TPACK in the Classroom

TPACK?  What's that?

TPACK is an educational acronym that stands for Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge.  Many of us have seen a graphic that looks like this:

Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org

But, what does it mean, and how does it affect the classroom?

A few definitions:

Technological Knowledge:  how familiar a teacher is in using technology--be it 1:1 devices, programs, or "good ol' fashioned" paper and pencil.

Content Knowledge: What we teach--Foreign language, Social Studies, Math, Science, English, etc.

Pedagogical Knowledge:  how we teach-- our best practices, assessments and learning theories

In addition, there are intersections

Technological and Content Knowledge (TCK):  how well a teacher knows how to use technology to deliver content to their students.  An English teacher might show a livestream of the Royal Shakespeare Company performing one of Shakespeare's plays.  An art teacher might have their students take a virtual tour of the Louvre.  

Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (PCK):  how a teacher designs a lesson for maximum student engagement.

Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK):  how a teacher can use technology to support a student's learning style according to best practices, or a teacher's philosophy of education.

Therefore, the ultimate intersection would be Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge

The circle surrounding "TPACK" is Context, a fairly recent addition to the TPACK model.  I like to think of it as "who do you teach?"  How an elementary teacher teaches social studies is going to be different from a high school teacher.  More than that, an AP American History teacher would teach that same course differently to "standard" students.  Context can also be how culturally responsive technology use is--does using the technology promote equity in the classroom?  Does it help students overcome barriers to education?

TL:DR (Too Long:  Didn't Read)? 😉   Here are a couple of videos I found that do a nice job of explaining TPACK:

This is the "highlights" version:

 

 Want a more in depth explanation? Click on the video below:

Want to do some reading on your own?  Yeah, I've got articles for you. 😉

From the BCPS Office of Digital Learning:  Instructional Activities (TPACK explained)

From the Schoology blog:  The TPACK Framework Explained

From the TPACK.org website:  TPACK Explained  (Click on  "What is TPACK?" on the banner)

and from Australia:  What is TPACK? Teaching Teachers for the Future

This is just a small sample of what's out there.  Googling "TPACK" brings up more than 10 pages of links.  And searching YouTube has videos in several languages.

But what about the classroom?  How do I bring TPACK into it?

In the beginning, it's going to require thought.  Why do you want to use the technology (and here, I'm referring to websites or programs you--or your school/district--have found or purchased)?  How will it be used?  What activity will it replace?  Does it do a better job helping the students understand a concept?  Using technology for the sake of using technology may not bring about the results you're hoping for if you don't do your planning.  There is a lot of technology out there, and it can be hard to find exactly what you're looking for.

One great resource for tech resources is the Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Digital Learning Toolbox Index.  In addition, they also have resources broken down by P21 Skills and Tools

(If you're not a BCPS teacher, check out the resources your county/district has available for you.)

Want to read a long journal article about learning activity taxonomies?  The Journal of  Technology and Teacher Education has an article by Harris, Hofer, Schmidt, Blanchard, Young, Grandgenett and Van Olphen called "Grounded" Technology Integration: Instructional Planning Using Curriculum-Based Activity Type Taxonomies

Of course, YouTube has tons of ideas and tutorials, as well as TedTalks about using Technology in the Classroom.  Just type in "Technology in the Classroom," and you'll get more ideas than you probably have time for.

Next blog:  SAMR in the Classroom