Journal #3

Too Cool for School? No Way!


By Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler

 

This journal starts our by discussing how different generations view technological innovations. There are endless possibilities and applications that technology provides us with today, and if we want to integrate this technology into our classroom we have to demonstrate a certain types of knowledge. The first type knowledge discussed deals with the ideas of content and pedagogy and is referred to as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). They explain that as educators, our job involves teaching (pedagogy) students specific subject matter (content). PCK is used in ways to make content intellectually accessible and stimulating to students. There was another type of knowledge mentioned when referring to technology, which is termed technological knowledge or TK. This type of knowledge was employed when teachers began using technology in the classroom. Integrating them all together, the authors came up with the term technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). The journal went even further to explain that as teachers integrate technology into their teaching, they go about finding the approaches to find solutions that effectively combine content, pedagogy, and technology. Teachers should develop a willingness to utilize technologies and openness to building new experiences for students so that fun, cool tools can be educational.

 

Which repurposed use of technology would I find useful to employ in the classroom?

Microblogging within the classroom sounded like a great idea to allow students to interact with one another on a different level. They can use this application to learn more about one another, work together collaboratively on projects and also to share ideas. 

What did I find the most useful about this article?

Before reading this article, I was not aware of the different types of knowledge’s that need to be used in the classroom. Although I am not going to be a teacher, I think that the technological, pedagogical and content knowledge should be something that all teachers keep in mind.