TPCK Chapter 12 - in-service education

As I read chapter twelve, I found myself agreeing with several of the ideas presented by Judith Harris. I was surprised to see myself being described at times. It was useful to read about how to help in service teachers gain TPCK skills.

One piece that I connected to was the idea that technology “should assist with - not overshadow - teachers helping students to meet curriculum-based standards.” (p. 252) I agree with this point completely and at times I have struggled to get to this point. For a while I was using technology to have the students create “projects”. Some of the time these projects were very beneficial in helping my students to learn and meet standards. Other times we did them just to try the technology; the content was lost. I think that it is really important that teachers reflect upon how technology is used and whether it serves the purposes intended. The more information I learn about technology possibilities the more mindful I am of the advantages and disadvantages.

This connects to an additional point in the chapter. It is necessary for teachers to understand what is available for technology before a teacher can really think about how to integrate technology effectively into a curriculum. Teachers must gain an understanding of technological PCK before they can consider TPCK. This idea makes a lot of sense to me. I correlate this to a chef making a recipe. Before the chef can create a fabulous dish he has to have the right ingredients. Before a teacher can integrate technology, he must know what the possibilities are and how they would be beneficial for students’ learning.

In order for in-service teachers to gain this knowledge it must be taught or shared with them in a meaningful fashion. Adult learners, according to this chapter, need two big things. They need to understand why they are learning something and how they will benefit directly from it. They also need to know whether or not the outcome will be worth the effort. I know for me, these ideas are important. I like to understand why I’m doing something and what the end result will look like, otherwise, the learning is not as effective. These same needs are often essential for children as well. It is important that students know why they are doing something and what the outcomes or benefits will be.