(But don't feel bad... I didn't know what TPACK was either until just this week!)
A nice overview of the basic ideas of the TPACK model can be found in this article by Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler. First we should know that TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Well, that sounds fancy, but what does it mean?
As educators, we all must be masters of our content area, but we also must understand the "art of teaching" (pedagogy.) In the past few decades, however, a third element to the art of teaching has come into play, and that is technology. If we do not understand how to best meld pedagogy, content, and technology, we are failing to connect with our students and meet their needs.
The following diagram shows and explains the various sides of the TPACK model. Ideally, we are working to line up our lessons to fall in the middle. The other overlaps also have their place, and can work very well, but our goal should be the middle whenever possible.
Integrating technology successfully is not a simple task. It takes time, thought, research, experimentation, trial and error... honestly, it can be a bit overwhelming for many teachers. How do we even start? Where do we begin?
Mishra and Koehler point out the fact that most technologies today being used in classrooms weren't even created for educational purposes. Our job is to take a look at the technologies surrounding us and "repurpose" them as we see fit for instructional purposes. Now, as teachers, we have two choices. We can think of this as something that is a drag and try to resist change, or we can look at this as something fun and exciting!
Before we look at ways to repurpose technologies, let's lay down some ground rules:
1. "Blinged out" Prezis ≠ Learning
Just because you are having your students use technology, doesn't mean it is creating learning. As outlined in this short, but to the point video about TPACK, the creator asks some very good questions we should keep in mind as we look to integrate technology. For example, "Is the technology appropriate for the lesson objectives?" They also point out the fact that if the technology side is much "heavier" than the other two, the "novelty of the technology overshadows the learning objective." We can't just "do technology" for the sake of doing technology! The fact that our students spent 6 days in the computer lab making awesome Prezis doesn't mean they mastered the content of the particular unit.
2. Be willing to play
We all love the feeling of being able to grab last year's file folders of already prepared quizzes and project direction sheets, but could a particular unit benefit from some technology integration? Probably. Don't be afraid or unwilling to experiment and take the time to play. You won't regret it. And your students will think you are a Rock Star.
3. Don't be afraid to break the rules
This piece of advice also comes from the Mishra and Koehler article. They remind us that when it comes to technology integration we need to know which rules to bend, which to break, and which to leave alone. Again, it all comes down to being willing to play, and willing to think outside the box.
Personally in my classroom I have had a lot of fun and success repurposing many different technologies to help meet instructional objectives. Part of my job teaching French is to get kids to speak a new language, and not be intimidated doing so. Technology can help greatly with this. Many years ago I taught myself the basics of video editing, and use video editing software to create and upload videos to my class YouTube channel. I have been blogging myself for many years now, especially keeping track of my travels overseas, but have found blogging as a great tool to have kids reflect weekly on what is going on in class. I would be lost without my class WikiSpace and use this as a method of posting weekly homework, but also useful links, games that we play on my Smart Board, bookmarking/embedding videos and sound files, and also posting mp3 files of my students' speaking tests for them to self critique, as well as mp3s of them singing the various songs we learn in class. Finally, we have just started using Twitter as a way of informally using the language, sharing links, and answering basic questions in French for fun, as well as looking at which hashtags are trending in France as great conversation starters.
Whew.
So, that might seem quite intimidating, but the above paragraph represents about 10 years of work, playing, learning, and tweaking. The best advice I can give someone new to integrating technology is START SMALL. Start with 1 goal, for 1 class. Or 1 unit. Maybe all you do by the end of the school year is videotape some presentations and upload them to YouTube. Or start a blog for just 1 class. Have students submit 1 assignment via Google Docs rather than hard copies. Start with what you feel comfortable with. Or something you personally enjoy or are interested in learning.
Have fun and let's all help each other navigate to the center of the TPACK rings.
PS. For the fun of it, I looked for TPACK results in French, and yes, the concept has definitely been translated for French educators also!
Video in French about TPACK here.
Article here.
Kirstin - great work on your blog post. I like that you include that teachers shouldn't be afraid to take risks when integrating technology. I think that some teachers get so caught up in whether or not everything is perfect that they forget that sometimes mistakes need to be made in order to learn. Technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge won't always perfectly blend together seamlessly in equal amounts. Do you feel that teachers need to take more calculated risks with their instruction and technology?
ReplyDeleteKirstin, you do a great job about "laying the groundwork" for successful technology integration. All three points you made are great, and the one that sticks out to me is the idea of "starting small". Luckily, I am somewhat tech-savvy, and enjoy using technology when applicable. It is also important to remember it is not about the piece of technology itself (Prezi), rather it is about understanding the intended content. I have experienced this first hand, as I am trying to get veteran teachers (35 years of experience, 20+ years, and 10+ years) to use technology in their classrooms. Fortunately, this year, I have had all three teachers check out the laptop cart. I wasn't really worried about the content they were using more so than getting over the feeling of using technology on their own. The same 3 teachers were also reluctant to ask me for help when needed, but we'll work on that as well.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the part at the end of your post encouraging teachers to start small and add pieces over time. Many of us worry about getting in over our heads in regards to adding technology to education, but by simply being patient and adding a piece at a time (and becoming comfortable with that piece) quickly adds up to a nice repertoire.
ReplyDeleteKirstin,
ReplyDeleteI love the diagram of TPACK. This was a fun post to read and you really hit on some great points! Your ground rules are very helpful, especially to new teachers. You also make a great point about starting small. You have some awesome successes using technology in your classroom. But as you said, it was 10 years in the making. You are also obviously very motivated and dedicated to making technology an effective part of your classroom. I think many teachers are excited about technology, but jump in with both feel without putting much thought into it. You give some great advice, and most of all, you have shown us that we can "get to the middle" of TPACK. Thanks for the inspiration!
Madame Thompson, I enjoyed reading your blog, it is good to have the ability to produce class material in your own, I found many good materials to read about TPACK in your blog.Your experience is clear in your work. well done.
ReplyDeleteKirstin- Your blog was very entertaining! I liked the ground rules you laid down. Your first ground rule makes a great point about making sure technology enhances learning and maybe more importantly your second ground rule about having a willingness to play could be the difference between an average lesson and a great one.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed readying your blog, Kirstin. I always like looking at your work and your perspectives as I think you bring unique experiences to our cohort.
ReplyDeleteLike Kelsey, I enjoyed the ground rules. Sometimes we get caught up in the "jargon" and forget the basics of the idea. K.I.S.S., right?