The Total Package of Teaching

Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge

TPACK is the idea that all three components: technology, pedagogy, and content, must work together in order to create a successful education environment. As a teacher, this can be daunting to think that in each of your lessons you strive to hit the middle of this venn diagram, but it is worth it to foster the best kind of learning in your classroom.

It is important to practice TPACK in your classroom because:

• It will teach your students 21st century skills.
• You will enhance your lessons with technology, without shaping your lessons around the technological tools.
• You will cover the appropriate content in an engaging manner to involve your students.
• Technology may draw in your students' interests, but you need a meaningful plan to implement them in order to achieve learning goals.
• It will make you a better teacher!

In a YouTube Video about TPACK, the creator Darren Kuropatwa's introduction got me thinking. He states that a frame draws attention to the focus of the picture. My first thought after watching this video, was that in the education field, the technology is the frame. It draws your students in, catches their attention and excites them to learn. However, a frame by itself is nothing. It has nothing to highlight and has no purpose; just as a piece of technology is nothing without purpose. You must pair your technological "frame" with rich content (the focus of the picture) and purposeful pedagogy (the background of the photo).

Here's a screenshot of a frame in the YouTube video I mentioned above. 

As teachers we must do our best to aim for the center of the venn diagram and be the best combination the three components. It will take practice, effort, and time to master, but practice makes perfect, so don't give up!

As a future teacher, I think TPACK will effect me on a daily basis. As I plan units, lessons, and day-to-day activities, I will need to remember the TPACK framework and strive to accomplish a perfect blend of content, pedagogy, and technology. As a teacher with a digital technology minor, I believe my future colleagues will expect me to be the expert and go-to with technology. I will teach other teachers the tools I've learned to use in my own classroom. In a YouTube Video it is stated that we can't keep doing the same thing we've done and just add technology, we must challenge ourselves to come up with new ideas, cutting edge lessons that will engage students in a way that we never did before. As a future teacher, I will research and try out new ideas to incorporate technology into my classroom and share with my colleagues.

In conclusion, TPACK is something I hope all teachers strive for in their classroom. It provides the best learning environment for students and makes us as teachers better. Try it out!

TPACK photo retrieved from: Cary Academy