I have noticed that in the Silicon Valley, where I have spent all of my teaching career (up until this point) is very focused on the the "T" in TPACK. We are all so focused on iPads, BYOD, 1:1, Prezi vs. Powerpoint, Khan Academy vs. Brick & Mortar schools, etc, etc, etc. The technology has been the emphasis. My perspective is that the training, pedagogy, and content have fallen to the wayside due to the onslaught of information during this technological revolution.
My project is focused on the pedagogy. My question has been "What is differentiated instruction and what does it look like in the classroom?" Once I researched that, I wanted to know how could we be doing it better. The question, which the TPACK video addressed is, "What do teachers need to know?" has arisen for me again and again throughout this course. What this cohort has made me think about: In the world of endless information at our fingertips, what is my job as a teacher? For me, Technology is just a tool to deliver Content via a successful Pedagogy. The technology is not the key, the pedagogy and content is. Teachers need to know how to successfully deliver relevant Content, which has to be more than just dates, names, places, and raw facts. Teachers need to evolve to deliver that content in ways that inspire students to grow and move beyond the traditional classroom setting. We are training students for a world that is evolving faster than ever before. Focusing on the Technology is a mistake, as that Technology will be quickly replaced by something else. We must focus on create a dynamic classroom experience which will enable our students to think critically and adapt to the rapidly changing environments they find themselves in every day.
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I love what you said about how focusing on the technology is a mistake because soon enough the technology will be outpaced and replaced. It seems much more important to impart the skills and critical thinking necessary for our students to be able to use and keep up with the technology. It's kind of like the idea that we have to prepare our students for the jobs that don't exist yet. We have to give them the skills to deal with the changing world.
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Joe Madigan
11/28/2016 09:41:40 pm
I couldn't agree more, i really connected with your thoughts on either increasing or bringing awareness to the pedagogy part of the TPACK. I reflected that my most important areas of self improvement were also the TPK, technology pedagogy knowledge. To me, this is more about the methods, apps, websites, and strategies, and HOW I use them as opposed to just using them to have technology in my classroom. I'm interested in reading more, especially about high school math teachers and how they're effectively incorporating effective technology in their pedagogy.
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Dana Hand
12/1/2016 05:46:30 pm
I am coming to realize as well that the ability to adapt is incredibly important, not only for teachers but for students as well. Before I began this program, the rate at which technology changes used to intimidate me because I felt like I could never keep up with it so why bother? Using Technology as a tool does seem to be the key and actually has helped me think about it as just another tool, not the magical answer to teaching 21st Century Skills. I appreciate your insightfulness!
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