TSA chapters can share information with legislators on how their TSA students make an impact on their school, businesses and organizations by creating a TSA Fact Sheet. Below is information to include in your fact sheet plus a TSA position paper and a letter from the U.S. Department of Education.

To communicate with legislators from your state, including how to set-up a legislative appointment, simply go to http://capwiz.com/acte/home , for the telephone numbers and addresses of your representatives and senators. For the latest on the Association for Career and Technical Education legislative initiatives, visit www.acteonline.org

Information to Include in Your Fact Sheet

There are more than 150,000 middle and high school students, technology education teachers, and state department of education representatives across the country who are members of the Technology Student Association. Our association is the only national student organization devoted exclusively to the needs of young people in technology. Our membership is focused on technology education. It is critical that our technology-focused students receive the training that will guide them as they move forward to pursue careers in the high-tech economy workforce.

What is the Technology Student Association?

The Technology Student Association is a non-profit national student organization devoted to teaching technology education to young people. TSA's mission is to inspire its student members to prepare for careers in a technology-driven economy and culture. The demand for technological expertise is escalating in American industry. Therefore, TSA's teachers strive to promote technological literacy, leadership, and problem solving to their student membership.

Involvement in TSA benefits teachers as well. Relating class activities to local, regional, state and national competitive events can be highly motivational for students. The natural interaction between teachers and students can be utilized to develop an excellent learning climate, while working toward goals.

TSA is the only student organization dedicated exclusively to students enrolled in technology education classes grades K-12. TSA is recognized by the U.S. Dept of Education, many state education agencies, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the International Technology Education Association and the National Coordinating Council of Career and Technical Student Organizations.

Why is technology education important?

Current methods of teaching are placing a greater emphasis on developing essential skills of problem solving, analytic thinking, and learning how to focus, concentrate and communicate effectively. Just as mathematics and science are considered necessary basic skills, technology education is now promoted as not "beyond the basics," but rather as "one of the basics."

The following slogan sums up this new educational priority: "Technology - the New Basic."

Who are TSA members?

TSA now serves more than 150,000 K-12 students in 2,000 schools in 47 states nationwide. The majority of TSA's membership consists of high school students. Also, the 2,500 teachers of technology education are known as TSA advisors. Teachers can use TSA's activities during the school day in their classroom and extend the learning beyond the classroom through a TSA chapter.

Student members have the chance to compete at local, state, regional and national competitions. They may participate in chapter fund-raising activities and community service projects. TSA chapters host social activities. Leadership training is offered to student officers at the local, state or national levels.

Also, it is important to include information on awards or recognitions your students have received, any mentorships or collaborations with local businesses, or service projects your members participate in.

TSA POSITION PAPER

Technology Education the Road to Technological Literacy
A Statement by the State Supervisors of Technology Education (SSTE)

Technology is the modification of the natural environment in order to satisfy perceived human needs and wants. (ITEA, 2000)

In its broadest sense, technology is the process by which humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants. However, most people think of technology only in terms of its artifacts: computers and software, aircraft, pesticides, water-treatment plants, birth-control pills, and microwave ovens, to name a few. But technology is more than its tangible products. An equally important aspect of technology is the knowledge and processes necessary to create and operate those products, such as engineering know-how and design, manufacturing expertise, various technical skills, and so on. Technology also includes all of the infrastructure necessary fro the design, manufacture, operation, and repair of technological artifacts, from corporate headquarters and engineering schools to manufacturing plants and maintenance facilities. (NAE, 2002)

The purpose of Technology Education is to develop technological literacy. Teaching students about the full scope of technology and its related processes and contexts accomplishes this purpose.

What is technology? It is the organized use of knowledge, materials, tools, and skills to meet human needs and extend human capabilities. Technology is made up of the entire system of people and organizations, knowledge, processes, and devices that go into creating and operating technological products and services, as well as the products themselves.

Technological literacy is made up of three dimensions: knowledge, ways of thinking and acting, and capabilities. Like literacy in reading, writing, mathematics, or science, the goal of technological literacy is to provide people with the tools to participate intelligently and thoughtfully in the world around them.

Technology Education requires students to learn about how people design, make, use, keep up, and manage things and systems with hands-on problem solving activities. The teaching of Technology Education takes place at all grade levels, kindergarten through high school. The mission of Technology Education is to have students who can:

• Understand why and how people design, engineer, and innovate to meet human needs and wants.
• Apply ways of thinking and doing essential to designing and problem solving, developing, making, managing, and assessing technological systems in various contexts.
• Safely use, manage, and evaluate technological systems and engineering processes.
• Relate technology with science, mathematics and other subjects.
• Communicate technology content and processes, individually as well as in teams.
• Understand the historical and future significance of engineered designs and impacts of technological solutions.
• Develop an awareness of, appreciation for, and engagement in career paths and opportunities in technology and engineering.

A Letter from the U.S. Department of Education