TPACK

So what is TPACK and how does it help introduce technology into the classroom?

TPACK stands for Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge. The "A" actually stands for And, and pedagogical knowledge is knowledge of the processes, practices, and methods of teaching and learning and how they works to benefit educational goals.

Educators use the TPACK model to show how the three areas overlap and are joined together in the middle to form what is referred to as the sweet spot. An educator is in the TPACK sweet spot when their pedagogical and content knowledge is being smoothly communicated through the use of technological tools.

Take a look at the quick video below for a visual representation of the TPACK model.

When introducing new tools into the classroom, a teacher cannot just blindly throw in technological components with out first considering how the use of that technology enhances the content being taught and how the technological supports interact with the teacher's pedagogical knowledge.


"TPACK also stand for the idea that what teachers know about effective teaching, their subject matter, and educational technology must be used together for teachers to be successful in their classroom supporting student learning." -Clare Kilbane

The above link will take you to the video this quote is from. 

The main idea of TPACK is that a teacher's knowledge is engaging and accessible. No student wants to sit through an hour of monotonous lecture, but rather every student learns differently and should be able to access the teacher's knowledge in such a way that it holds their attention, they want to participate, and they are excited to engage with the information out side of class.

There are so many different kinds of technology that are constantly being fazed and new technology at the ready to replace the old, that it may seem overwhelming and quite a daunting task to keep up with it all. An article called A Teenager's View on Social Media that I referenced in my first blog post is very helpful reference when trying to be "hip" and keep up with the kids.

Some positive attributes of integrating technology in the classroom are teacher approaches are more student centered, students work together more, have a better understanding of content, and motivation is increased. With the wider availability of word processing programs, interactive self reading texts, and the research capabilities of the Internet students have better writing and composition skills, reading and comprehension skills, and enhanced problem solving and higher order thinking skills.

Well this sounds awesome, there are potential barriers that can arise when trying to introduce technology in the classroom. One of these barriers is something that I touched on in the above paragraphs is that teachers who grew up in a world where technology did not have a great importance or didn't have access to technology during their schooling tend to feel overwhelmed when approaching technological tools, or feel they have difficult connecting the pedagogical training and technological tools. The other issue that can appear is that teachers may lack the training to really incorporate technology in the classroom and that if teachers are trained the programs they use are out of date.

In my future classroom I will ask the students what programs they are comfortable using and try and incorporate them into my classroom and teach my self how to use the new technologies. I am probably very naive in this thinking, but being open and ready to learn I feel is the best approach to being a great teacher.