Introduction:

Throughout the next school year, our district has chosen to use TPACK, a framework developed by Matthew Koehler & Punya Mishra 2006 out of Michigan State University. The framework sets out to address and analyze the intersections between three areas of knowledge (Technology Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, and Content Knowledge). While they admit on their website that none of these are new concepts, the idea of studying the relationships between each of the areas is relatively new.

Essentially, TPACK goes beyond looking at each of these areas in isolation, rather it tries to explore the complex relationships between each of these types of knowledge. Most importantly, it encourages educators to explore and understand these relationships. If an educator has a grasp or understanding of these relationships, it is more likely to lead to effective and purposeful technology integration.

TPACK provides our district with the framework for educators and administrators to recognize the importance and relationship between technology, pedagogy and content when planning professional development experiences. Traditionally, much of the professional development in the district has focused on only one of these areas, and has not explored the how it relates with the other two areas. For example, teachers may have been offered classes on Wikis or provided with professional development on differentiation. While each of these trainings may have been successful in teaching about the particular topic, teachers were left to make connections between these areas on their own. Teachers with a good deal of experience teaching and a strong grasp of pedagogical strategies, may have an easier time integrating technology, but may struggle if they do not have much knowledge about a particular technology tool. Whereas a “tech-savvy” teacher with less teaching experience may struggle to find ways to use various tools in the classroom.

In addition, teachers receive different trainings throughout the year, but many are not exposed to the same training. For example, a grade-level team may be exposed to a certain strategy while receiving professional development, whereas another team may have learned about a particular technology tool. While each team has the opportunity for growth, the organization as whole usually does not. There are limited amounts of time to share what has been learned outside of grade level teams, and typically the knowledge gained remains within the teams.

Lastly, our district has done a phenomenal job of providing teachers and students with access to technology. In addition, our teachers are exposed to a wide variety of tools through in-services and conferences outside of the district. However, with this access and knowledge comes the idea of of overexposure. Teachers are finding there are many different tools available for a task, and because of this, many are unsure of which is the best tool. Teachers are free to explore on their own and use a variety of tools, but this is limited to those who are truly interested about learning on their own and experimenting. When these tools are shared with staff, many of the teachers are left to wonder the tools apply to what they are doing in the classroom, or are overwhelmed by the amount of resources available.

It is from these dilemmas that I have developed a framework and a series of guidelines that address the idea of systemic technology integration. In meeting with teachers and administrators from various districts and experience levels, I believe that the following series of post will address many of the concerns and problems with technology integration in schools. Over the next few weeks, I will discuss the various components of this framework and how they can be implemented in any school district in order to maximize the effectiveness and provide a means for systemic technology integration.

Tags: Technology Integration TPACK