Technology+is...

If you were to search for the definition of technology you would find something along the lines of “The branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment..." or in simpler terms, "The practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area..." This, in a way, is what technology is. Technology is "the practical application of knowledge," but i think it is a bit more than that. I think that technology is not just the application of knowledge we already have, but also a way of obtaining more knowledge through this process of application. Everything you do in technology in the end is evaluated, and through this evaluation we obtain knowledge that we did not have before, so, technology is also a learning tool in itself.  To me, technology is a process through which we solve problems and learn from our solutions and actions. So, in my own words, technology refers to the process of solving problems through creative and innovative solutions with the help of the design cycle. It does not only include electronic tools but a whole range of processes and systems and everything from pen and paper to saws and machines. It is a necessary part of advancing and solving problems in today’s modern society but has been around from the very start of the human race. Technology would not be possible without the design cycle as it is at the very base of technology. Without the design cycle it would be extremely difficult or even impossible to solve any problems we have. The design cycle has four main stages which are; investigate, plan, create and evaluate. Just like the scientific method, the design cycle starts with making an observation or identifying a problem but then goes off into developing a design brief and formulating design specifications (what purpose must the solution serve? How big does it need to be? What materials does it have to be made from... etc.). This is all part of the investigation stage. Then comes the planning stage, in which you plan and design the solution through various sketches, diagrams and you explore various ways of solving the problem. After this is the creation stage and the actual product or solution is made by following the plan and using appropriate techniques and equipment. Finally, you enter the evaluation stage and you look over not only your final product/solution, but the entire process that made the final product possible. From here you can go back to any of the stages to correct an error that was made, to change something about the final product or even to start again from scratch and think of a different solution for the same problem or a different problem. Even though the design cycle is a necessary part of technology, it is also used very much in our daily lives whether we realize it or not. The Design Cycle: Sources: [] []
 * __ The Definition of Technology __**