| Introducing Technology
Technology is a creative, purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems, or environments. Knowledge, skills, and resources are combined to help solve practical problems. Technological practice takes place within, and is influenced by, social contexts.
Technology is a universal and age-old human activity. People have always adapted resources to meet their needs, from such fundamental, far-reaching innovation and invention as the development of the wheel, to innumerable and equally significant uses of resources such as shaping bone to create a hook for fishing, or pressing wool fibres into felt, or applying heat to make foods more edible.
We live in a technological world. Technological practice affects our environment, our standard of living, and our quality of life. We use technology in the workplace, at home, and in our sporting and leisure activities. Technology plays an increasingly important part in our health care, choices of food, transport, and the very functioning of our society.
The technologies used today have built on the ingenuity, traditions, observation, and knowledge of people who, throughout history, have sought to improve their lives, solve problems, and satisfy their needs and wants. Technology makes use of knowledge developed in many other disciplines and, in turn, these draw on technological innovations and ideas. This process of continuous incremental development and testing is essential for people to meet challenges and fulfill their expectations.
Technology helps people make new connections and leaps of discovery both to create new ideas, products, and services, and to improve the quality and effectiveness of existing systems and products.
New Zealanders today find employment as technicians and technologists in many fields, including aviation, interior design, food, conservation, engineering, clothing, biotechnology, and city planning. In these jobs, they create products, environments, structures, and systems to enhance the quality of life in response to needs and opportunities both locally and overseas.
Men and women working in technological careers add value to traditional products and services and create new ones to improve people's quality of life, and help New Zealand's continuing development as a successful nation. New Zealand is rich in energy resources and primary products which can be processed into higher value products, through ideas and technologies yet to be developed.
The inclusion of technology as an essential learning area in the New Zealand curriculum provides exciting opportunities for all students to develop and extend their ideas and to explore creative solutions to practical problems. Technology is challenging and rewarding, and open to everyone. |
