What is Technology?

Technology is a product or solution made up of a set of instruments, methods, and techniques designed to solve a problem.

Generally, technology is related to scientific knowledge and engineering; however, technology is any notion that can facilitate life in society, or that allows a satisfying individual or collective demands or needs, adjusted to the requirements of a specific time.

Regarding its etymological origin, the word technology means “the study of technique.” It comes from the Greek τεχνολογία ( texnology ), which is made up of τέχνη (téjne), which means “technique, art, craft,” and λόγος (lógos ), “study, treatise.”

On the other hand, technology also refers to the scientific discipline focused on the study, research, development, and innovation of techniques and procedures, devices and tools that are used to transform raw materials into objects or useful goods.

It is important to see that the technique is the set of technical knowledge, skills, and rules that are used to obtain a result. For its part, technology is the means. That is, it is the link between the how, which is solved by the technique, and the why.this can be used as synonyms for the word technology: applied sciences, knowledge, techniques, among others.

Currently, the  technology is in  two categories : hard technologies and soft technologies.

Hard technology

Hard Technology is a classification of technology made by MAX (also used within technology or intermediate), which deals with transforming materials to produce and build objects or artifacts. From the foregoing, it should be noted that ethical and moral considerations are not part of hard technology. However, it cannot exist without the existence of soft technology previously, and both affect the human condition.

By hard technology, it can be understood more specifically as machinery, hardware, etc. which do the most effective work and encourages the generation of products and services with better quality, novelty, and integrity.

Hard Technology based on your production.

Hard technology is classified based on its production. So, there is a classification of two types:

Production  based on chemical and biological processes. : these processes play an important role in the use of forest, algal, and agricultural biomass. Within these processes, we find fundamental elements that allow connecting industrial sectors that were previously developed separately, delivering common platforms to satisfy different market applications. Within this type of production, we find:

• Use of tools.
• Use of machines.
• Mechanical and automatic devices.
• It has integrated manufacturing systems.

Production based on physical actions on the matter: The base of this production is to generate physical changes in something to create a different product. Some examples of this type of production are:

• Energy production (the most used are in electrical, thermoelectric, hydroelectric, solar, wind)
• Nuclear technology (the most prominent are nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, and nuclear weapons)
• Agricultural
• Biotechnology

Soft Technology

The soft technologies are methodologies that deal with human interactions and social processes. They do not constitute tangible objects like hard technologies. A good metaphor is to apply this quality in the context of computing: Soft technologies are “software,” and hard technologies are “hardware.”

These technologies have as a product the improvement of social dynamics in institutions or organizations (formal or not) to achieve a particular objective. These organizations may be industrial, commercial, service companies, foundations, for-profit or non-profit organizations, etc.

The soft technologies or knowledge and methods that these involve are mostly based on so-called “soft sciences.” Some examples of application areas are:

• Administrative
• Organizational
• Accounting disciplines
• Marketing
• Psychology in interpersonal relationships within organizations
• Software development
• Education
• Management control
• Skills workshops
• Teachings

A clear example of the use of soft technology is given in statistics. In which, after having collected data, it allows an interpretation of these by using statistics.

Thus, we have that soft technologies interact with hard technologies to achieve their objectives in many cases, such as, for example, the use of software tools for data hosting that must be used as bases for criteria based on soft sciences such as economics.

Technology in Architecture

Architects and designers want to be in touch with their environments, understand the matter that spaces have on the people who use them, and positively influence them. At the root, there is a passion for turning ideas into interesting and functional spaces that others can appreciate and enjoy.

These passions and desires are far from the day-to-day demands of projects (deadlines, difficulties, and drainage systems!) Day-to-day can sometimes take the form of inspiration.

Being an architect or designer, the passion to inspire clients is not only a pleasure, a necessity.

If you can be successful in involving customers in their ideas, then you will win more projects. Emotionally communicating your ideas will help captivate your client and involve them in the project. Customers want to hear and participate in the story behind the building.

Technology is taking you the ability to tell better stories. But like all technological advances, some people update easily, and others find it more difficult to adapt. Those who are constantly updating are experiencing tremendous benefits.

Just look at some of the technological changes in recent decades. What were the methods you learned in college? How has your company evolved with the times? Asking those simple questions puts the speed of recent technological progress in perspective. A lot of adaptations are needed in these fast-moving modern times.

Just reflect on what has happened in recent years in terms of the architectural firm’s practical work. These are just a few observations from the past few years, which are forcing the architecture world itself for change:

• Technology changes in the 10 years between 2005 and 2015 changes in architecture are having more impact than in the 20 years between 1985 and 2005.

• BIM processes that are integrated into architectural workflows are already beginning to be mastered.
• Communication between the architect and the client is undergoing a fundamental change that pushes up the quality of the designs, for example:

1. 3D digital modelling is now the norm.
2. Architectural visualization tools (like Lumion) are eliminating much of the need for specialized visualizations. This means that digital models can be displayed easily and quickly in an emotional and non-technical way.
3. Sharing over the internet and mobile devices are changing the speed and nature of the interaction.

Such events force us to face the need to change ourselves or accept the possibility that we are left behind. In a sense, this is a unique moment in history. A large part of the adaptability is demanded by Architects, Designers, and many other established professions in the construction sector.

But not everything is fear and sadness. If we return to our main theme, the evolution of technology offers you the possibility to inspire your customers, bringing their ideas to life.

