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When and Where does Technology Fit?

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First, think a moment about pedagogy and content.  Pedagogy deals with the art and science of teaching to all learners.  Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instructionTherefore pedagogy cannot exist as an entity of its own in the classroom (Wikipedia). Therefore it cannot exist on its own free standing in the classroom unless it is a course on the study of pedagogy. I may have a huge bag of tools (including a dog and pony show-if I must), but if I don’t understand or know the content the tools are useless.

Second, when can the content teach itself? If the learner is literate, skilled, and has the ability and desire, the content can teach itself. A few years back, I wanted to strip and sand the hardwood floors in my house.  I bought a book and found to my surprise in 1995 a large amount of information on the Internet with how to pictures. Today I am sure I could find videos on YouTube. I had the need, desire, and the ability to teach myself. So I refurbished the hardwood floors in my house and saved a ton of money. (I would never do it again!)

With most learners, there is a need for the teacher who has the skill in pedagogy and content.  There is the need with the teacher who has professional knowledge in teaching reading, math, Biology, Honors English, ect. There is a need for the teacher who has the professional knowledge of how those two areas merge and work together.

Take a moment to brainstorm these three things. You may not be old enough to do this but give it a try anyway!

  • If you were born prior to 1978 (year I graduated from High School), what were the technologies that were easily available to you?
  • If you were born prior to 1993, what were the technologies that were easily available to you?
  • If you were born in the year 2008, what are the technologies available to you?

When I started teaching in Greenwood, SC in 1988, the technology that was available to me was the chalkboard, chalk, overhead projector (I did not get it till mid year), pull down wall maps, paper, pencil, markers, bulletin board paper for chart paper, notebooks, VHS movies and some reel to reel videos, a slide projector, a record player, cassette tapes, and head phones with a listening lap I could connect to the record player and cassette player. (I am sure I leaving something off!) Through the 90’s I added journals, sticky notes, index cards, typewriters, word processors, etc.  We use the technology that we are most comfortable with and what makes sense to us!

As I a side note, I still see the on occasions the use of video video in a learning environment misused or I see classrooms with IWB’s and still the teacher does not bring multimedia into the learning environment.

Think about the technology we have today! There is so much via the Internet we are so overwhelmed to try to learn. Plus we feel comfortable sticking with what we are most comfortable with. Where are you with the tools!

 

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As we visit this picture again, notice the intersection of technological knowledge where all three meet! When we look at Web 2.0 tools, what do we bring to the table? What I like about this picture is that we see that technology too cannot exist in our learning practice as an entity by itself much like pedagogy and content.

Technology as we know is just a tool! Its effects ultimately depend on the people who use them and how and when they use the tools.  I whole heartily believe that learning takes place when learner can construct their own knowledge by crating, curating, mixing and remixing information with digital tools.  And this is not done solely by the student but with a collaborative community of peers and professionals with the guidance of the teacher. Learning should be about innovating, succeeding and failing and rethinking on the edge.

How can I help teachers to see the importance of intersection of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge? 


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