TPACKReflections


 * 1) Click on the bottom of the page.
 * 2) Use the down arrow on your keyboard to get the cursor underneath the horizontal bar.
 * 3) Type your name.
 * 4) Copy and paste your reflection underneath your name.
 * 5) Insert a horizontal bar under your reflection.
 * 6) Click save.

toc =--Links and Research=


 * Technology integration and TPCK ||
 * http://www.tpck.org/tpck/index.php?title=TPCK_-_Technological_Pedagogical_Content_Knowledge ||
 * http://www.iddblog.org/?p=76 ||
 * http://www.4teachers.org/ Ideas for tech. integration ||
 * [[file:tpackroundtablehandout-1.pdf]] ||
 * How to use TPCK and research that gives examples ||
 * [[file:TPCK AConceptualFramework.pdf]] ||
 * [[file:TPCKConfronting.doc]] ||
 * [[image:Picture_1.png width="206" height="130"]] ||

=--Abstract= The development of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) by teachers is important when it comes to effective teaching with technology. TPCK is an interaction among three bodies of knowledge: content, pedagogy, and technology. These bodies interact to form a type of flexible knowledge needed to be successful when integrating technology into the classroom. Teachers live in a dynamic and ever increasing complex environment. They are expected to integrate student thinking and learning styles, content knowledge, and more so now than ever, knowledge of technology. The push to integrate technology complicates teaching further due to social and institutional contexts that are unsupportive; its’ vast abilities; and ever changing nature. Teachers must stay on top of changes as well as be provided with proper training for use and integration in the classroom. Educators must also become more creative and flexible as technology adds many more variables to the classroom.

=--Class Reflection= Below are the common threads we found after reading everybody's reflections for Chapter One from the (TPCK) book:
 * many are interested in learning (TPCK) model to enhance their teaching and creating of units to make them more meaningful for their students
 * teaching is a difficult job, use of technology can complicate teaching
 * technology is forever changing, it's hard to keep up with all the new programs, we become familiar with something and then it changes, it's frustrating
 * teachers have inadequate training or experiences with technology, lack of time/resources, they don't feel prepared to teach technology
 * teachers need professional development opportunities to use technology, in order for teachers to be successful in integrating technology into their curriculum, they must understand it and feel confident and comfortable with it
 * software is designed for business world, not the world of education
 * digital natives vs. digital immigrants
 * some feel that their schools have very little technological support
 * teachers should take on the responsibility of integrating technology into their specific content areas, we must teach our students technology for them to be successful in the 21st century
 * "Functional Fixedness"
 * The "wicked problem"

=Individual Reflections=

Andrea
It is often said that teaching is one of the most difficulty jobs. This chapter has a very good argument for why this statement is true. On page 3 the author states, “...we view the teacher as an autonomous agent with the power to significantly influence the appropriate ( or inappropriate ) integration of technology in teaching.” This is an extremely important job. The only way to prepare students for the future is to arm them with the 21st century skills that they will need. If we neglect teaching students the skills they need they will have difficulty surviving in the workplace of the future. I believe learning the TPCK model is an important way to balance the educational needs of our students.

Through reading this first chapter I have begun to really think about the different approaches to technology integration there are even within our own school. I understand why there is a reluctance to try new things and this chapter gave me a a new way to explain this problem with others. Technology is constantly change and like all changes they often are accompanied by resistance. One of the chief causes of the the resistance is the fact that teacher often feel that as soon as they begin to feel comfortable with a program the program is outdated. I agree with the idea that often times we are taking programs and technology that was created for the business world and making it work in the classroom. I embrace the challenge in teaching 6 year olds how to use technology that often boggles the minds of adults. This may seem impossible to some but for me it makes perfect sense because 6 year olds can embrace the information they are given and will play with it. They are not afraid of making a mistake or goofing something up. If you ask and adult if they draw often times their answer is no but ask any six year old and they will all tell you they are an artist. The same thing is true about technology. Ask a child if they can use a computer and they are all EXPERTS in technology but ask an adult and often you can see fear come over them. They are so afraid they will goof something up that they are often reluctant to try. The terms digital natives and digital immigrants really hold true. It is usually very easy to distinguish. Those who are digital natives are more likely to be the “6 year olds” willing to try and figure it out themselves while the digital immigrants are usually more hesitant to try on their own. Often teachers are given tools with which to teach with. We are often told how to use them and their purpose. It is important to know the capabilities of the technology you are using and the limitations also. With the vast array of harProxyProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 onnection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 are Proxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 oxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 oxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 d software available it is important to know the best technology to use for the goal at hand. Though usually limitations of technology are often imposed by the user. Get away from“functional fixedness” finding new and innovative ways to use the technology. Often in my classroom it is with the students that I am able to broaden my thinking about how to use a particular technological tool. If I give students the basic knowledge of how to use a particular tool and allow them the freedom to explore the tool I am often amazed at just how creative they can be. Thinking of technology as a “wicked problem” seems extremely appropriate. no matter how tech savvy a person technology is always changing and it is difficult to keep up. Also the problems are often multifaceted and can be approached many different ways. We are not looking for a solution to unsolvable problems just ways to make things better. “Teachers practice in a highly complex, dynamic environment that asks them to integrate knowledge of student thinking and learning, knowledge of the subject matter, and increasingly, knowledge of technology.”(pg 4) The TPCK model helps address this problem by working to look at the the ways we teach as well as what and how we teach. The TPCK model takes content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and technological knowledge. In theory the three can be separated and discussed but when we put these into practice it is difficult to separate the three. “Teaching successfully with technology requires continuity creating, maintaining, and re-establishing a dynamic equilibrium between each component.” Even though I work hard to create the most effective learning environment for my students. I know I still have a lot to learn. Part of becoming a teacher is making a pledge to be a life long learner. I can't wait to learn more about the TPCK model and put these new ideas into practice.

