TPACK or Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge is a framework to understand and describe the kinds of knowledge needed by a teacher for effective pedagogical practice in a technology enhanced learning environment. The TPACK framework argues that the most effective teaching requires understanding and negotiating the relationships between these three components: Technology, Pedagogy, and Content.
There are many different categories associated with TPACK. There are some teachers who might know how to teach and have a lot of content knowledge, but might be more old fashioned and aren't quite up to date with technology making them PCK or Pedagogical Content Knowledge which would only highlight 2 of the 3 essential features of a well rounded teacher. At the same time there could be a teacher that went through alternative certification and might not have taken as many education classes or just don't have much teaching experience but are very bright in the subject area and uses technology very fluently to aid them making them TCK.
I believe that all teachers should strive to achieve all facets of the TPACK framework. Obviously, content knowledge should be extremely important to all teachers so that we can be sure we aren't teaching our students wrong information. Then pedagogy is what helps us teachers reach the students the best possible way for them to learn. And the way technology is evolving around us, we must stay cognizant of what is changing and use it to our advantage so that we can engage our students in more entertaining and more useful teaching strategies that may even help them learn best.
I always disliked those teachers for being so old school and never using technology. I feel if they had used technology in their classrooms, I would have learned more and understood the content better. I believe as technology evolves, we should as well, especially in education.
ReplyDeleteThe TPACK framework is a guide for teachers to follow to become a better teacher and having as many tools as possible for different occasions. The three categories for teachers help them become well rounded like you said. The more balanced a teacher is, the more information they are likely to feed to students to better understand the content and extent their knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that teachers should work to cover all parts of the TPACK. In my opinion teachers should always try to insure that they know the content they are teaching, make sure that it is age/level appropriate, and be able to use the technology at hand. As a student these are all things that I like in teachers. I love a class that is challenging, but not out of control. I love those teachers that you can tell know their stuff and are very passionate and excited about what they are teaching and I enjoy it when they try to go above and beyond in trying out new technological events.
ReplyDeleteI understand that a teacher that has gotten used to teaching by their own methods may not want to integrate technology into their everyday lessons. However, I think that they should at least try and use the smart board so that the students are introduced to technology in the classroom since the amount of technology that the students are expected to use after school can be overwhelming. If they receive at least minimal amounts of exposure to technology in school then they wouldn't have such a culture shock when they are expected to use it later. This sadly cannot happen in all schools due to under funding.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with your statement that we need to keep learning about the changing technology so that we can know how to teach them in the most effective way. I also think that we need to introduce as much technology as we can to our students so that they can be prepared for their next class and know how to succeed in different ways.
ReplyDeleteYou give a very good definition of what TPACK is. You also did a good job of explaining the problems that different teachers have, and why they aren't reaching all three things that they need to be a well rounded teacher who uses the TPACK framework.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you described TPACK. I also like how you broke it down into categories and really got in to detail. I also agree that all teachers should try to achieve the TPACK framework.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the area that we live and in the times we are living in technology it is essential for us to be up to date with technology. However, it is important to note that we are the key in educating our students and not technology. Whether our students progress or not academically is our responsibility not technology's responsibility. That is why understanding TPACK thoroughly is important.
ReplyDeleteFrom an agricultural standpoint, technology is a great tool when implemented in to correct time and place. Most of the things students will be doing in my classroom will be hands on practical learning. I do agree that we need to conform to the times and use it when necessary.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection brings up a great aspect regrading how we should evaluate teachers!
ReplyDeleteTeacher evaluations are a "promising and yet controversial" aspect to learn how teachers perform in the teaching arena though many scholars criticize the true values of teacher qualities if evaluations become one of the determinants. In my opinion, being a teacher is not only a life- learning profession but also a service to the public, which require a set of evaluations either from outsiders or self to reflect our own practicum and to grow our expertise. I will utilize the peer evaluations for our class during the microteaching sessions and you may reflect your learning to this article and ask the feedback from the actual classroom teacher if you get the chance to teach one unit in the classroom!
I agree with your statements about being cognizant of the many technological changes evolving nearly every day, and have definitely noticed a change in just the two years of observations in classrooms that I have done so far, both good and bad. I have witnessed many teachers attempting to "change with the times" and integrate technology in their classrooms more, and have also observed those who refused to do so. And I completely agree that, without integrating technology in the classroom today, with this new age of technologically advanced students, it's imperative that we do all that we can to engage them on a daily basis.
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