This morning I made a fruit salad and it came out great! Apricots, strawberries, bananas, and blueberries all complimenting each other in perfect, fruity harmony. So what’s the big deal? Why is this news is worthy of a blog? Well, to make this fruit salad I could only use three tools from my kitchen. Without knowing what my task would be, my kids picked out a pie plate, a small baby bowl, and a handheld ginger grater. Interesting. Check out the video below to see this adventure unfold.
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So why am I cooking in my Educational Technology class? This week we learned about an educational framework called TPACK – Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The TPACK creators Mishra and Koehler (2006) say the TPACK “framework emphasizes the connections, interactions, affordances, and constraints between and among content, pedagogy, and technology” (p. 1025). In other words, we cannot look at each of these parts in isolation but rather we need to look at the intersections between them (Mishra & Koehler, 2006, p. 1026).
Kereluik, Mishra, and Koehler (2011) state that “teaching with technology demand creative solutions. Most technological tools we use (Office software, Blogs, etc.) are not designed for teachers, and we have to re-purpose (subvert) them for their needs” (p. 15). Similar to using a baby bowl to cut apricots or a grater to clean up strawberries, educators too must be creative as they re-purpose various technologies to enhance the learning of their students. I have re-purposed technology in the past for a variety of activities. For example, my AP Biology students use digital cameras and iMovie to display their knowledge of operons and neurons. However, I need to be more intentional about what technologies are available and how they can come along side my content and pedagogical knowledge to enhance my students learning and understanding. Kereluik et al. (2011) refer to this as technological literacy “in which educators are able to control, manipulate, and utilize technology to fit their specific teaching needs” (p. 16).
References
Kereluik, K., Mishra, P. & Koehler, M.J. (2011). On learning to subvert signs: Literacy, technology and the TPACK framework. The California Reader, 44(2), 12-18. download .pdf
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. Retrieved from http://punya.educ.msu.edu/publications/journal_articles/mishra-koehler-tcr2006.pdf download .pdf
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