Carlos

 * Reflection on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge** **Chapter 1**

Education is an evolving living being. Evolution implies changes, and changes are always very painful because they come with new questions or conundrums, which demand answers. Solving problems requires a four-step solution process. First one must identify the problem, then think of a solution, draw up a plan, and then carry out the plan. In the case of TPCK, we are most likely to get stuck on the whining about the problem. In chapter 1 of TPCK, we are introduced to the ideas of planning for technological pedagogical content knowledge. We all understand that developing skills on how to use computer technology in meaningful and useful ways is a must if we are to help our students to become successful problem-solvers in the 21st century. In ancient times, great thinkers such as Plato resisted the idea of committing thoughts to papyrus or early forms of printed technology. He was afraid people’s memory power would decline. Nowadays, we face the challenges of computer technology, not only as citizens of the world, but also as educators. Computer programs were originally designed to answer the demand posed by a fast growing banking system, and other institutions such as defense and health care. Its affordance was never intended for education. However even though the original intent was to facilitate quick storage of data, digital technologies are protean in nature, making it easy for educators to think of new applications in the classroom. For example a well-planned and designed PowerPoint presentation can aid students in presenting information to their peers in a more effective way. Therefore, the challenge is for educators to figure out ways to design curricula to make better use of digital technologies in order to instruct their students. Often times, we’d rather leave this challenge to the computer technology folks. We have been wired to think that it is not our “wicked problem”. Teaching children is an ill-structured field that demands of educators to be flexible in their approach on how they instruct their pupils. For example not all students in a group learn in the same fashion. When teachers design their curricula, they need to weave a net of pedagogical content strategies that can be casted on a wider spectrum of learning styles and abilities. Adding digital technology to the educational mix turns teaching into a greater ill-structure discipline. Educators seem to subscribe to the 21st demand for computer technology. However often times, teachers are at a loss on how to design new curricular nets. Sometimes, teachers are not clear or convinced why digital technologies are necessary, or why they should be integrated into more traditional subjects such as literacy, mathematics or science.

Kelly
I was only a few sentences into the first chapter and could already relate to the words in print. I'm in my twelfth year of teaching and am very fortunate to be placed in a brand new school overflowing with technology. My classroom is equipped with a SMART Board and the school as a whole has many technological resources. Sometimes I am discouraged because I don't feel that I'm using the SMART Board enough or to the best of its capabilities. I was given this expensive piece of equipment, but it came with little to no training. I am excited to read more and delve deeper into the TPCK framework because perhaps it will steer me in a direction that I'm more comfortable with. Technology knowledge is crucial to deliver to students and to be effective in its delivery I know I must understand how to integrate it correctly throughout the curriculum. The statement about how the inclusion of technology in pedagogy complicates teaching stuck with me because there are times when I'm overwhelmed with all the technological advancements and how to use them appropriately. I agree that teachers often have inadequate training or experience with technology. Schools are doing a disservice to their students when teachers are immersed in a technology rich environment, but cannot use it effectively. I could value the (SEP) syndrome because that unfortunately is the role many seem to take. It's easier to keep telling yourself that someone else will figure everything out, but we must remember we are hurting our students learning in the end. I know the right thing to do as an educator is to embrace these new technologies and continue my education with all the different forms of technology that I have access to. The relationship I have with the technologist in my building should be a positive one. We must be able to lend support to one another in a non-threatening way. Our pedagogy and technology beliefs may be different, but the goal to better deliver the curriculum to our students needs to remain the focus. Being so advanced in technology I believe our school lacks technologists. These experts, if we had more could certainly play a bigger role in our technology integrated curriculum.

