My biggest challenge in incorporating the TPACK framework onto my courses will be my lack of knowledge of technology available and my own inexperience with many of the newer forms of technology. I know how to use word, PowerPoint, and excel. I know how to use content mapping software and have used it in the past to have students create flow charts, Venn diagrams, etc. I actively keep a course web page with links to notes, power points, YouTube videos and electronic copies of assignments. I can even find some online resources that I have used myself for science courses in the past, such as PubMed and ChemSpider, etc. However, the problem is that I am not aware of how to efficiently take advantage of all of the technology now currently available. My technical content and pedagogical knowledge is limited to the technology I have used in the past, and to be perfectly honest, I have not been doing a good job of keeping up with all of the latest technologies within the past 5-7 years, which has seen some largest leaps in advancement in the past few decades. I am most familiar with technology that tends to be static in nature: making charts, graphs, figures, etc. Most of it is something that is very 2D in nature, impersonal and individualistic, and not dynamic. I have never used an IPod outside of a 5 minute staff development activity. Mac computers confuse me, and movie making seems a bit out of my grasp. That is why I am in this class. It is not needed for my degree in any shape or form nor do I need the credit hours. Instead, I am finding that these students simply cannot learn the way that I learned when I was there age and I need to find a way to communicate what I need for them to learn and achieve in a manner that they are more familiar with, which happens to be through technology and communication through technology.
2) Initial ideas of your technology-integration lesson design, e.g., in which grade level, subject area, unit or lesson, and what technological tools that you will use. You are not limited to the tools we learned in class. You can make changes to your ideas later. (200 words or more)
I teach high school chemistry and biology, and believe I need to start small and build up to more advanced forms of technology. I will most likely stick to blogs and wikis for now and maybe move on to podcasts, videos, etc. later. I have already toyed with the idea of having my students frequently blog about their progress on their science fair projects in order to provide feedback and keep tabs on who is doing what to better serve their needs. However, I like the idea of using blogs to give students and their peers an opportunity to peer tutor/teach, such as posting guided questions or even class quizzes. For example, this upcoming 9 week period, we will begin with naming chemical compounds. I would post a blog asking for the chemical name for a given formula and vice versa and have the students determine the correct names through the comments. By actively participating in the task, they can prepare in another format rather than simply working on a handout that we grade and correct in class. In addition, I would like to use wikis as areas for not only group projects and assignments, but also to provide the students to create a class study page, where they essentially help each other prepare for the class and for tests. As a study page, I would provide a few guiding questions and let the students write, debate, and decide what the best answer is for the class. Currently, I have the students doing their own searches to help find some good online videos and games that I can post on my website for them. Although some have not turned in anything useful and you know right away it was something they chose without seeing what is was, some students have a done a fantastic job of finding fun and educational material. I need to work on creating a stronger rubric for using these various technologies in my class but I myself must become more familiar.
Very insightful! I agree 100%, and feel like I am in the same boat.
ReplyDeleteI can agree with you in many levels. I do feel we must take step by step approach but unfortunately when we are in step 5 they will come out with something new that our districts will get when we the technology we have is non existing to that version. I wish this companies would just work hand in hand with our districts to keep up with the learning styles of our students.
ReplyDeleteOh! I really like your idea of having students blog/wiki their science fair project progress. I remember every year struggling with sources and reports on science fair projects because I started too early and forgot what the sources were about and having to reread them or stressing days before the report was due because I had to find sources. BUT one year I had a teacher who made us do annotated bibliographies and code our notes with symbols with a notebook due weekly beginning months before the fair. That year I was certainly not stressed. And if you're doing something similar online, you don't have to worry about students losing notebooks because it's saved online! Hoorah! Oh, and you're letting them do it partners they can collaborate together using google docs! GREAT IDEA!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to keep up with technology, because technology is evolving exponentially, it's amazing how technology is moving forward. I can tell you that because I have been in the technology field for more than 15 years.
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