The study of technology has its foundations. Those foundations are found in Core Concepts, concepts that tie all technologies together, and in Core Technologies, technological building blocks that make up all technologies. In this lesson, you will learn about the core concepts and core technologies, how they work together, and how the relationships between them. The following concepts will be addressed:

• Core technologies are the building blocks of all technologies (MD technology standards)
• Systems thinking applies logic and creativity with appropriate compromises in complex real-life problems. (ITEA 2-W)
• Systems, which are the building blocks of technology, are embedde within larger technological, social and environmental systems. (ITEA 2-X)
• Selecting resources involves trade-offs between competing values, such as availability, cost, desirabilitiy and waste. (ITEA 2-Z)
• Requirements involve the identificaiton of the criteria and constraints of a product or system and the determination of how they affect the final design and development. (ITEA 2-AA)
• Optimization is an ongoing process or methodology of designing or making a product and is dependent on criteria and constraints. (ITEA 2-BB)
• New technologies create new processes (ITEA 2-CC)
• Quality control is a planned process to ensure that a product, service or system meets established criteria. (ITEA 2-DD)
• Management is the process of planning, organizing, and controlling work. (ITEA 2-EE)