London: Dena Wolk '99 and Mike Condurso '99

Anxious to see London, we departed from Oxford early the next morning. Our small hotel near Victoria Station was convenient to the underground, restaurants, and sightseeing tours. We spent our first evening in London at the newly reconstructed Globe Theater, playing the part of an Elizabethan audience by standing in the stalls for a performance of Julius Caesar. Two and a half hours and one obligatory rainstorm later, we left the theater in search of a late dinner.

Saturday was a day of touring, with dozens of venues to choose from. Independently and in small groups we took bus tours or wandered to get a feel for the city. In the afternoon we met to tour the Tower of London, then crossed Tower Bridge to explore the Design Museum. The Design Museum's three floors spotlighted English product and fashion design, and struck a deep chord with the technology education students, whose program has drawn heavily on the experience of design educators in Britain. After a free evening, the group reassembled on Sunday for a boat trip to Greenwich to straddle the Prime Meridian and witness the construction of the Millennium Dome.
Technological Studies 1999

The participants of Tech Studies' 1999 "England Course" came away from their experience with a unique understanding of Britain's technological history. But that was truly a by-product of the real learning the students experienced. In designing the course themselves, researching, planning, and attending to every detail, taking initiative and responsibility, they developed a sense of their own capacity to shape their futures. Their respect for fellow travelers and their English hosts was commented upon repeatedly. Their ownership of the process and their sense of being ambassadors for their school, their discipline, and their nation were evident. Designers to the last, they documented their travels and spent hours discussing and reflecting on each day's experiences. Good traveling company is often a matter of chemistry, but in this case, it was also a matter of design.

The Department of Technological Studies offers a challenging and unique program that combines the study of our human-designed world with the development of up-to-date knowledge and skills. Students in the program study a variety of themes, including historical development, problem solving techniques, design, systems, and impacts. Students learn in-depth computer and communication skills, and much of the program is delivered through laboratory courses that emphasize both knowledge and application. Graduates of the program become teachers and educational leaders in the emerging discipline of technology education, or enter a variety of positions in business and industry. John Hutchinson is a professor of technological studies. He holds a BS and MA from Trenton State College and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. Patricia Hutchinson is the editor-in-chief and director of TIES Magazine and is a faculty member in the technological studies department. She holds a bachelor's degree from Gettysburg College, a master's degree from Pennsylvania State University, and a PhD from New York University.