Now you don’t have to struggle to communicate ideas. Tools are available to create incredible virtual designs of your ideas and to communicate these using compelling visualizations.

Great advances have been made in making software easy to learn for the uninitiated.

Powerful technologies are no longer the exclusive domain of specialists. Even those who are uncomfortable with new technologies can quickly become competent.

Technological Education

Technical education refers to a set of content to work in the educational system aimed at compression technologies in their social and environmental context (technological phenomenon).

It is a school discipline that studies the processes of creation and production of goods and services, analyzing socio-technical systems from a critical perspective, based on ethical principles that put Technology at the service of the common good and the preservation of the natural environment.

It includes materials that allow a curricular definition of the area of ​​Technology in the school environment; It includes global theoretical frameworks, of reference, about the area as a whole, and its more general didactic approaches, procedures, and strategies.

Technical discipline is a discipline within the educational task, and a social activity focused on familiarizing students with practical knowledge about basic human Technology to provide greater literacy in the use of technologies. This literacy process must be developed in the field of practical development, the critical interpretation of Technology, and the study of the digital area and programming.

Difference between Technology and Technological Education

“Technology is a field of knowledge where it only refers to specific training of a subject, related the application of technical and technological content, on a given situation. Instead, as a curricular space, Technological Education aims to build capacities that enable students to approach technological systems, intervene, and participate in them.

Precisely it is general training in which it is more interesting to work on the ways of organizing and systematizing the contents, which interact within technological systems, to understand them and understand other systems that are yet to emerge.

Another aspect to consider is that Technological Education does not teach about the scientific foundations involved in explaining a machine’s operation, for example, but in the functions that people delegate to that device. ”

Technological Education Goals

The orientations of technical education vary greatly in different countries, and can be classified into two main groups:

• Acquisition of practical skills
• A better understanding of the technology phenomenon

In all cases, complexity is graded according to each school level. In general, the guidelines are rarely presented purely, mixing to varying degrees in different countries and educational levels.

Didactic Structure

The only didactic guideline for the development of the subject, applicable to all the compulsory contents, is that Technology is best learned by operating with it and not only by reading or receiving the description of how it should be done or how others do it. That is why product analysis and technological projects stand out as methodological procedures for their praxis. Pedagogical, which articulates and arranges all the content blocks of this proposal of the technology chapter.

Many of these activities are usually carried out in a group and collaborative way, encouraging students to become actively involved in the development of the course content through communication with their peers.

Technology Analysis Methods

The following types of analysis are recommended, with their respective questions:

• Morphological: You must speak basically about the shape (may include: measurements, weight, volume, colors). It is about observing and recording in a report, the exterior shape of the object, and observing it without disarming its support structure. The geometric characteristics (section, volume, length, ergonomics, etc.) are emphasized. For a better understanding of the report made, it can be accompanied by a graph (if it is bounded, better) of the analyzed object.
• Functional: What is it for? The primary and secondary functions performed by a said object and if it meets the objectives set when created, both in terms of function and ergonomics, should be mentioned.
• Operating: How does it work? How is it used? This analysis should be carried out together with the structural one: how the product works and later the function or mission that each component fulfills, recognizing its operating principles.
• Functional Structural: What are its parts, and how are they related? It corresponds here to mention each one of the parts that compose it and how they are related to each other. To make the list of components, if necessary, the object will be exploded.
• Technological: How is it made and from what materials? Here the analysis includes mentioning the materials with which the object is built (discriminated by component, if applicable), mentioning the manufacturing procedures. An analysis will be made of the materials technology and manufacturing processes.
• Economic: what value does it have? (Different costs may be included: production, sale, etc.) In this analysis, the object is valued. It is recommended to find out its sales price in stores and estimate if it coincides with its function and with what has been analyzed in Technology and structurally.
• Comparative: How is it different from other technological objects that can replace it? It is the analysis in which we compare our object with others that fulfill the same function. Here, structural differences are pointed out in relation to how each one fulfills its function (effectiveness, precision, operation, etc.). It is also possible to compare the analyzed object with others in a similar but different function and then record the shape similarities and the functional differences.
• Relational: How is it related to your environment? It is the analysis of the object and its relationship with the environment, and this implies analyzing all the objects that can be linked to the one being analyzed. For example, electric energy, if it is powered by it, any support device, if you need it, tools, etc.
• Reconstruction of the Emergence and Historical Evolution of the Product: How did it originate, and what has been its process and historical evolution? At this level of reading, the object seeks to obtain the motivations that gave rise to it and the time of creation. The objects not only respond to a need that must be satisfied but also have an expressive charge of the epoch of creation: “the spirit of the epoch.” It is this spirit that, through the reading of the object, tries to bring to light. This level of analysis is based not only on the object but also on other sources: texts, reports, stories, etc.
• Environmental: Here, the possible consequences of the object or product with respect to the environment are analyzed: if its use generates any toxic or harmful substance for air or water or any other natural element, which could have any consequence on human health in particular or about the planet in general.

Technology Knowledge Areas

• Knowledge of technical drawing.

• Knowledge of structures.

• Knowledge of materials (wood, metal, plastic, construction materials).

• Mechanical knowledge.

• Knowledge of electricity.

• Electronic knowledge.

• Computer knowledge.

• Knowledge of pneumatics and hydraulics.

• Robotics and automatic knowledge.