Laurie
What is technological pedagogical content knowledge?

In this chapter a TPCK framework for teacher knowledge. TPCK is a very involved intertwinement of content, pedagogy and technology. It helps us to strive to be more open to and current with technology integration. In our district we are blessed to be our own curriculum designers. We are not forced to use certain workbooks and textbooks. We are allowed to be flexible and creative and for me this has made my curriculum easier to integrate knowledge of student thinking and learning, knowledge of the subject matter and more and more, knowledge of technology. It amazed me that when we got the smartboards that teachers weren't offered a series of workshops for teachers to get comfortable in using this completely, awe inspiring, educational tool. We had a one day workshop and it was so jam packed with information that many teachers left very confused and frustrated. It took several teachers a long time to even want to turn on the Smartboards. When I read about how, “teaching is akin to other world problems that are ill-structured, that lack required information, and do not have a known correct nor best solution.” (Frederiksen,1986; Glass, Holyoak, & Santa 1979; Nickerson, 1994; Reitman, 1964, Roberts, 1964).This statement caused me to reflect on the districts that simply hand out the curriculum when a new teacher is hired and expect them to just know what to do with it. This material is perhaps nothing like the material that they used in their methods classes in college. I have been a mentor teacher to newly hired personnel and the newbies often feel like there is no room for their own creativity and direction that they are giving a major task to cover all of the material which is always way too much stuff and in isolation causing difficulty in ensuring a thematic approach. Students needs all of the little pieces to tie into a bigger picture, they don't need fragmentation. Technology can be the glue that binds all of the subject areas together. I loved the line, “functional fixedness often stands in the way of creative uses of technologies.” I see that all the time and not just in our district. Many teachers just do not seem to think out of the box. If they use the Smartboards to do lunch count and attendance and maybe to display daily schedule and homework than they have used it that day and do not think of all the possibilities that would allow them to use them throughout most of the day. Students are highly engaged by technologies. It is amazing at how much a teacher can learn from the students if they are not stuck in the “fixedness” of teacher/student roles. I love to tell my students that they just taught me something that I did not know. They beam!! My frustration has been that I will just learn something and then new software comes out making all that I learned obsolete. It is sometimes a challenge to see where our prior knowledge fits in to the new learning but if we think about it we can always come up with many ways in which our previously learned technology aids us in taking in and utilizing the new knowledge. However, you will always have those teachers who love to complain about everything or who simply refuse to become immersed in 21st century skills and that is a huge problem in education, in my opinion. I always try to put myself in other's shoes and I can't imagine how scary it must be for older teachers who have not gotten on the tech. train. I hope to someday utilize all of my newly acquired Master level class knowledge and help them embrace the ever changing tech world.

Jodi
This first chapter introduces technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK), and the problems that arise for teachers when they are expected to integrate technology into their classrooms. Expecting teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms requires them to be proficient in many different areas. They must have knowledge of their subject matter, knowledge of teaching methods and the various ways that students learn, as well as knowledge of technology. One of the biggest problems with this is that technology is ever changing. It is incredibly difficult to stay abreast of the most current technology. In addition, even if teachers are aware of the latest technology, it is another matter to incorporate that into the daily curriculum. There is a definite lack of training for teachers on how to use specific technology within their content area. Most teachers are familiar with analog technology that has been in their classrooms for a long time, such as the white board. However, digital technology, such as computers, requires much more training. Even when teachers are trained on using the computer, or some of its programs, it is not always apparent on how to best use that technology within their specific content area. One of the biggest issues surrounding this matter is that most software is designed for use in the business world, not in education. So, it’s not so much a matter of learning how to use the technology, but rather what to do with it. I find that this is very true in our school systems today. Working in a middle school in Maine, I have the privilege of every one of my students carrying a laptop computer with them to class. As a Language Arts teacher, this is very convenient for writing assignments. I am familiar with the word processing software on the computers, and it is easy for me to teach the students how to write their essays using their laptops. However, I know that there is much more that can be done with this technology that we’ve been given, but I feel ill-equipped to use some of the programs myself, much less teach the students how to use them. After learning about wikis in our first tech module in this master’s program, I did feel comfortable enough to have students respond to discussion questions about a book we were reading using wikis. I felt this was a great success. Students seemed to open up more than they normally would in class. They not only responded to my original question, but brought up other questions of their own, and commented on other students’ responses. It is apparent to me, that while we have technology available for use in the classroom, teachers need time and professional development opportunities to learn how to best use what is available in their individual content areas and classrooms

