Unpacking TPACK

       TPACK...funny little acronym.......loaded with meaning!

       That is what I have been learning about this week.  To be honest, I had never heard the term before, but a quick Google search led me to realize that apparently I have been sticking my head in a hole.  The term was all over the internet.  For those ostriches like me, the acronym stands for Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge.  Important loaded term right here!  I found the most helpful and quick explanation of TPACK to be this link here.  Sometimes simple is better!

       So what does this all mean to me as a future educator?  As an educator of digital natives, I need to be on board with incorporating technology into my classroom.  My students not only are engaged by it, but the futures I am preparing my students for will require them to be fluent in it.  When designing my lessons, I need to consider every domain of knowledge that I am incorporating.  If I decide to introduce a new tech tool, I need to consider a few things.  What content am I teaching and what is the desired learning objective or product?  What is the best teaching method or strategy to obtain this outcome?  And finally what technology can enhance my students' learning this information?  The technological domain is important and cannot be viewed as extra or merely tacked on.  It must be seen regularly used tool with a purpose, not superfluous.

     Using tools in the classroom, particularly technology based tools, can be a great way to interest students and get them involved and interactive in their own learning.  These tools provide students access to real audiences and help whenever they need them.  Using technology, students can publish their own work, collaborate with others outside of the classroom, and find additional resources.  I view technology as a real boon, particularly for introverted students who find being on the spot during in-class discussion a difficult and stressful situation.  By providing them a bit of a time and space to work, I as a teacher am better able to assess what they know.  
 
     However, technology is a bit like fire.... while essential, it needs to be handled carefully.   Technology can be dangerous and students must be taught to use it responsibly.  Teachers must familiarize themselves with the tools they are asking their students to use.  And they will constantly need to update their skills, as tech is always changing.  It also has the potential to completely ruin a lesson if you don't have a back up plan and the school's network goes down.  YIKES!  Some teachers aren't comfortable using technology, or aren't using it to its full potential.  If you are someone who collaborates with these teachers, this may not be an easy partnership....or it may be the perfect opportunity to share wealth of information!

     Because I am not a digital native, I am going to have to start small.  I hope to learn a few tried and true great ways to incorporate technology that can be implemented in a variety of formats.  Google Docs is a good start.  I plan to have a classroom blog and discussion board that students and parents regularly use.  In order to find the rest, I will ask fellow teachers and continue to search the web to see what other ELA teachers have successfully used for different units. The information is out there, I just need to learn how to use it.