Page 43 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Technological Education, 2009 (revised)

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Technological Education
LITERACY, MATHEMATICAL LITERACY, AND INQUIRY/RESEARCH SKILLS
Literacy, mathematical literacy, and inquiry/research skills are critical to students’ success in all subjects of the curriculum and in all areas of their lives.
Many of the activities and tasks that students undertake in the technological education curriculum involve the literacy skills relating to oral, written, and visual communication. For example, students use language to describe their plans and the progress of their designs and projects in both informal and formal contexts, to produce work orders, and to report on the results of their projects in presentations and technical and other reports in oral, written, graphic, and multimedia forms. Technological education also requires the use and understanding of specialized terminology. In all technological education courses, students are required to use appropriate and correct terminology, and are encouraged to use language with care and precision in order to communicate effectively.
The technological education program also builds on, reinforces, and enhances mathemati- cal literacy. For example, clear, concise communication often involves the use of diagrams, tables, and graphs, and many components of the technological education curriculum emphasize students’ ability to interpret and use symbols and charts. Students are also required to take accurate measurements, produce plans to specified dimensions, and use metric and imperial systems of measurement, as required in their particular area of study.
Inquiry and research are at the heart of learning in all subject areas. In technological edu- cation courses, students are encouraged to develop their ability to analyse the context and background of challenges and to explore a variety of possible solutions to those challenges. As students advance through the grades, they acquire the skills to locate information relevant to solving problems and addressing challenges from a variety of sources, such as books, magazines, manuals, technical reports, dictionaries, client inter- views, videos, and the Internet. As students in technological education courses conduct such research, teachers should guide them in recognizing that all sources of information have a particular point of view and that the recipient of the information has a responsi- bility to evaluate that information, determine its validity and relevance, and use it in appropriate ways. The ability to locate, question, and evaluate information allows a stu- dent to become an independent, lifelong learner.
CAREER EDUCATION
Ongoing discoveries and innovations coupled with rapidly evolving technologies have resulted in an exciting environment in which creativity and innovation thrive, bringing about new career opportunities. Today’s employers seek candidates with strong technical skills, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work cooperatively
in a team, traits that are developed through participation in technological education. Technological education courses enable students to develop problem-solving skills, design skills, technical knowledge and skills, and the ability to conduct research, present results, and work on projects both independently and in a team environment.
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