Volume
6 by Louis A.
Iozzi Science,
Technology & Society
"It was the best of
times, it was the worst of times.. " commented Charles Dickens in his
Tale of Two Cities. Surely, Dickens' comment is at least as
appropriate today as it was when he first stated it many years ago,
for while we live in a magnificently exciting world, we also live in
a world of great uncertainty and almost overwhelming
challenges.
Recent advances in science and technology are providing us with unprecedented powers---capabilities heretofore only experienced in dreams or in science-fiction stories. Unfortunately, as those of us interested in and concerned about the environment are painfully aware, many of these achievements have not been attained without paying costly penalties. As Barry Commoner remarked, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Future applications of new technologies will, undoubtedly, present greater challenges and place still greater demands on society.
The responsibility for determining if and where modern technologies are to be utilized is being thrust upon society at a phenomenal rate. For me, this raises at least critical questions: (1) Is society adequately prepared to make wise and responsible decisions about how new technologies are used and (2) will the future leaders of society be any better prepared than we are now to deal with the decision making challenges of a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world of "tomorrow"!?
Clearly if we are to have a better prepared society and informed decision makers, we need to educate our young people today. EE can develop those skills to prepare today's youth to be effective decision-makers in the future.
EE for the 1990s & beyond should:
• consider the Total environment.• be infused into existing curricula at all levels.
• emphasize the development of positive environmental values; and more mature moral reasoning/judgement.
• emphasize the development of problem solving and thinking skills.
• develop decision-making skills that consider both long and short term futures; local-international concerns and problems.
• emphasize inquiry methods that directly involve students in investigating real problems.
• utilize a variety of media in the classroom.
• utilize high quality-low cost/free materials and resources.
• be considered a life-long process.
• be provided to all children---regardless of age, SES, place of residence, and gender.
• not neglect information transfer but also emphasize the development of information access/retrieval skills as well.
• seek to develop greater industry-education cooperation and alliances.