Saturday, July 20, 2013

EDU 714 - Reflections on TPACK

TPACK refers to Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge.  One idea mentioned by Punya Mishra in his 21st Century Learning Conference that struck me was that of “repurposing”.  This can be a creative act of customizing something to meet our needs.  He showed several photos demonstrating how someone took a technology and re-purposed it. For example, someone attached the front half of a push lawn mower to the front of a bicycle where the front wheel would be and created a new type of push mower.  I think when we practice the craft of teaching we are always re-purposing ideas, items, and problems.  

The “TPACK in  3  Minutes” video by Royce Kimmons provided a concise overview and there was something about watching him actually draw the Venn diagram that appealed to my learning style.

The introduction to Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Educators goes into much great detail in describing the complexities  involved with TPACK and the rapidly changing nature of technology.  The point is made that in order to fully and appropriately integrate technologies across the curriculum teachers need to stay informed and become lifelong “curators” of technology.  

The diagram below illustrates key elements of TPACK.


The image is captioned or credited as “Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org”

As the article details the intricacies of each type of knowledge I was able to connect with many scenarios which were mentioned.  I gained a better understanding of each type of knowledge and how they are interrelated.  The terms “weaving” and “flexible” were key terms in this reading.

Teachers as curriculum designers is a powerful concept.  As a person who is involved with professional development I need to develop my own understanding of how to empower more “designer-ship” in our teachers.

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