Connections, Crossover, Convergence, and Compromise.(Industrial Designers Society of America, International Technology Education Association)

Publication: The Technology Teacher

Publication Date: 01-SEP-01

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COPYRIGHT 2001 International Technology Education Association

Now that have this connection what will happen next?

What is an industrial design professor doing writing an article for K-12 teachers? A year ago the answer would most likely have been that I needed another publication for my dossier. This year the reason is quite different. Here is a short history of the creation of this article.

Last September 2000, while attending the Industrial Designers Society of America National Education Conference at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, I was introduced to the International Technology Education Association by a presentation made by ITEA's Brigitte Valesey. She made a compelling presentation about the ITEA operation, organization, and services and gave a detailed review of Standards for Technological Literacy. Before that time, I was not familiar with ITEA, but was not surprised that it existed. Since that introduction, I have been more and more convinced of the significant importance of the connection that has been established between our organizations.

Now that we have this connection, what will happen next? My first reaction, at last year's IDSA education conference, was that it was just going to be another paper relationship to be managed by the Education Committee of IDSA. Since that time, I was elected to be the Chair of that national IDSA committee, and it is now my responsibility to help in the development of our relationship. My first thought and action was to get to know the ITEA membership face-to-face. In March,...

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