When thinking about Mishra & Koehler's (2006) TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge), a teacher can have a great understanding of pedagogical best practice and content knowledge but not know how to implement technology into their teaching. In my experience a teacher's ability to implement their technological knowledge in a meaningful way can increase engagement, collaboration, feedback, and/or efficiency of content delivery for a students learning experience.
The Cooking with TPACK activity showed that without the right tools, a task can be hard or even impossible to accomplish. For this activity, I was tasked with having my partner Ann pick a plate, a bowl, and a utensil at random without context. Then, with the help of a number generator, pick 1 of the 4 things that I have to prepare. In the video below, I illustrate that I ultimately reached my goal of preparing a fruit salad, but not in the most effective or efficient ways.
Thinking about this experience through the lens of TPACK and technology integration, if you have technological tools in your classroom that you are forced to use but lack the skills to implement them effectively within your content and pedagogical knowledge, then it defeats the purpose. An example from my own teaching was when my third graders were tasked with typing a piece of their writing. This was a surprising challenge for some of my students, taking an unreasonably long time to complete. This was a skill that I took for granted and didn’t anticipate being such a hurdle for them. The value of better legibility in this scenario did not outweigh the amount of time that it took.
References
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
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Transfer of Learning Bransford, Brown & Cocking's (2000) provide insight into the importance of the transfer of learning in How People Learn. Transfer of learning is described as a students ability to take a concept and apply it to different contexts (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000, pg. 51). As a teacher it is important to push students to apply learning concepts to different contexts of a their life. For me, the most effective way I’ve found to do this is to implement project based learning opportunities for my students. The Neighborhood Development Project is one of those opportunities. The Neighborhood Development Project takes their learning beyond calculating a rectangle’s area and perimeter, and has students thinking about math in the world around them. This immersive cross-curricular unit gives students the opportunity to take the learning concept of area and perimeter and apply it within the context of an architect or city planner. Using the skills and concepts that they develop in this unit helps in the success of many other aspects of their education and everyday life. Students also look forward to this project and come back to talk to me about it from previous years. If you are interested in learning more about the transfer of learning click on this link. References Bransford, J., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.), How people learn: brain, mind, experience and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368. |
AuthorMy name is Ryan MacLeod and I live in Seattle, WA. I am currently a K-8 Lab Coordinator. I have a passion for educational technology integration and curriculum design, especially when it comes to the social sciences. Archives
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