Understanding TPACK

Reflections on TPACK.

Image from technolote.com

TPACK: Technology, Pedagogy and Content knowledge.

Technology:    Fancy word for tools

Pedagogy:       Fancy word for teaching skills

Content:          Not a fancy word for what. What is to be taught?

This is the area in the diagram in which all three areas of a teacher's Knowledge intersect. It is the place in the classroom where a teachers knowledge of content, of the information to be gained by students, intersects with the teaching skills and styles of the teacher, pedagogy, and the teachers awareness and skills of the use and application of technology.

It is the place that represents a teachers ability to take an area that needs to be learnt, often guided by the curriculum and creatively applies / uses pedagogical skills in the application of technologies as a vehicle to reach desired outcomes and understandings. The technologies themselves can be discovered as a part of the learning process itself. In a sense, to me, this is how children learn. A wonderful piano teaching technique, Simply Music, teaches children piano and music in the way they learn language, imitation first and then slowly introducing the structures of tempo, melody, written notes and music. So the piano and its music is discovered in the process of enjoyment in being able to produce songs.

It is interesting that in this TPACK intersection the domain can be very strong if all areas of knowledge are strong. Or indeed weakened if any of the areas of knowledge in the teacher are themselves weak or if the  ability to integrate any of the three separate fields into each other. So if you are are great tech head but your ability to help others understand what you know is poor, poor pedagogy then it weakens the TPK domain and so the TPACK domain. This of course applies to all the Knowledge intersections.

So, lets put this in a way that I can understand. If I want you to know how to fix something, say a toaster. There is a way of measuring how well I can do that. How much do I know about toasters and how to fix them? Content knowledge. What skills do I have of engaging you in wanting to fix the toaster ( are you hungry yet?) and communicating and discovering how to fix it and then measuring how well you did it ( is the toast burnt?) ie teaching skills specific to toasters, Pedagogy Content Knowledge. If I choose to do this engagement with technologies be it through the use of internet, phone a friend, texts, emails, discussion forums etc etc or even in the actual application of hammers and screwdrivers what do I know about them and their specific application to teaching how to fix a toaster and how will using these technologies affect the process and outcomes? Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge.

It is the relationship of these areas that TPACK tries to model, measure and quantify. But it is a slippery sucker, especially the technological aspect, it changes and grows and redefines as do all the knowledge areas but it seems to me to be Technology that is the most fluid at present. Add in ever shifting context and it really becomes fun. Technologies and our students using them are asking us to become more creative in the delivery of our teaching, TPACK may help us to better learn what will be effective.

If I can use the model to better understand my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher, not viewing each domain as isolated but as a heaving mass of interdependency then I have a stronger ability to improve my skill sets and to be able to use technology not as a adjunct separate to my teaching goals but indeed integral to them. Learning technology through the desire to complete content goals using effective pedagogy. 

Clear as mud, excellent, let's find out more.

I will include a link to a video where Mishra and Koehler explain it much better for themselves.

http://punya.educ.msu.edu/2008/03/18/site-2008-keynote/