Multimedia Reflection

TPACK DEVELOPMENT

Before this course, I knew little about technology within teaching. Although I understand that technology is used in teaching, I

never thought about the complex ways that it can help or hinder student’s learning. From this course I’ve come to understand that

there are many ways to incorporate technology into the classroom, some more beneficial to others. I’ve learned that

depending on what subject I’m teaching and how I’m formulating the lesson, there may or may not be an appropriate use for

technology. Technology must be precisely balanced with pedagogy and content in order effectively balance a lesson.

On the next slide, you’ll find my philosophy of teachnology. I wanted to include this in my TPACK powerpoint because it uses

examples to reflect how I feel about the use of technology in the classroom.

EDU 210

PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHNOLOGY REFLECTION

From Module 5 in my ePortfolio

 In one of my university classes, we were told to make a Twitter. We have had a few different guest lectures in this class. During the lectures, we were told to log onto twitter so that we could partake in conversations about the speaker during the lecture itself. Although I can see the potential benefits in

this plan, it was not successful. A large portion of the conversations that took place were off topic, rude, or inappropriate. Even when the discussions were on topic, taking part in them meant taking your attention away from

the lecture. Using twitter while in class proved to be a huge distraction.

    On the other hand, I have seen technology used very effectively in the classroom. One example is using the Internet to research. Looking up

information on the Internet is a very fast and effective way of learning. If I had not been taught this skill inside of a classroom, I would not understand how to tell if information is accurate, where to look, etc. I can now access

unlimited information in a safe manor at the click of a button.

MOST AND LEAST EFFECTIVE USES OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE

CLASSROOM

As a teacher, understanding how to effectively incorporate

all three domains will make sure that my students get the

most out of their lessons, technology or no technology. As a part of this course we

learned about various web 2.0 tools that can further students

learning. Not all tools are effective. In the next slide you

will find my evaluation of what makes a great web tool!

HOW LEARNING ABOUT TPACK WILL IMPACT ME AS A

TEACHER!

1. Fun Factor!!!!!!

Students will be much more engaged and interested if the tool they are using is fun! If a tool allows students creativity to personalize their work, I think the students will put a lot more effort into it! Everyone loves to have fun!

2. Time and Difficulty

A major factor that I look at is how much time it takes to figure out the tool. Time and difficulty overlap a fair amount. If a tool is user friendly and easy to figure out, it will take students less time to create and share their work, so that

more time can be spend on learning.

3. Personal Information Required

An important requirement is how much information is needed to register, if any. Ideally, students would not have to give any information, or register. Depending on the age of the student, it may not be appropriate to have them give

out their email. Also, certain websites have a minimum age required to register, which may exclude may grade levels.

4. $$$$$$

Some tools cost money! I would not use a resource in my classroom that either my students or I had to pay for. There are many sites that are free for basic features, but cost money for extras. Most of the time for basic classroom tasks this would be okay. Other website, for example Voki, only require one fee for an entire class. Voki Classroom requires

the teachers to pay one reasonable fee, which allows students and teachers to interact and share online.

5. Learning Objectives

Will this tool allow me to reach my learning objectives for this class? Some tools seem really cool, but in the long run don't help students out very much. Each tool must be relevant to the lesson, and help improve the level of

understanding coming from the students. If the tool confuses the students further, clearly it isn't worth using.

6. How General?

This ties in with number 5. I always want to look at how general the uses or the tool are. Some tools are relevant to multiple subjects, which would be very handy! That way, for example, once students learn how to use the tool for

math, they can use it for social as well! If the tool is more specific, that may have it's own advantages. If one tool is very specific to science, it likely goes more in depth, and has multiple uses revolving around science.

EVALUATION OF WEB 2.0 TOOLS:

MODULE 6

This diagram shows my personal development within TPACK. The three domains range from large to small to demonstrate my knowledge in each area. The distance

between the circles represents my knowledge in each sub-domain. This diagram is constantly changing as I learn and evolve as a student, and eventually as a teacher!

MY PERSONAL TPACK DIAGRAM

In the next slide, you will find the section of my “Theories and Frameworks” mind map that outlines TPACK. This

information is a very brief summary of the things that I learned about TPACK. In this mind map there is a link to

www.tpack.org, which contains articles and diagrams demonstrating the interconnectedness of TPACK.

MORE ABOUT TPACK