Techdigitalweb – Technology literacy is essential in human experiences, judgments, and actions. It also has an impact on every aspect of society. It allows people to learn and enables them to develop the concepts.
From this reading, we can understand the concepts and systems. Additionally, we know the consequences of technology as part of human growth.
Defining Technology and Technological Literate
Many people see technology as the product or also known as technological artifacts. They include products like computers, cell phones, or even the space shuttle. It is more a way of a human endeavor to adapt or change the natural world.
Because of that, we need to clarify the term. Besides, we should know why it is included in some schools as the core curriculum. By understanding the definition, we can establish a rationale and characteristics in a person.
Seeing the term makes us link it to certain slogans or phrases. You may be familiar with adult literacy or computer literacy. Yet, others share their current thoughts and describe technology and technological literacy differently.
A study defines technology as the use of knowledge in the generation. It is a process that helps solve human problems and extends their capabilities.
We can say that technology literacy is anything people do to modify the natural world. So, it can meet and fulfill human needs. It can ease human work and their daily activities.
Technological literacy allows people to use, assess, manage, and even understand technology. This term includes knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities. The further explanation will be described in the paragraphs below.
Knowing The Characteristics
Technology literacy presents an essential quality, particularly for all people. It is part of the development in the technology-driven world. Moreover, it enables us to have a broad understanding of the human design world.
Let see the following definition of technological literacy in a person.
1. Knowledge
Someone who is technologically literate means understanding the involvement of technology in systems. It involves more than facts and information. It is designed to achieve goals.
Technologically literate means one can synthesize the information to get new insights. This person can recognize the expansion of technology in everyday life. They know the benefits and risks.
This person is familiar with nature and core concepts. They know the design process limitations. Besides, they can identify the scope of technology.
Technology literacy is the result of human activity, including innovations. It also reflects the values and culture of society.
2. Ways of Thinking and Acting
In the characteristics of a way of thinking and acting, one is a problem solver. They consider the technological issue from a different point of view. This understanding relates them to various contexts.
They ask pertinent questions to themselves or others. They try to reveal the benefits and risks of technology.
Additionally, they appreciate the interrelationship between individuals and technology. It makes them connect an individual to society and the environment.
A technologically literate person combines multiple characteristics from various backgrounds. It includes engineers, designers, artists, technicians, sociologists, etc. All of them are interwoven and perform synergistically.
This person can understand and appreciate technological developments. They know the importance of the fundamentals in technology development.
3. Capabilities
If technologically literate persons have capabilities, they use the concepts from sciences and mathematics. They also apply concepts from language arts, social studies, and other content areas. They apply it as a tool to understand and manage the technology system.
This person can identify the problems and suggest the appropriate solutions. They can assess and forecast the results by implementing the chosen solution.
By understanding technology literacy, we can make informed judgments about its risk and benefit. They can use and manage technological processes and systems. It helps them to improve their efficiency and appropriateness.
To solve technological issues, one has to use a strong and oriented system. Technologically literate persons should use a creative and productive approach. Thus, having the capabilities is essential for technologically literate persons.
The Importance of Technological Literacy
Recently, we can see that technology is growing fast. It makes people live in a wide technological world. Although technology changes gradually, it presents positive impacts on people.
If we look through history, society has given names in each major period. Society gives names based on time upon it, like the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Industrial Revolution, etc.
Nowadays, we live in a technological world that is ever advancing. It allows people to act or decide to have global consequences.
They learn and live in the Twenty-First Century. It requires more processes than the traditional time. One should be able to develop it following the development of technology.
Technology affects people in almost every phase of life. It is not only the current but also future lives. Thus, understanding technology literacy is essential to adapt to the development.
People can perform their daily tasks. Moreover, technology development can support humans’ ability to have informed and responsible decisions. Then, it can affect people, whether as individuals or society as a whole.
Technological literacy persons can influence the environment as well. So, they have to know it better and apply it in their daily life.
As a citizen, we must have a basic understanding of how technology affects the world. We should know how society exists within and around technology.
The past teaches us to learn. It tells us that society lets the citizens develop technological literacy. So, they can apply it in their daily lives.
Aside from that, the demands in our current society can adapt. It is also applied in the educational system. It is an essential part of everyday activities.
Thinking about technology makes people learn about the core goals. It allows us to stress all the important skills in technology. So, we realize that a person literate in technology varies.
This reading lets us learn the essential components that support technology development. It includes knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities. Therefore, we can improve the components of technology literacy and be able to improve in decision making.
