What is the TPACK model? Our teaching experience

It could happen that after some years of teaching English and planning lessons, teachers' lessons plans become routinized and based on the same activities year after year. This can be changed by integrated technology in our lessons. For an educator, an effective way to integrate technology into his or her teaching will result from: the combination of knowledge about the content to teach, knowledge of appropriate pedagogy to carry on the content to teach and knowledge about the technology we will use.


One way of doing this is through the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Developed by educational researchers Mishra and Kohler (2006), the TPACK is a highly practical model for educators that enable and support technology integration in their teaching. It helps teachers consider how their knowledge domains intersect in order to effectively teach and engage students with technology. The following video titled ‘Introduction to the TPACK Model’ will explain you this innovative method.






At the moment of applying the TPACK model in our lesson, and then presenting it in class, we had some difficulties. One of them was the netbook, it was really slow and this made that the internet connection takes longer. Another one was the application selected to teach 'parts of the body', we had problems to manage it. Finally, even though the activities were engaging and motivated, they were not suitable for the students' age.

To conclude, despite the fact our knowledge of the content to teach (parts of the body), the activities proposed by the application were too simple. As well as that, the technological device failed and the planned lesson turned a bit bored and uncomfortable for us and the students. This is one of the disadvantages we might face when trying to apply ICT in our lessons.

A way to improve the lesson could be that next time we revise carefully the activities offered by the app, preview in advance possible failures with technology (netbook, projector or speakers) and have a plan 'B'. Maybe a powerpoint presentation with different activities adapted to the level of students would have been better to teach the topic.

To learn more about the TPACK model, follow the links references below.


References:
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.
Koehler, M.J. (2012). TPACK explained- Retrieved from http://tpack.org/ 



Ubicación: Santa Fe, Argentina

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