TPACK/TIP

TPACK is the basis of effective teaching with technology and requires an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies; pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content; knowledge of what makes concepts difficult or easy to learn and how technology can help redress some of the problems that students face; knowledge of students' prior knowledge and theories of epistemology; and knowledge of how technologies can be used to build on existing knowledge and to develop new epistemologies or strengthen old ones (p.50). All this is to say that TPACK is how well the educator knows the content being taught, the students being taught, the method of teaching, and how to connect these for the greatest benefit of all involved.

Phase 1: Reflect on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (pp.51-52)
1.) What is my knowledge of technology (TK)? Do I need to improve on my technological skills?
2.) What is my knowledge of pedagogy (PK)? Will my teaching style lend itself to using technology?
3.) What is my knowledge of content (CK)? How familiar/knowledgeable am I about what I am teaching?
4.) Where do I see myself in the TPACK model?

Phase 2: Determine Relative Advantage (pp.52-54)
1.) What is the problem I am addressing? What am I wanting to accomplish?
2.) Do not focus on technologies. Focus on the skill being taught, not the use of technology.
3.) Look for evidence. Make sure there is a problem and proof that it exists.
4.) Do technology-based methods offer a solution with sufficient relative advantage? Is using technology in this scenario the right approach to take?

Phase 3: Decide on Objectives and Assessments (pp.55-57)
1.) What outcomes do I expect from using the new methods? What do I want to gain from using this technology solution that is observable and measurable?
2.) What are the best ways of assessing these outcomes? What is the optimum assessment for determining success of the result?

Phase 4: Design Integration Strategies (pp.57-58)
1.) What kinds of instructional methods are needed in light of content objectives and student characteristics? Which teaching style should I use for this lesson, direct or constructivist, based on the content and the students?
2.) How can technology best support these methods? What form of technology would be best for the type of instruction that was decided upon?
3.) How can I prepare students adequately to use technologies? I need to model the technologies being used so the students are comfortable utilizing them.

Phase 5: Prepare the Instructional Environment (pp.58-60)
1.) What equipment, software, media, and materials will I need to carry out the instructional strategies? What are the technology supplies necessary to implement the instructional methods to carry out the lesson?
2.) How should resources be arranged to support instruction and learning? Make sure that the students are able to access what they need while maintaining security.
3.) What planning is required to make sure technology resources work well? Am I able to correct most technology-based problems that I may encounter during the lesson?

Phase 6: Evaluate and Revise Integration Strategies (pp.60-61)
1.) How well has the technology integration strategy worked? Assess achievement, attitudes, and students' comments to determine the success of the integration.
2.) What could be improved to make the technology integration strategy work better? Review how the lesson went and determine what could be done differently in the future to make the use of technology more conducive to the lesson.

Is the TPACK still relevant in education and why?
TPACK is especially useful in education today. As we move toward a more technology-rich educational system, it is imperative that teachers/instructors are self-aware in their skills in order to utilize these resources to the greatest capacities. Teachers have always needed to be cognizant of their students, their teaching style, and their content; now that technology is such a large part of the classroom, it only makes sense that this knowledge be addressed as well.         

Which Phase is the most important in my opinion?
I feel that Phase 6 is the most important of the TIP Model. While all of the other phases have importance in their own right, it is Phase 6 that speaks to the true skills of a teacher. All too often teachers see themselves as being infallible. This is never the case. We can implement all of the strategies and pedagogies that we have ever learned as educators, but if we are not willing to review and revise what we did, then we are really doing the students a disservice, as well as ourselves. We need to look back at the methods we implemented, and search for errors, misjudgments, and other oversights, so that we might learn from them and become better teachers. A lesson can always be improved upon, so we owe it to our students to take that responsibility as their teacher.


Citations/References