Stacey
Curriculum and Leadership I, the title of this new course came to light for me when I read this chapter. The statement that was quoted by Dewey, “the teacher is not merely the creator of the curriculum, but is a part of it: teachers are curriculum designers,” helped make this come to light. When I read this statement a light came on for me in my personal teaching as well as what I envision this course being. Thinking of myself, a teacher, as a “designer” was and is at times hard for me to fathom. Being a leader in the educational world has not been at the forefront of my mind. Don't get me wrong, I think of myself as a leader to my students, but certainly not for colleagues and often times not as a designer of curriculum. In reflecting on this chapter I realized that, yes, I guess I am a designer of curriculum in the aspect that it is up to me to provide experiences for my students that will enable them to learn and apply the curriculum needing to be taught, but when I hear the term “curriculum” I think of what is given to me by the administration that my students need to come away with by the time they leave me at the end of the year. They are not giving me the ways this needs to be done, just the “frame” of what needs to be taught. To try and make sense of this whole concept I started to think of this as building a house. The administration gives us some of the materials needed to build the home. We, the teachers, leaders, designers, need to develop the ways in which these materials are used to create a foundation that will hold it all together to create a knowledgeable learner. Technology, content, pedagogy are all materials that need to be used “together” to build a strong, durable home. Before reading this chapter, I liked to think that I was good at integrating technologies into my classroom. I have felt that I try to create effective learning experiences for my students with the use of technologies, but after reading this chapter I was able to reevaluate how well I do or do not do this. This chapter gave me “permission” to give myself a break. What I mean by that, is that I tend to be very hard on myself as a person, learner, educator. I push myself to be the absolute best in everything I do, and tend to not give myself a break when things do not work out as well as I hoped. It was mentioned numerous times throughout this chapter that technologies are ever changing and that it is very difficult for educators to keep up. As teachers, we have so many demands and expectations we need to meet. It is overwhelming when you think of technologies and keeping up with this rapidly changing world. On the same note, we must work to keep up. We are the leaders, the guides to how technology is used effectively. What I found interesting from this chapter is that it is so very important to understand that using technology effectively is not about just using technology in the classroom, but to be sure all components are applied as well, content, pedagogical, technological knowledge. If educators are only applying one of these pieces then they are not effectively teaching with technology. I completely agreed where this chapter mentioned the “divides.” There are the digital natives and digital immigrants in our schools. It is a difficult barrier to overcome. Some “digital immigrants” struggle to understand the impact that technology can have in teaching the curriculum and therefore tend to fight the implementation of it. For many immigrants, they feel it is too much for them to be able to learn and understand this “new stuff.” I also wanted to make note that I can see how technologists and educators can be on different pages at times. In our district we have a fabulous technologist that loves to see teachers implementing these technologies, but at times he doesn't understand our position and how difficult it is for us to keep up. We are trying to learn, know and do so much that it is hard sometimes to do it all and well. This chapter has strongly impacted my idea of teaching in the fact that I see a little different view of effectively implementing technology into the classroom. I want to be more effective. I want to be a leader and hope that this course will help me to better understand how to effectively do this when I am also responsible to meet all of the other demands in my career.

Alison
TPCK Reflection:

The “big idea” that came to me after reading chapter one is that technology is not something that you can learn and say “there… I’ve got it”. It is a forever changing medium that not only changes in operation, but also changes in how it interacts with teaching and curriculum. Being open to an “ill-structured” domain is an absolute essential need. In being ill-structured, you need to know that as you delve into different areas of technology and how they mesh with content and teaching, it will more often than not bring up other ill-structured domains that will need to be assessed with patients and originality. Figuring out how to use different programs for different areas in a teaching environment will take time and imagination.

There were a lot of “yeah… that’s right” that I had when reading this chapter. One major idea was the fact that most programs that are created for technology (and use higher level cognitive skills) are made for other professions than teaching. I have often adapted many programs to work with my first graders in the technology lag so that they can get use to the workings of a program but also relate it to learning that we are doing in the classroom. Another “yeah… that’s how it is in my school”, was in the section where teachers and technology are separated. That is very apparent in our school system. Teachers are not proficient in the programs that we use so there is no way for them to discover and problem-solve ideas within the class. Computer Lab is considered an add-on and teachers just “come up with something” so that they are using the lab. The other thought that was apparent when reading the chapter was that teachers across content areas are isolating themselves. They cannot mesh technology fluidly into their classrooms because there are too many curriculums to try and create ways to make it work. Teachers in content areas need to get together and discuss how technology works for them and their classrooms.

