a scientist using a microscope to make research and gather data. A microscope is human-made technology designed to help scientists make research. So that means that both concepts work hand in hand, but they are completely different. Humans have developed various technological tools to help us solve problems during our daily lives, but also this technology can affect the natural setup of our environment if applied wrongly.

 

1. 5.    ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TECHNOLOGY?

Technology is good because it simplifies the way we do things in our daily lives, however, if technology is wrongly applied, it can be harmful in so many ways. Technology is developed by humans, so we can use it to accomplish almost every task; it makes the impossible look possible.  However, for you to understand the advantage and disadvantage of technology today, we can use an example in figure (4) below:

Figure (4)

As you can see in the photo above, if technology is well implemented it can be of great use to humanity, but it can also cause harm. Below I have detailed points on the advantage and disadvantage of technology in business, classroom or education.

Advantages of Technology in Business:

• 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 like SKYPE, text messaging services and electronic mail to exchange important business information.

 

Disadvantages of Technology in Business:

• 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.

 

Advantages of Technology in the Classroom:

• 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 like Piazza.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.

 

Disadvantages of Technology in the Classroom:

• 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.

 

1. 6.    HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS USING TECHNOLOGY?

Technology is designed with a purpose of solving problems; it has to meet human needs and wants. We use technology in so many ways; at least everyone uses technology in one-way or another. A problem exists when we encounter difficulty; problem solving is a human behavior, though our approach varies from person-to-person. During the process of solving a problem, the following is taken into consideration;

• 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.

Figure (5)

Look closely at the photo above, on the left we see the problem is traffic jam in the city and on the right, you can see that one of the solutions of solving this traffic jam is by using high speed electronic trains. The problem was identified and technology was used to plan the solution and implement that solution in the city. The use of high speed electronic trains has reduced traffic jam in big cities like Newyork. Below I have listed four basic phases you need to know about when solving problems with technology.

• 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.

In conclusion, judging from the 4 steps of solving a problem using technology, you will see that the technology we are using started with an idea of solving a problem or meeting an opportunity. A person or a group of people saw the problem or the opportunity and they designed solutions of meeting that problem or opportunity. Today we have various technologies which where designed to solve simple problems, for example, social networks like Facebook.com, twitter.com have solved communication and social interaction problem.

As I conclude this chapter of ‘’WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?’’ , let me guess that you deeply understand the meaning of technology, types of technology being used today, the advantages and disadvantages of technology and how you can use technology to solve daily problems or meet opportunities