makewhole LLC looks to create products and lessons that incorporate technology as illustrations of general concepts. Our intent is for students to create larger webs of understanding that would allow them to easily grasp and be comfortable when specifics change. This approach is based upon research from psychology on how students learn, layering facts and examining these in context until a mental structure holding the relationships is created. Then when an element in the structure is altered, a student need only learn the new particulars of configuration or installation.

When I was a teacher, parents of my students would ask what technology training I was providing their children so that eventually they would be appealing to future colleges and employers. As many worked in technology fields themselves, they often had strong opinions about what specific skills, languages, or knowledge were needed. Having worked in technology before I worked in education, I was sympathetic to their views, but I felt they were usually approaching the problem in the wrong way. The details of technology have always been evolving, so I doubted the details I taught today will be useful tomorrow.

We often speak of technology changing all the time, but human beings have really never lived in a static world. It is our ability to adapt to change, whether it be creating irrigation to smooth out uneven weather when growing food crops or artificial light sources to compensate for the seasonable variability of daylight in our homes. If we are built to adapt, what are the skills that help us do so? Few of them are based on detailed technological knowledge. Rather they are to remain always curious, to have a willingness to experiment, to maintain a life-long dedication to perfecting one's work, to acquire knowledge whenever it is available, to constantly improve communication with others, and to be a reliable partner in work with others. If a student can acquire, maintain, and master these skills, they will have no problem mastering any technological change that they may confront.