There were a few questions I came up with as I was reading as well. One silly question is why there have to be so many letters used in describing things (TPCK, CK, TK, PK, PCK, SEP, DVD, ADD, ADHD, ABCD)… It makes me crazy! Why aren’t educators getting together with community members/workplaces and finding out how they use the computer in their lives. Meshing all of these things together is soooooo important for our young students and it MUST be done but it seems so overwhelming… how does it get done? Where do we find the time? What happens when you go into menopause and CRS?

I am excited to finish this book and see what kind of journey it will take me on!

T.J.
THOMAS J. PLOURDE (T.J.)

This chapter helps to verify what we already know to be true. Teaching is difficult and teachers must learn to adapt to new teaching methods and to prepare students for the future. Teachers have a complex situation already and integrating technology into the classroom further complicates things.

Understanding Technology This is my 9th year teaching in public schools and I have the benefit of being introduced to technology while in my undergraduate coursed at the University of Maine at Farmington. Many of my colleagues have not been introduced to the many technological advances and find it difficult to step outside the box in order to integrate these advances into their course designs. Students with teachers that do not use technology in the classroom are creating a disservice to their students. Many of the technology of the past have become commonplace (Ex. Paper, pencils, telescopes, microscopes, and chalkboards) and they have become outdated. The so-called, new technology used in schools, are quickly becoming outdated and teachers are not pushing themselves to learn the latest technology. For example, many teachers are using technology to replace old technology (white boards vs. SMART boards). A SMART board is just a more efficient chalkboard or white-board. The newest technology has created virtual classrooms that allow conversation and communication with other classrooms from around the work (real-time). American companies that will employ our students are already global and our students must be prepared to fulfill these expectations before they reach the work force. In the chapter the authors explain that many teachers feel that technology is often somebody else’s problem. Many teachers feel that it is the job of the technology integrationist employed by the district that they work. I feel that all teachers should take on the responsibility of integrating technology into their specific courses. The integrationist is employed to teach the teachers how to use the newest technology, not to create a lesson plan for teachers to follow. Technology is not a problem it is an adventure. Technology is not going away and if teachers don’t want to use it then they should get out of the profession. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the (TPCK) model, which helps teachers incorporate technology and feel comfortable while using it. High school teachers want to have an effective way of producing high achieving students in their content area and use technology as a catalyst. They do not want to jeopardize the curriculum by spending too much time on the newest technology.

Joyce
Chapter One Reflection Interesting to include technology knowledge to the construct. of course, it is crucial to teaching effectively with technology. I don't want to use a smartboard or laptops just to say I use them. I want to them to engage the learner but only if it facilitates learning. Sometimes I feel like I don't use technologies as often as others, but my 25 years of teaching first grade sometimes holds me back. I am very aware of the skills first graders need to learn and I only want to use technology if it will facilitate that. There are certain skills that first graders must learn and limited time. If there is a way to integrate that with technology, thats great. It also makes it more interesting for me to teach something in a different way. I get tied of teaching a skill the same way year after year. But I want to teach it in a way that students will not only be excited about but will really learn from. If that is something that has worked for 25 years and includes puppets than thats the way to do it. But I am adding more technology lessons into my curriculum since I have taken several of my graduate classes. This chapter taught me thats okay. That “the inclusion of technology in pedagogy further complicates teaching”(page 3). Many of my coworkers see it that way. Our district has always been supportive of teachers efforts to integrate technology and I think some of my colleagues are very resistant. Reading this I thought maybe they would love that the chapter viewed teaching with technology as a “wicked problem”. I do think my coworkers are great teachers and want what is best for there students. I have sometimes thought they were very negative but I think this chapter addressed a lot of the issues they have. Sometimes giving that a voice helps, because the teacher may not consider themselves prepared to teach technology in their classroom. This chapter addresses this and is understanding of teachers. It addresses the instability of technology, how keeping up to date can be a full time job. It takes a great deal of work on the part of the teacher. We must accept that all technologies have affordances and constraints. And that we have to redesign software for our pedagogical purpose. Most software is designed for the business world. I think some of my coworkers would like to hear this but I alsothink they have to be open to learning more. Maybe they will not add technology to their curriculum as quickly as others. But they should not just shut down and not try it at all. After all most mission statements include wanting their students to be life long learners, shouldn't we also be life long learners? We should not let our “functional fixedness” stand in the way. Any new strategy a teacher tries takes extra time and energy. Integrating technology into effective practice can be a “wicked problem”. Simultaneously integrating TPCK when we are teaching will be quite a challenge for all teachers BUT who is more up for the challenge than a teacher!

