1+TPK

TPK 1 Technological, Pedagogical Knowledge

What the research says:

Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) is an understanding of how teaching and learning can change when particular technologies are used in particular ways. Context is important. When trying to understand how teaching and learning can change through the use of technology consider the setting and environment, where you teach, in what place, who you teach (and where they are at).

Our Examples:


 * Allowing students to play with free cloud apps. (Skills:experimentation and confidence building)
 * Online forums: (Skills: constructive collaboration, socialization, appropriate discourse)
 * Encourage students (and teachers) to take risks with technology that they are unfamiliar with. That is, broaden their horizons. This could be cloud applications for class presentations, projects etc.
 * Once new cloud apps have been mastered (to a degree), have students act as teachers, and teach these in mini class workshops to other students (pod groups).
 * If all students are creating a presentation/project using the same app, once complete, have them peer assess each others, and then have a class debrief, whereby we create a rubric to assess this, as a class. From this, we can move to higher level creations with the same app on the next class project/presentation.
 * Protein Synthesis: online game. (Access can be a problem so check it out before implementing. The ability to provide immediate feedback from the teacher is invaluable. The teacher goes from being a provider of information to a facilitator. Students are engaged, competitive, focused. The length of the game is important. It didn’t go on forever meaning they did not become bored or restless and learning occurred.
 * WISE: online computer inquiry program: Teaching was front loaded: prep.was required to organise program etc. but when kids were online the teacher is the facilitator and able to engage in formative assessment...you can see the kids learning. Constraints: one limitation was the filters imposed by the school district. Kids did not mess around, they did not switch. It was chunked (pedagogically valid). No homework, all in class, collaborative.


 * Note: When using technology incorporate balance, variety, new challenges need to be introduced to maintain interest. Novelty wears off. Boredom sinks in.


 * Listening skills: YouTube, main idea, key words to understand, inferences, global understanding. (French Language Skills). Students asked to draw what they hear as they listen.
 * Questioning skills, using Titan pad...ask three questions that they don’t understand (perseverance instead of giving up, problem solving skills, collaborative)...sharing others have similar questions, respond to each others questions. Homework used to complete their final project... a board, video or 3D model game, so there is major buy-in to complete the homework questions. Chunking, easier for teacher to provide effective feedback (chat box a means to talk about work, less fraught for teacher and student than trying to do the same thing during class time, a more equitable way of meeting more student needs, students take more risks)

TPK requires teachers to be forward-looking, flexible, risk-taking, “Teachers willing to boldly go where no teacher has gone before”. You have to try out new technology and applications before you know if it works. Furthermore, whatever you discover, share your results via a blog or Twitter so others can learn from your experiences.