TPACK Model

You may be asking yourself - what is a TPack Model?

TPACK stands for technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. It is based on how a educator teachers curriculum, selects technology that fits with the content being taught, uses that technology in a meaningful way, and uses the technology when teaching. Each of these is effected by factors that make up the community and school including culture, socioeconomic status, and available resources within the school. The TPACK is an intricate design that is not easy to apply, learn, or teach right away. It takes time, as does any newly introduced professional development, to build, and implement.

Planning with technology in mind can be difficult for teachers. Development of a TPACK model begins when using technology for educational purposes becomes a focus area for teachers. Planning instructional lessons requires several decisions. Teachers must consider learning goals, pedological decisions about the overall learning experience, framing activities in a sequential order that will showcase student knowledge and understanding, creating formative and summative assessments based on content standards, and providing resources and tools (including technology) that will support student success. Technology enhanced authentic assessments are a key to developing instructional planning as part of a TPACK model.

Implementing a TPACK in the classroom requires teachers to focus on the standards and what has already been taught. It should not be based on teaching technology as a separate area but instead using technology to enhance what students are learning. Teachers have to consider student knowledge and content first and then what technology can be used to enhance that learning experience. This can be challenging specifically making sure that teachers are combining content learning with technology learning and not separating the two areas.

Some activities suggested from TPACK models include using electronic books and websites that provide interactive books that can be read on tablets and computers, creating presentations using programs like PowerPoint and Prezi, virtual field trips to museums, and historical areas, and using digital resources for research based projects. Each of these activities can be implemented in just about any subject area.

Overall, the TPACK model is another format to support teachers in developing content based, higher level thinking activities that incorporate technology. As we know, technology is a growing force around the world and it is important that students are given every opportunity to access and learn using technology.

Reference:

Southern New Hampshire University. (n.d.) Teacher Collaboration Part 2. Retrieved from Southern New Hampshire University, EDU520 website.