When the TPACK is flexible

On October the 5th, I posted a message about the use of a Content Management System (CMS) within 5 different approaches. In another message, I reacted and elaborated on the message of Carolin who was suggesting to learn in an online social community (OSC), where in the learners are able to collaborate with eachothers online.

Those (and many other) new technologies makes education more flexible. For example, the teachers are more able to vary between different types of learning activities, and use technology to engage in a (for students) more enjoyable way of learning, such as the OSC or using a blogsite. The use of new technologies makes it also possible for the teacher to communicate with his students through other media, such as VoIP, mail or other applications. When the teacher is able to use other media to communicatie, it may not necessary to meet the learners in a classmeeting, so that the learners are able to schedule when and where they want to learn.

Having the possibilities (e.g. technologies) is a nice thing, but as I tried to explain in my previous message, the teacher needs to have Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in order to design good lessons with this technology. When the teachers are unable to use the technology in a way, which is suitable for the learners, they (both the learner as the teacher) will not benifit from the knowledge.

As we have learned from our lectures, most of the teachers (especially the experienced ones) do have a lot Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge, and the combination of these two (Pedagogical Content Knowledge). In our last meeting, some of the students discussed about the shift in overlap between those two knowledge domains: Of course, the knowledge about the Content or about new strategies or methodologies suitable for certain learners will develop, but the teacher will also learn from experience which methodologie or strategy will work for what kind of content. In this case, the teacher with the largest PC-knowledge about the context is more valuable in the classroom.

When learning about (new) technologies, it is not only important to learn about new functions, but also how to apply this (T-)knowledge into his already existed PC-knowledge. In this case, the website which I also discussed in my previous message is a good example, where in the teacher is not only teached in the use of powerpoint itself (TK), but also explains how he can use this functions in his teaching. Also Harris, Mishra and Koehler (2009) give a nice overview with combining technology with activity. With this relations, the teacher may come up with new ideas to use in his lessons, to enreach their lessons, and, eventually make their lessons more flexible.

As you can read in this message, the teacher has to be really flexible in his 3 domains of knowledge (TP&C), in order to design a flexible learning environment...

Harris, J., Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2009). Teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge and learning activity types: Curriculum-based technology integration reframed. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 41(4), pp 393-416.