Sam
I found parts of chapter one (Introduction) to be quite interesting. In a way the authors were able to verbalize many ideas rolling around in my head. Within the chapter it is explained how the use of technology can complicate teaching. I agree that technology can make teaching harder, but when used properly it can greatly decrease one’s workload. Technology, like nearly everything else, has changed over time. It is important to keep in perspective that items like pencils and chalkboards were seen as forms of technology at their outset. I am sure that it took time to figure out how to fully exploit the advantages of pencils and chalkboards in the classroom. In my three years of teaching I have grown increasingly comfortable using different forms of technology. I see and hear the frustrations of my “older” colleagues surrounding the “use technology” decree. Lack of training, as mentioned in the reading, is one of the largest issues here. Also, I am very glad that they book focuses on how TPCK applies to each content area differently. Too often all of the content areas are thrown into the same basket. To me, the most interesting concept from chapter one relates to the lack of training and feelings of inadequacy. The idea of “digital natives” versus “digital immigrants” really hits home with me. Prior to starting my teaching career I saw myself as a “digital native”. However, my students quickly showed me that I am not a native, nor will I ever be. This is similar to the idea that if one is not born in Maine they can never consider themselves a “Mainah”. When working on projects with students I continually learn from their expertise.

Meadow
**Questions and/or comments on the reading as well as random thoughts.**
 * How does this (will this) impact my classroom?**
 * Personal: I’m not really sure how this chapter will impact my classroom. I already use technology as a tool to help students analyze, synthesize, et cetera. I have some skill and little fear when it comes to technology. This can be dangerous as there are lots of questions they (my students) ask that I can’t answer, but I feel that it’s good that I’m willing to try. It’s important for students to see that I am not an expert, but will model troubleshooting techniques. I also know when things are over my head. I then call on the tech integrator at MBHS or a tech savvy student in the class. There is usually at least one student in the class who knows the program(s) we’re working with really well. **
 * I know that the computer is a tool that can be used for many different things, but they can be difficult to utilize for some… I get that. How do we pull people along and get them interested in using available technology in an appropriate manner with their students? Digital technology is a real fear for many in the generations of teachers who did not grow up with it. I feel like this is brushed aside much of the time. Focus is placed on young and/or willing teachers. How do we get those who are apprehensive more involved? **
 * I get that the chalkboard is a technology tool, but I don’t think it’s what we’re really talking about or are even concerned with when we discuss technology and the apprehension that some teachers have with using it. The authors should just get to what they really mean when they talk about technology (digital technology). I found that section in the reading dull, though I understood what the authors were getting at.
 * It can be difficult wading through the reading when one utilizes too many sources and/or parentheses (see page seven for an example). It does get a little better, but I was feeling bogged down.
 * I like the use of the venn diagram of the TPCK Framework as it made the entire picture/discussion a bit more accessible for me. I know what all of the elements are (without the definitions), but I like seeing them all combined with this visual.

Roxanne
Technology, a mystery to me in the classroom. There are so many times I hope to integrate super technology lessons into my classroom but with our curriculum demands, multi student abilities and access to working technology it is hard to follow through. The biggest reason is time to learn and then time to apply. Within my reading of chapter one, learning technology techniques and curriculum integrating is not a “one-shot deal”. Teachers need to become life long learners in this ever-changing field. My question is how do I accomplish this learning along with all that is expected with little support from the administration? Being a second grade teacher, I have a literacy specialist along with a math and science specialist that demand certain expectations to be met. There is no time to learn anything else. It would be great if we had someone in our building to support and teach techniques but district budget don’t warrant this luxury. As it is, we got Promethean boards this year but to learn how to use them, we have to give of our own time after hours. Meetings come first. Can you believe this? Maybe it’s the age group I teach. Second grade is very focused on reading and writing. There are certain methods and techniques to be used and technology is at the back burner. I need someone to show me. I guess I’m in the Functional Fixedness phenomenon. Sure seems to be a term I can relate to. With technology, it is easier to stay in a one-track mode rather then venturing into unknown territories to expand on the many ways to use technology. Knowing it would get easier with practice is never a convincing statement. I seem to do what I have to just to get done. I know, this doesn’t sound good does it. It was comforting to read Schwab quote that, “Teachers practice an art.” Teaching is a demanding job that entails so many facets. It is a challenge to be able to balance the needs of students and parents, curriculum expectations and assessments along with administration demands with meetings left and right. It is an art. Some of us do well and some do better but we all need that support and guidance.

