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The standards in STL are moving into another, broader venue, one that will potentially reach youth and adults of all ages.
ITEA's Standards for Technological Literacy (STL) (ITEA, 2000/2002) document is generally thought of as a tool for K-12 schooling that identifies what students should know and be able to do in order to achieve technological literacy. And that is true. However, the standards in STL are moving into another, broader venue, one that will potentially reach youth and adults of all ages. The world of "informal education" includes museums, television programming, books, and the Internet. All of these provide self-directed type opportunities for learning that are widely accessible to the general population. As such, they reach beyond the confines of the classroom walls or the curriculum adoption of a specific school district. The potential for impact in some ways can be greater through informal education, although a traditional coursework approach for youth is generally more in-depth.
This paper describes how the Boston Museum of Science has assumed the leadership in informal education's museum arena to implement STL and advance the cause of technological literacy among America's citizenry. An interview with Boston Museum of Science's Senior Vice President for Research, Development, and Production, Larry Bell, serves as the vehicle for the discussion.
Early in the morning on March 6, 2004 I found myself driving toward Boston on the Mass Pike, as I-90 is affectionately known in the Commonwealth. The drive into Boston is not always easy, but good directions to the Museum of Science, situated somewhat mysteriously above the Charles River, led the way. I was going for a dual purpose: (1 ) to attend a workshop being conducted by Dr. Michael Daugherty, one of the Technology for All Americans Project's Standards Specialists and a professor at Illinois State University, to assist educators in the region in implementing STL in their curriculum and classrooms, and (2) to meet and talk with Mr. Larry Bell about how the Boston Museum of Science is approaching STL.
Just a word about the workshop-it was excellent! Mike Daugherty is a master teacher. The audience was engaged very quickly and not only involved in hands-on activities, but asking complex questions within record time. Educators had driven in from all...