Over the winter break, I had quite a bit of time to revisit television shows that I enjoy. One of the shows that I found playing over and over again on several different channels was the somewhat addicting show Kitchen Nightmares starring British chef Gordon Ramsay. For those who have not seen the show, the premise of the show involves Ramsay and his quest to turn around a struggling restaurant and/or a struggling family. While the plot can be somewhat formulaic (I find the BBC version of the show much more entertaining and less like FOX reality television) there is still a fair amount of entertainment watching the foul-mouthed chef transform a restaurant. Typically, Ramsay helps to create a menu that is usually described as simple, fast, and fresh.
Author Archive for admin
Sifteo Cubes – Toy or Educational Tool
I have always found TED a valuable resource for new ideas and inspirations. So it was no surprise that I was inspired when I saw this video in 2009. The following is a clip of David Merril, an MIT grad student who helped to create tiny computerized cubes that can be stacked, shuffled and played with in your hands.
Introducing Tech STARS
Several years ago, I became frustrated by hearing of teachers lessons that were derailed by technology problems. Things like the wireless dropping connection, a website not loading correctly, or a camera unable to download pictures had the potentiality to stop a lesson dead in its tracks and discourage teachers from being creative. The fear of something not working overshadowed the possibility for rich lesson.
TPACK in Action
Over the past several months, we have been implementing the TPACK Professional Development framework (as outlined on this site) in several schools. To help introduce this process, I have created a slideshow to outline the goals for the framework. Several schools are using the framework in its entirety, while others have chosen parts to implement this year.
TPACK and System Integration – Learning Activities Types
Now that teachers have a working knowledge about a handful of technology tools because of the Focus Tools and they are able to identify the pedagogical strategies in which the tools can be integrated, they can now look at the curriculum content to find ways to integrate the technology.
TPACK and Systemic Integration – The Four C’s of Tech Integration
While much of the focus thus far has been on the tool itself, it now time to look at how to begin integrating them into the curriculum. Looking back at the tool analogy, it is import to remember the absurdity of walking into a room with a power drill and asking what you can use it on. Rather, the more effective method would be to identify the task first, then apply the tool based on what it is you are doing.
TPACK and Systemic Integration – Affordances and Constraints
Once the focus tools are selected, the next step is learning how to learn about and evaluate those tools. To begin, each of the focus tools should be defined. This definition should be detailed enough that someone would have an idea of what the tool is and how it can be used, but concise in that it does not overwhelm a user. The definition should also be shared with students and parents, or made available online for easy access. By creating a simple definition, it begins to create a shared vocabulary that can be used at both home and school.
TPACK and Systemic Integration – Focus Tools
With the advent of Web 2.0 technology and the increasing affordability of mobile devices, it seems that the choices for educational technology tools are virtually limitless. While, this provides teachers with unprecedented access to technology tools, it also creates a challenge for systemic integration of technology. To go back to the tool analogy of hanging a picture with a hammer and nail, with the current technology, it would be as if there were thousands of choices of the type of hammer and nail to accomplish the task.
TPACK and Systemic Technology Integration Part Two
The Analogy
In order to set the stage for our professional development, I begin with an analogy to help illustrate how we would like teachers to re-frame their thinking.
Imagine if you were asked to hang a picture on the wall. In order to do so, you are presented with three tools: a hammer and nails, a wrench, or a circular saw. Which of these tools would you choose?
TPACK and Systemic Technology Integration
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.