Connie
Connie Crandall Reflection#1 1/20/09

While reading chapter 1 in Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Educators, I felt like the authors were talking to me. As an elementary school teacher, teaching in a brand new building with the latest technologies, I am frequently asking myself how to effectively integrate the Promethean Board into all of the subject areas I teach. Yes, I took the training that the district provided last fall when I had a lot on my plate. No, I didn’t get out of it what I had hoped. At 50, I am not hardwired the way my 27 year old son is who happens to be a computer programmer. I frustrate him when he tries to teach me something on the computer to no avail and I in turn have this feeling that I am ignorant when it comes to understanding most technology. Maybe that is why I did not learn what I should have during the training, or was the training inadequate? Why can he come into my classroom, develop a lesson in 60 minutes and effectively deliver it using the Promethean Board that afternoon when I hadn’t even been able to figure out how to turn it on? I consider myself a good teacher, I have a good knowledge base of the content I teach, I am a life-long learner, I am flexible and have had many changes during my 19 years as an educator. It’s not that I don’t want to effectively integrate technology into my classroom, but I feel I can keep the children motivated and interested in learning without the use of a lot of technology. I know I have the content, the pedagogy but NOT the technology.

Jocelyn
Reflection Ch. 1

The introduction to this book touched home for me. All the problems they speak of, I feel I have had. I feel comfortable using the “old technology”. I know it, understand it, and it always works. I was very excited to introduce “new technology” into my classroom over the past couple years. I felt energized and ready for whatever road blocks I would run into. However, as I began down this path it became very frustrating very fast. It was very time consuming just to find the correct resources on-line to enhance or take the place of the old way I would have presented the lesson. I would spend hours finding web sites and creating lab sheets for students so they could be successful on their own with little guidance from me. The day would come and you guessed it – didn’t work as I had planned. There were a multitude of problems over time. For example, only half the students could get online, the network was down, students had no way of getting to a computer outside of class time, the applet or website was down, the list goes on. It got very frustrating very fast. I felt robbed, I had put so much time into creating the lesson, for what. It soon felt like a big waste of time. I would end up presenting the lesson the “old way” after all. I have not totally given up – I just don’t worry if I get to it as much. A very real problem here in rural Maine is money. Our school has little technological support. What little there is – is overwhelmed to be sure. There are not always computers available when you need them. There is very little if any training that is content specific. The largest problem I see lately is so much time and resources are being spent on improving test scores, matching standards that continually change and doing book keeping that my purpose for being a teacher is lost. I whole heartedly believe what it takes to be a good teacher hasn’t changed in hundreds of years. The content has become broader and has many more applications which is expected in an ever changing world. The teaching tools available to us are much more diverse which is great and adds challenges that weren’t present before. It still takes a teacher with a vast amount of content knowledge to guide students on their journey to attain understanding and be able to apply the concepts in real life, whether it is being done on a chalk board or a computer.

Beth C.
As some of you are probably aware due to the endless questions and need for support in class, I am a digital immigrant. I have always taught with the idea that the simpler, the better. I tend to focus on small chunks of learning, scaffolding students along the way. I am an interventionist by trade at the moment and so much of what I do is 'watering down' instruction so that the tangles my students find themsleves in can carefully and systematically be unwoven. So, integrating technology into my life as a mother, teacher and graduate student has not been something I have focused on as it has never felt simple. The UMF program has made me stretch myself and made me more comfortable tackling the cpmputer and all it has to offer. I am still fearful of taking on the task of becoming a life-long learner of technology as it changes so frequently and I find myself breathless at times trying to keep up! I do struggle with the lack of tech support in my district. I find myself exploring an area, hitting a road block, and then not having the support to help me figure out just where I have gone wrong.

Beth W.
Introducing TPCK

More acronyms, yeah!!! The inclusion and integration of technology in the initial stages of curriculum planning and implementation certainly makes sense. I think up until this point, for me anyway, I take my current curriculum and then try and introduce technology where it seems like it might work. This has been sometimes successful and other times a distraction, just plain confusing and forced. Part of the reason for this is the learning curve we as teachers have been on, scrambling to learn and keep up with kids, and other teachers. We tend to introduce things as we learn them, not necessarily where they fit best. Sometimes I feel like I am practicing my technology skills on students at the expense of the content. Having said that, I think we have no choice but to familiarize ourselves, and our students with the numerous digital and social technologies that support their current learning, and their participation in a global world. As we create future curriculum, and we become more technologically astute it will be essential and practical that we integrate the technology piece at the same time. Two areas remain a concern for me. The first is the varying levels of mastery by individual teachers, and the flexibility of teachers to learn and incorporate certain popular technologies, they do not readily associate with education, into their curriculums. A second ongoing concern of mine involves bringing my students with special needs into the technologically savvy 21st Century. Because of the lack of exposure and of family support with new and existing technologies I am somewhat cautious to what extent these technologies should be embedded into the curriculum. On the other hand I am excited about the opportunities that technology can offer to students with special needs, not just in the areas of assistive technology but also to support basic literacy and math skills, as well as information acquisition.

