Hi, this is Juan from Broken Dreams and this week I am the star of the group.
(This image has been created by Juan Martínez Vivancos, 2012).
I am going to talk about Technological Pedagogical Content and, concretely, about Knowledge. If we think about Technology we have to keep in mind that Technology has changed schedules and customs in human work. In this sense, Technology advance has caused a main problem: how to apply this one to the educational area. In regard to this point, if we look through history we can see how at the beginning pedagogues thought that Teaching Knowledge came from Pedagogy and Content but there was not an association between them, they were two separated spheres. Later, thanks to Shulman, in 1986, he would affirm that Knowledge of the Teaching process was a relationship between Content and Pedagogical Knowledge and because of this connection we would obtain the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK will be explained later on…).
Next, the advance of technology would origin a new Knowledge conception. Technology started to play an important role at educational area and in this sense many pedagogues started to think that Technology also contributed to the Teaching Process’s configuration. Nevertheless, Technology appeared in classrooms as a different sphere, that is, Technology was used with certain frequency but teachers did not realise that it was contributing to improve the Knowledge in a direct way.
Finally, in 2006, thanks to Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler, they would indicate that Technology is also a component which produces benefits to Knowledge and educational area. Consequently, the association of Technology would cause the TPCK’s (Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge) creation. Thus, Technology, Pedagogy and Content would be three main spheres which are not separated but they are in cooperation and interdependence.
Due to this association we obtain three main connections as we can see in the second Venn’s Diagram of the poster;
First of these associations we can find Pedagogical Content Knowledge which is the relationship between Content and Pedagogy. Content is a transcendental point in the Knowledge of Teaching process but Pedagogy involves all strategies and mechanism which allow us to put into practice all that information which we know. In this sense, I know some music teachers who are virtuoso with the instrument but, however, they have not the necessary pedagogical part in order to transmit Knowledge to their students.
Next connection we find is Technological Content Knowledge which is the relationship between Technology and Content. In this point the advance of Technology has caused its implantation in schools and, therefore, contents are not exempt of these new modifications. In reference to this regard, we should know which new changes might produce the use of a specific kind of Technology.
Finally, we find the third association in Technological Pedagogical Knowledge which studies the relationship between Technology and Pedagogy. This is an important point since Technology is at all our homes and, indeed, we know how to use it, we know how to turn on lights, TV, computer, we know how to communicate by mobile phones, etc… What is really interesting is how to apply Technology into the educational area and, in this way Pedagogy is the main instrument which provides us the necessary strategies in order to make it possible.
Thus, TPCK will be a sharing among three principal spheres: Content, Pedagogical and Technological Knowledge and three main associations: Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Technological Content Knowledge and Technological Pedagogical Knowledge. Consequently, we could affirm that TPCK is the nuclear centre of the diagram which coordinates the Knowledge’s configuration.
To conclude, we should have a look at the application of TPCK to Pedagogy. TPCK’s use into pedagogical area has originated four central features with which we have to take care if we want to extrapolate TPCK to Pedagogical perspective in a suitable way.
First, we find Inappropriate design of software. As the text says the most part of software programs are about business and work. Therefore, in this sense the principal goal of teachers will be trying to generalise these tools to the educational area in order to get better formation in children.
Next, we find the Rapid rate of technology change. This point is quite obvious, we are in 21th Century; technologies grow in a fast way and in twenty years technology will not be the same as it is right now so teachers have to be in touch to new changes in media world so as to implant them continuously into educational area.
Then we find the Situated nature of learning. In reference to this applicative feature we should be aware about consequences which may produce the use of a specific kind of technology. In fact, Technology is not equal for all students and situations and because of this difference teachers should study every circumstance in order to get the best result thanks to the application of a precise type of Technology which is convenient in each case.
Finally, there is another important point in TPCK’s application to Pedagogical area which is An emphasis in what, not how. Teachers should focus in what Technology, what Content and what Pedagogy they are going to put into practice, they should pay attention to what objectives and competences they want to develop in children. Therefore, How, that is, in what manner to transmit and improve Knowledge will be provided by reactions and responses from children once TPCK takes part in classroom’s environment.
(All the explained information is gathered on the next poster).
(This poster has been created by Broken Dreams; 2012. From Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge, Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler; 2006).
Cheers,
Juan ;-)
