Technological Education 11-12

Strands in the Technological Education curriculum

The overall and specific expectations for each course in the technological education curriculum are typically organized in three distinct but related strands. The strands are Fundamentals; Skills; Technology, the Environment, and Society; and Professional Practice and Career Opportunities.

The Grade Eleven and Twelve curriculum document Technological Educationincludes information on how media literacy is relevant to the content of these courses:

Technological innovation influences all areas of life, from the daily lives of individuals to the work of business and government, to interactions on a global scale. It helps meet basic human needs and provides tools for improving people's lives and exploring new frontiers. The policy outlined in this document is designed to ensure that technological education in Ontario enables students to meet the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

The power, reach, and rapid evolution of technology demand a curriculum that will enable students to become technologically literate – that is, able to understand, work with, and benefit from a range of technologies. Students need to acquire the technological skills and knowledge that will allow them to participate fully in a competitive global economy and to become responsible citizens in an environmentally vulnerable world. To succeed in today's society, students need to be effective problem solvers and critical thinkers, able to understand, question, and respond to the implications of technological innovation.

Communications technology affects all aspects of our lives in a fundamental way. Having an understanding of communications technology is an important part of being both technologically and media literate.

The Ontario Curriculum Grades 11 to 12 Technological Education, 2009.
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training

On the left you will find outcome charts containing media-related learning expectations from the social sciences curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site. As many of our lessons can be adapted to suit different grade levels and abilities, specific lessons may be listed for more than one grade. Teachers should also note that individual lessons often satisfy a number of expectations.