Jess J.
TPCK Reflection Chapter 1. The center focus of this chapter for me was that in order for teachers to be successful in integrating technology into their classrooms, they must fully understand technology. It is imperative that teachers look at technology in a broader sense. There are “three core components that are at the heart of good teaching: content, pedagogy, and technology”. There are outside or “external” factors that impact the implementation of good teaching in technology integration such as time, money, information, and support. I know that in the school that I work in money does impact our resources and the amount of hardware, software, and online resources that we have in our building. Not all schools have access to the same kinds of technological resources and tools. This is just one of many problems that arise when we consider technology in the classroom. One idea that came through to me from the reading was that technology integration is not so much about how often a teacher uses some form of technology in the classroom, but it is more about the teachers understanding and knowledge of it and the application of resources in the classroom. “Forging links and connections between different content areas” is challenging, especially when you are given a curriculum that you must follow. There are certainly ways to present the given curriculum with various forms of technology. I have worked especially hard in my classroom to make sure that I attempt to creatively integrate technology where I can. For example in science I incorporate as many online sites as I can into my lessons as well as maintaining my classroom web page.

Mandy
After reading chapter one of this book, I had to take a few minutes to sit back and reflect about my classroom and how I am as a teacher. There were many important and thoughtful points made in the reading. Technology definitely can have a prominent and effective role in the classroom if keeping the affordances and constraints mentioned in mind. I am currently not using technology in my room nearly as much as I could be. As a second grade teacher, I often feel like some things would be too complex for my students. That is when I need to think about the content I am covering and carefully plan the most successful way to approach it. I want my students to be familiar with technology and be comfortable with the use of the classroom computers. I agreed with the statement that said technology complicates teaching, but as teachers isn’t our main goal for students to improve and grow? Someday, I would love to see more technology based workshops available in which we can learn and bring the useful materials back to our rooms. In my experience, technology use in the classroom has mostly been hindered by the lack of professional development and knowledge of what is available. Through reading the chapter I was able to better understand how all the components of teaching intertwine. My mind was spinning towards the end of the chapter as I thought about my classroom. Am I being an effective teacher and using the resources that are given to me? Should I be reaching out to my technology specialists to help create lessons for the children? These are some of the questions I have and hope to be able to address as I do more research and thinking. This chapter left me feeling like my classroom is one that has endless possibilities and success as I allow the “technology door” to be opened a little bit more.

**Sarah**
** Learning – ** Knowing that there is connection between what I teach, how I teach and “technology” assures me that technology is not a new thing that must be learned but an evolving tool that must be understood. As teachers, we are on the front of exposing students to the knowledge of technology that will be the basis of what they will need in continuing education and in the workplace. In designing curriculum, teachers must know their content well and then able to apply technology practices that are appropriate in meeting the learning goals in that content area. When teaching content material with technology, teachers are aware of the appropriate pedagogy for their students. In the practice, or art of teaching, teachers must work beyond what technology is and be able to design their knowledge of technology to meet their pedagogical reasoning. “TPK requires a forward-looking, creative, and open-minded seeking of technology, not for its own sake, but for the sake of advancing student learning and understanding (p. 17). “Cognitive flexibility hypertexts” (p. 19) are what appear to have become common “places” to seek our knowledge. Knowing these sources and using them effectively in the classroom allows students to learn in a way that takes them beyond standards but to places that strengthens their interests that may lead to educational advancement and career success – the ultimate educational goal. Fact – “commercial games often were more demanding than educational games in terms of cognitive effort as well as in time required for mastery” (p. 19). ** Impact – ** This chapter caused me to wonder if the evolution of the teaching profession will “weed out” the teachers that lack the enthusiasm for sustainable learning in their classroom. There are times when I feel “dumb” with technology, as some may feel when they are teaching math at the middle school level, but I really am only “dumb” when I choose not to build on what I know. My role as a Curriculum Integration Specialist is to provide professional development to teachers in character education. I will have teachers improve their TPCK by starting with their own “basic” knowledge because if they don’t start from what they know then learning from what they don’t know about technology will be overwhelming. And teachers need to make technology application work for their classroom based on many factors.