TPACK
Yes, this is not a word you can find in the dictionary but something very valuable to teachers. What is it?
To save some typing energy on my part, there is a website that has a more detailed understanding of what TPACK is. You can check it out at TPACK.org.
A quick synopsis though, TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) is a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology.
Technological Knowledge:
The school I am teaching at has great access to technology. It is the first year for BYOD so each student in grades 4-8 have a device per student. During this first year of BYOD none of the staff has had a professional development or have been required to attend any type of technology integration seminar. I personally feel comfortable using technology to teach and plan, but this has been due to my involvement and personal growth in the Innovative Learning Masters program.
Pedagogical Knowledge:
Understanding my young rock stars and planning their lessons day by day is helpful because I understand what is needed more for certain classes. Behavior behind using technology goes under this topic as well. Digital citizenship and digital literacy. Goal is to make my students more of digital natives.
Content Knowledge:
I teach science. As of next year, my school district will recognize that science is a content subject good enough to be apart of the report cards. I have the content down. There are three units per year. Along with the hands-on FOSS Kits, the district wrote up a curriculum model that reflects the common core standards and meets all learners.
How does this look in my classroom?
The goal of the TPACK model, is to have all three in the classroom. In my classroom, i have the content and plan to incorporate technology on certain days (for example) Mondays and Fridays. That usually helps for assessments and reflections. For reflections, students use my classroom blog to write to me personally and reflect on the lesson of the day. They also write a group reflection in their science notebooks. We have live class discussions using Padlets. The students enjoy Padlet because it includes everyones voice in the discussion and it keeps the room quiet for concentration. For assessments, Kahoot is perfect for a quick assessment. Kahoots are reserved for Fridays. I do lessons like "Expert Groups" and "Research Groups" this includes researching certain topics with a small group with a device.
Yes, this is not a word you can find in the dictionary but something very valuable to teachers. What is it?
To save some typing energy on my part, there is a website that has a more detailed understanding of what TPACK is. You can check it out at TPACK.org.
A quick synopsis though, TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) is a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology.
Technological Knowledge:
The school I am teaching at has great access to technology. It is the first year for BYOD so each student in grades 4-8 have a device per student. During this first year of BYOD none of the staff has had a professional development or have been required to attend any type of technology integration seminar. I personally feel comfortable using technology to teach and plan, but this has been due to my involvement and personal growth in the Innovative Learning Masters program.
Pedagogical Knowledge:
Understanding my young rock stars and planning their lessons day by day is helpful because I understand what is needed more for certain classes. Behavior behind using technology goes under this topic as well. Digital citizenship and digital literacy. Goal is to make my students more of digital natives.
Content Knowledge:
I teach science. As of next year, my school district will recognize that science is a content subject good enough to be apart of the report cards. I have the content down. There are three units per year. Along with the hands-on FOSS Kits, the district wrote up a curriculum model that reflects the common core standards and meets all learners.
How does this look in my classroom?
The goal of the TPACK model, is to have all three in the classroom. In my classroom, i have the content and plan to incorporate technology on certain days (for example) Mondays and Fridays. That usually helps for assessments and reflections. For reflections, students use my classroom blog to write to me personally and reflect on the lesson of the day. They also write a group reflection in their science notebooks. We have live class discussions using Padlets. The students enjoy Padlet because it includes everyones voice in the discussion and it keeps the room quiet for concentration. For assessments, Kahoot is perfect for a quick assessment. Kahoots are reserved for Fridays. I do lessons like "Expert Groups" and "Research Groups" this includes researching certain topics with a small group with a device.