Representations of technology in the “Technical Stories” for children of Otto Witt, early 20th century Swedish technology educator

Abstract

Children's fiction in school libraries have played and still play a role in mediating representations of technology and attitudes towards technology to schoolchildren. In early 20 th century Sweden, elementary education, including textbooks and literature that were used in teaching, accounted for the main mediation of technological knowledge to schoolchildren. An investigation of children's literature for schools is therefore important in order to understand what was considered worth knowing about technology at the time. små, 1915) by the Swedish inventor, author and technology educator Otto Witt. Gauging Witt's influence on the schoolchildren and educators of his time is very difficult, but in this first English-language article on his "technical stories" one can conclude that he was in many ways unique and probably fairly well-read in the schools of early 20 th century Sweden and onward. He was also a particularly perceptive forerunner of today's technology and science educators in his use of anthropomorphism as an educational tool.

Examining how technology is presented and understood in technology education: a pilot study in a preschool class

“…As argued by Lemke (1990), pupils need to learn Subject Language and definitions so that they can better understand technology. What I, in this study, define as Everyday Language is significant since Everyday Language concretises, and ties teaching content to the pupils' everyday experiences and the technology that appears in their everyday lives (Axell and Hallström 2013).…”

“…Lemke (1990) argues that it is when we put together words that are comprehensible by formulating questions, by arguing and by discussing that we learn to speak using Subject Language. To develop younger children's technology-related language, Axell and Hallström (2013) argue that education should connect to the technology that exists in children's everyday lives. One prerequisite for this, however, is that preschool teachers have knowledge of and use technological concepts.…”

“…Studies on younger pupils are increasing, and more technology education is becoming available (Axell and Hallström 2013;Björkholm 2015;Davis et al 2002;Twyford and Järvinen 2000). However, the focus of many studies has been on children's learning of technological constructions, such as technological functioning or understanding of technological principles; fewer studies have focussed on how teachers and pupils talk about the origin and function of technology, and what different companion meanings in relation to humans, society, nature and technology pupils are asked to consider in their learning.…”